Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Better for you and the earth

We’ve blabbered more than Scatman Crothers about how to manually brew better coffee, but if you still can’t wean yourself from the convenience of the K-cup, foodie and tech writer Matt Buchanan points out that the Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter ($19) offers some reasonable middle ground. This exclusive filter for the K-Cup system [...]

A better brew from Brooklyn

Kickstand started back in 2010 out of a shared passion for sustainably grown coffee and cycling. Founders Neal Olson, Aaron Davis, Peter Castelein and Benjamin Schleif mixed the two loves by biking their cold brew serving “mobile coffee stand” to various NYC outdoor markets, and they haven’t looked back since. The group’s success stems from [...]

Im-press-ive

Compared to standard drip methods, the French Press (or cafetiére as it’s known in the rest of the world) does an excellent job of brewing a great tasting cup of coffee. But it isn’t perfect. In fact, many java-elitest feel the process results in overextraction and dislike that used grounds often wind up thwarting the [...]

No Average Joe

Auto-drip coffee is entrenched in American culture for three reasons. It’s cheap, easy to make, and has a relatively consistent taste wherever you order it, apart from the random Chicory-spiked landmines you can stumble on down south. Those benefits have been compounded now that the process of measuring grounds, water, and finding a filter has [...]

Easing the Daily Grind

The intelligent new Breville BDC600XL YouBrew ($280) is a grinder and brewer designed to dish out the perfect amount of coffee your jittery caffeinated-heart desires (as long as it doesn’t exceed 12 cups at a time). Yes, you can do this today by adjusting the amount of coffee and water in your standard dripper, but [...]

Just Don't Drink It

Coffee and a hot shower form a one-two punch that gets many of us out of the house and ready to work. Short of bringing your mug in the shower, Wash With Joe ($24) is the best way we know of to combine these two daily steps. Packed with a healthy helping of Arabica coffee [...]

Porta-Joe

There are plenty of ways to get your coffee on in the great outdoors. The Coleman Propane Coffeemaker ($90) just happens to look and operate like most home java makers, which can reassure less savvy campers worried about missing their fix. Unlike other alternatives, this brewer can also produce a full 10 cups in one [...]

No Simple Joe

One can’t help but think that when Stumptown decided to name this blend Hair Bender they were considering the origin’s complexity versus the zippy after-effect. Made from coffee sourced in all three coffee growing regions (Latin America, East Africa and Indonesia) Stumptown Hair Bender Espresso Blend ($12) is not only their most popular coffee but [...]

Keep the Star and Leaving the Bucks

No, this isn’t a surrealist joke from one of his films. Instead, David Lynch Signature Organic Coffee ($10/Lb) is yet another tangible extension of the creative, and often crazy mind of David Lynch. Fans of his work and coffee aficionados alike can choose from one of three kinds of joe including a house blend, an [...]

One Select Brew

Founded by Todd Carmichael and Jean Philippe Iberti, the Philadelphia-based La Colombe Torrefaction has built an admirable reputation among the coffee-roasting elite. Their select beans can be found in gourmet restaurants throughout the country, or in their own La Colombe Cafes in NYC, Philadelphia, and Chicago. The Atelier line, however, is a caffeinated skunkworks of [...]

Four Loco? More like pour Stumpco.

We’ve been fans of Stumptown coffee ever since we first encountered the Portland, Oregon brewer a few years back. Since then, the brand has gained notoriety, even opening an outpost in NYC at the trendsetting Ace Hotel. Recently, Stumptown launched a new line, bringing the fantastic taste of cold brewed coffee to the masses. It’s [...]

On the Scene Caffeine

A reader recently wrote us to ask if we knew of any solutions for making coffee at a picnic. It seemed a bit strange considering we’re in the middle of February, but we can’t blame people for planning ahead. While the GSI Mini Espresso Maker is ideal for roughing it, the Handpresso is a slightly [...]

Get Iced, Minus the Smirnoff

We have all tried (and failed) to create iced coffee by brewing a pot, and immediately pouring it over a glass of ice. A true glass of iced coffee however takes time, patience, and effort. Or at least that’s what we thought before discovering the Fretta v60 Ice Coffee Maker ($33), which effortlessly brews a [...]

Espresso Technology Done Right

Recently here on Gear Patrol, we’ve had a great dialogue about one of man’s favorite drinks, coffee; we’ve collectively debated the various ways the brew can be prepared and consumed. Some of us seem hell-bent on using a french press as the only way of doing the brackish ambrosia justice, while others in the business [...]

Boil Like You Mean It

All of this talk of glorious, French-pressed coffee got me thirsty to thinking. Sure, boiling water is a pretty simple task, but what simple task hasn’t been made better by the advent of a wonderful gadget to perform it for you. Wheras I love a nice stove-top kettle as much as the next guy, I’m [...]