MSR - MugMate Coffee/Tea Filter

Such an awesome and essential piece of gear. It goes with me everywhere because of its convenience. Two gripes however, the lid does not stay on very well, so I don't trust leaving ground in there for travel (not saying that the purpose was such, I just do it out of convenience and use a rubber band to secure it). Secondly it is slightly too wide for my Hydroflask (resulting in occasional spills when I have to yank it out and it is slightly too narrow for my Yeti mug so finding the correct mug to fit was a challenge. Still a stellar product.

The metal mesh is durable and presumably one does not need to be concerned with micro plastic particles being introduced into one’s hot drink, as a plastic/nylon filter might do. However, the holes on the filter are a little bigger than ones made of nylon. For tea, this is perfectly acceptable. For finely ground coffee, this can lead to more particulate (or sludge) getting through and into your coffee mug, particularly if you are putting the coffee grounds into the Mug Mate and pouring the boiling water over top, and stirring with a spoon. I found a reasonable solution as follows: boil water in your kettle/pot, remove from heat and add coffee grounds directly into kettle/pot (or mix in another container). Stir with a spoon if you wish. Let steep for a couple ... MoreThe metal mesh is durable and presumably one does not need to be concerned with micro plastic particles being introduced into one’s hot drink, as a plastic/nylon filter might do. However, the holes on the filter are a little bigger than ones made of nylon. For tea, this is perfectly acceptable. For finely ground coffee, this can lead to more particulate (or sludge) getting through and into your coffee mug, particularly if you are putting the coffee grounds into the Mug Mate and pouring the boiling water over top, and stirring with a spoon. I found a reasonable solution as follows: boil water in your kettle/pot, remove from heat and add coffee grounds directly into kettle/pot (or mix in another container). Stir with a spoon if you wish. Let steep for a couple minutes. Place Mug Mate filter into your desired mug, then pour water/coffee mixture from your kettle/pot into your mug via the Mug Mate filter. Do not stir with a spoon in the Mug Mate; simply lift filter out of mug and let remaining coffee drain out of the filter. Voila! This method will produce a stronger brewed coffee and you will capture more grounds in the filter. I prefer this coffee over a paper filter which I find strips away the bitterness and oils; using a mesh filter produces a more complex flavour - but if you prefer a smoother flavour, consider a method which uses a paper filter (such as a Java Drip or Aeropress).

Here is a nice tool if you want some real coffee on the trail. I bought a titanium travel mug that is about the size of a normal coffee cup. This sits right on the lip. Although it almost touches the bottom it still works just fine for a pour and a normal strength cup of coffee. It is small and light enough for backpacking. The only gripe I have is that the two little holders don't snap down, so this guy doesn't fit inside the cup (now that would be cool and way handy for packing).