Brewing coffee while camping presents a unique set of challenges. On more occasions than I care to admit, I’ve spilled a freshly made coffee thanks to an unsteady camping table or stone underfoot. But a rigorous day of outdoor adventuring calls for caffeine — full stop. As a professional coffee writer, I demand something more elevated than packets of instant crystals.

Having used several portable brewers, I finally landed on one that ticks the most boxes: The MiiR Pourigami. Once assembled, the pyramid-shaped drip brewer fits atop any travel mug. Taken apart, it’s slim enough to fit into my pants pocket. It functions like standard pour-overs, meaning I can dial in tasting notes to my liking. The laughably simple yet nifty setup lets you play barista in any environment.

The Miir Pourigami brewer in a nutshell

Right out of the box, the Pourigami looks sleek. Disassembled, the brewer consists of three thin stainless-steel trapezoids. I can’t imagine the pieces bending or chipping — that’s crucial, as I’m prone to breaking camping equipment. It folds up flat for storage, smaller than 10 by 16 centimeters. Weighing just shy of 8 ounces, the brewer isn’t featherweight, but it offers great portability nevertheless. Contained in an unassuming synthetic case, the Pourigami seamlessly fits into any bag.

I’m terrible at paper origami, but assembling this brewer into the pyramidal shape is a breeze. It only takes me about 20 seconds to slip the three indents into their slots. The completed dripper holds steady without a wobble and comes apart just as easily. 

Put together, the interior forms a pyramid shape that can accommodate any No. 2 cone-shaped filters. I find that Miir’s own filters, available for purchase online function most reliably, creating steady streams without slipping. The brand’s paper-based filters are compostable, which is a small but satisfying environmental win, but compatible filters are easy to find. Either way, the Miir Pourigami is simple to set up and get to brewing.

Brewing with the Pourigami

If you’ve used pour-over vessels such as a V60, Chemex or a Kalita Wave, the Miir Pourigami is familiar territory. The dripper requires a hot water source, the aforementioned paper filter, and a cup or carafe to catch the coffee. A kitchen scale and thermometer help brew with utmost accuracy, but I’ve produced solid cups while eyeballing proportions outdoors.

It’s best to follow a brewing ratio to extract the most out of the brewer, especially when familiarizing yourself with its flow. The Miir brand suggests 21 grams for single-origin beans and 23 grams for blends, each extracted with 300 milliliters of water. Using water heated to 90 degrees Celsius, I’ve found these proportions reliable, as long as extraction is completed by the 3.5-minute mark.

Compared to my V60, the Miir Pourigami takes longer to drain, so a coarser grind helps keep water moving. As a result, the vessel is best suited for full-bodied cups of medium- and dark-roasted coffees. The grind quality is crucial: You’ll want a coarse yet uniform consistency. I’ve used both the portable MiiR Coffee Hand Grinder and the Baratza Encore to great success; I would avoid using a blade grinder for this setup, though. While I’m away from home, I’ve asked coffee shops to grind beans — I request a consistency one click coarser than a V60. Preground coffee is the most convenient way to brew on the move.

The Pourigami’s steep interior makes saturating coffee grounds easy — no need to carry a gooseneck kettle alongside. I’ve used jet-boil-powered camping kettles and even cooking pots to make excellent cups of coffee, making sure to use hot water that’s off the boil. As long as I’m timing the process, using the Miir Pourigami is undemanding.

What does Pourigami filter coffee taste like?

As with all pour-over coffee, the beans strongly influence the flavor. I’ve produced the best-tasting MiiR Pourigami cups using medium-roast blends — think grocery-store beans like Stumptown’s Holler Mountain Blend. Such bags respond well to the requisite coarser grind and are forgiving in outdoor scenarios. The Miir Pourigami translates gentle notes of acidity and sweetness, seldom leaning into burnt flavors. The coffee turns out light-bodied, similar to other filter setups, but I’ve never brewed a cup that tastes weak or watery. 

If there’s one downside to this dripper, it’s that the coffee occasionally turns out too acidic, a sign of under-extraction. For this reason, I avoid brewing delicate light roasts with the Pourigami — not that I’m packing fancy beans for camping anyway. A bold, balanced medium roast cup hits the spot after a night in a tent.

Is the Pourigami worth it?

At home, I’m not often assembling my Pourgami, instead settling on the trusty espresso machine or extracting delicate cups of V60. When I’m brewing outside of the house, though, the Pourigami is my top choice. In addition to camping, I’ll pack the brewer away in my suitcase for air travel, making the occasional cup on the go.

Before acquiring a model, I used to camp with a bulky plastic V60 dripper, which I inevitably fractured by cramming it in with the rest of my camping equipment. The AeroPress is sturdier, but it can be difficult to find a surface suitable for firm plunging. Compact and durable, the Miir Pourigami wins on logistical ease, making it easy to incorporate into a car-camping, backpacking or even a bike-packing setup.

Sold for $35, it’s a thoughtfully designed coffee gadget that justifies the price. The inventive design isn’t a trade-off for coffee quality and I’m happy to use the Pourigami several days in a row — the steel material is a breeze to clean. Whether I’m at home or on the move, the brewer doesn’t occupy much space, making it a reliable favorite.