ProView – VSSL Java G25 Grinder + Nest Pour Over Kit Review

Let me paint a picture for you. You’re camping with friends, maybe climbing, maybe just car camping; feel free to use your imagination here. You’re only two days into your trip and you are already regretting letting your friend Dave be in charge of the coffee (Dangit, Dave!). Dave is a good guy, but his cowboy coffee is like motor oil filtered through old cigarettes. Dave is doing his best to make you never want to drink coffee again.

Maybe you haven’t all been in this exact situation, but I guarantee you’ve been in one like it (Stinkin’ Dave!). If you had a dollar for every bad cup of coffee you have had in the backcountry you might even have enough cash to buy a setup like this one from VSSL to make yourself a good cup of coffee. I’ve spent many mornings and evenings with ths VSSL G25 grinder and Nest Pour Over Set, and I am happy to report that backcountry coffee no longer has to taste like backcountry coffee.

Quality

This coffee making setup is beautiful! Opening it up looks like you are getting a premium bottle of scotch or some futuristic, black Apple product. From the unboxing all the way through finishing your last drop of coffee – this is a quality experience. The way VSSL designed this really is genius. It looks beautiful, it is built like a tank, and it makes a really good cup of coffee.

Features

The Nest Pour Over Set looks like a futuristic black thermos, but it really is two insulated cups, two lids, a pour over with a reusable metal filter, and a storage compartment for the G25 coffee grinder. All the features and functions of this kit have been well thought through. Other camp coffee offerings are bulky, plastic, or just make bad coffee. The kit from VSSL has everything you need to make quality pour over and does it all in a functional, durable package.

Durability

I love that VSSL has made a family of products that can make a good cup of coffee in your kitchen; then it can be thrown in the bed of a truck, driven down a gravel road, or thrown in a pack, and then make the same delicious bean water miles from the nearest Starbucks. Everything about this kit is built to last; it may not look like your grandpa’s Stanley thermos, but it will probably last just as long.

Function/Performance

The G25 grinder is a beast. I have used a lot of different hand grinders and this is far and away the best. It is extremely precise, tough, and consistent. The only less than ideal thing about this grinder is its capacity. You can really only grind enough for one cup o’ joe at a time. But then again, making pour overs isn’t a very speedy process.

The Nest Pour Over Set really makes good coffee; it really is that simple. I love good coffee, but I have always been content to sacrifice good coffee for the sake of adventure. Using this kit from VSSL has made me change my mind.

Icing on the Cake

VSSL designs and makes all their stuff in Canada – that’s pretty rad. And while I don’t know much about their recycling practices, I do know that you won’t find a VSSL product in a landfill in the next 50 years or so because they are made to last.

It’s Not for Everyone

Has VSSL built the perfect backcountry coffee setup? Maybe, but not everyone needs that. Here’s a short list of caveats to keep you all from rushing to VSSL’s website right away.

1. It’s expensive. The bundled kit is $225. You can buy the pieces separate, but either way, it ain’t cheap.
2. It takes time. It took me 4 or 5 cups of coffee to adjust my grinder to where I was happy with the result. Also, pour overs just take time.
3. It’s heavy. I would take this on any car camping trip or anytime I would setup a basecamp, but this would be a burden I wouldn’t want to bear while backpacking.
4. Cleaning out the metal filter takes a good bit of water, so depending on the type of trip you are going on, this could make or break the deal.

If coffee is a priority for you while camping or traveling then this would be a great set for you, and your friend Dave would hate it. Also, I don’t live in a van down by the river, but I would think this would be the perfect setup for anyone living that #vanlife. I will continue to regularly make coffee with it in my home, on more camping trips, and many a climbing trip. But there will also be times I choose to leave it at home, either because it is too heavy or too time consuming. All-in-all the VSSL G25 grinder and Nest Pour Over Set bundle are hands down the best camp coffee setup I have ever used.

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