Is The VSSL Nest The Best Travel Coffee Kit or Just an Overpriced Pour-Over?
We love coffee here at Terradrift. In fact, both of us are former trained baristas. So we know coffee, we love coffee, and we’re very particular about coffee. And yes, we’ve tested lots of coffee devices for the outdoors over the years, from portable grinders to camp espresso makers to lightweight pour-over funnels to better instant coffee.
But most systems require building your own kit via individual parts, which if you’re new to coffee outdoors or are looking for an all-in-one system, may not appeal to you. Enter the VSSL Nest Pour Over Coffee Kit: a portable, inclusive pour-over kit that comes with (almost) all you need to brew a cup. But is it worth it given the spendy price tag ($80 as of this writing)? We tested it to find out.
VSSL Nest Pour Over Coffee Kit: What’s Included
So if the Nest touts itself as a complete brewing kit, what do you get with this ultra portable package? Just about everything you need to make a cup (minus the grounds and hot water, of course).
- Dripper cone – 80% Recycled Stainless Steel
- Reusable #1 filter – Food Grade Stainless Steel
- 2 Insulated mugs (10oz) – 80% Recycled Stainless Steel
- 1 Lid – BPA-Free
- Nesting cup – For safely holding the Java grinder
There’s even room to stash the VSSL Java G25 Coffee Grinder, which fits inside the kit like a Russian nesting doll, and a small bag of coffee so the whole system is ready to go when you are.
And all of it screws together for a slim, sleek, tidy package that’s 11.5” tall, 3.4” in diameter, and weighs 21.4 oz.
The regular Nest doesn’t come with a portable grinder, but you can purchase a whole Nest kit that includes the grinder and a protective sleeve for it so you don’t scratch up the inside of your Nest.
The only thing the Nest doesn’t include: a way to boil water. For that, you’re on your own, so don’t forget a kettle. (R.I.P. PAKT travel pour-over kit with included travel kettle.)
VSSL Nest How-To
To make a cup of coffee, you will have to boil water in a separate device. Might we recommend the MiiR Standard Pour-Over Kettle? Then take all the pieces of the Nest apart.
If you’re particular about your brew, weigh your coffee (we love the tiny Wacaco Exagram for this), grind your beans, place the filter into the funnel, which should sit lightly on top of the mug (don’t screw it in place), and dump the grounds into the reusable filter.
Place the cup and filter on your scale, TARE it, then pour the boiling water over your grounds slowly, letting the grounds bloom for a few seconds if you have the patience. Continue pouring until you’ve reached your weight-based golden ratio of 16:1 (water:coffee), then drink up straight from the insulated mug!
VSSL Nest Review
But how did the Nest perform?
For starters, the cups are double-walled and vacuum insulated to help keep coffee hot. That’s a must on cool mornings at the campground. The cup lid was less impressive, though. You can’t close the drink spout to make it spill-proof and it’s just a plastic topper that seals snugly on top of the mug with a push. There’s also only one lid despite there being two cups. You can buy a second lid separately, but it won’t nest with the rest of the kit.
f you plan to do anything more than sit and sip, I’d recommend bringing your own leak-proof cup/lid. I actually really like the VSSL Rift travel mugs, which come in several sizes and colors, are cup holder compatible, and entirely leakproof. But you do you. I just don’t find the included mugs very versatile.
Cups aside, the Nest does make great coffee. The steel mesh filter makes for a nice slow drip, which in turn makes for a robust cup. That makes it a solid option for those new to pour-overs who maybe haven’t dialed their system or technique in yet or prefer not to fuss with paper filters.
The filter and funnel are sized for a single serving, so if you plan to make two cups you’ll have to rinse and repeat. Fortunately, the whole setup is easy to clean, but it is all hand-wash only, so keep that in mind.
I will say that it took a few times to remember how to put it all back together after use. The instructions say to utilize the etched arrows on the different parts and pieces to help you line things up correctly, but the arrows are super faint and not on every piece. So it just took some trial and error. The more I used it, the easier it became. On the upside, it doesn’t seem to matter that much if you flip a few things around; It’s all pretty much the same threading.
The build is solid, is constructed of mostly recycled stainless steel, and the inclusion of a reusable filter, which so many manufacturers overlook, is a major plus.
Who is the VSSL Nest For?
So is the VSSL Nest worth it? Who is it for?
In our opinion, it depends on your budget and preferences. It’s not a cheap kit at $80. If you’re on a budget, you can build a pour-over kit that’s just as functional (if not quite as self-contained) for a quarter of the price or less.
But if you love the well-designed ease and streamlined packability of a kit that’s got (almost) everything you need built in to one sleek container that you can grab and go at a moment’s notice and know that everything is there, it might be worth it.
Is it more functional than individual cups, a pour-over cone, reusable filter and possibly a grinder? Not particularly. Sure, it’s all designed to fit and work together seamlessly and the all-in-one design is compact and helps ensure you don’t forget anything. But frankly, I’d rather use my own cups and am not sure why there’s only one lid included.
Plus, you still have to pack a kettle or pot of some kind plus a stove for boiling water if you’re camping or overlanding. That’s the case with most coffee setups, but it’s worth mentioning, especially since we’ve reviewed espresso makers that heat water for you (looking at you, Wacaco Pixapresso).
That said, if the well-built design speaks to you and you’re a fan of anything meant to integrate with a whole system seamlessly, it’s a solid travel coffee kit for true coffee enthusiasts.
Best Use-Case Scenarios
- Car camping when you’re already packing a stove and kettle (it’s too heavy for backpacking)
- When traveling to hotels or an Airbnb with dubious coffee making devices/bad coffee
Other Excellent Travel Coffee Kits
The Nest not quite what you’re looking for? Here are some other options for brewing a solid cup of camp coffee.
- Aeropress: Makes 1-2 cups at a time (one medium or two small) and can be used more as a strong French press, espresso or pressurized pour-over (more or less). Easy cleanup, compact, lightweight, easy to use. All you need is coffee grounds, reusable filter and hot water.
- Wacaco Pixapresso: A handheld espresso maker that, unlike other devices, is battery-powered and can heat water if you don’t have a stove. Compact, makes quality espresso (one shot at a time), rechargeable. More parts to clean.
- MiiR Pourigami: Makes one pour-over cup at a time, easy to clean, disassembles to store almost completely flat. Extremely compact and portable. Requires filters.
Bottom Line
While the VSSL Nest doesn’t necessarily make better coffee than other pour-over systems and doesn’t allow much flexibility regarding how much coffee you can make at a time or what you like to drink from, what it excels at is functional form and easy portability.
If I want a pour-over, I’m honestly more likely to bring two leak-proof travel mugs that I’ll use separately from my coffee kit as well as with it, my MiiR Pourigami that folds almost completely flat with a reusable filter, plus a manual grinder. Does it all nest together perfectly with extra beans? No, but I’ll already be packing a scale and possibly a kettle separately, so that doesn’t feel like a loss.
That said, if you’re looking for something streamlined, sleek and (nearly) all-inclusive in a delightfully well-designed package, the Nest is an excellent choice.
So stay caffeinated my friends; no matter where you wander on.
