review by Arno van der Heever
When it comes vacuum flasks, Stanley needs little introduction. They’ve been leading the game since 1913, when the inventor William Stanley Jr fused vacuum insulation and the strength of steel in one portable bottle, inventing the all-steel vacuum bottle we know and love today.
Since then Stanley has expanded their range, including a dedicated ‘Adventure Series’ aimed at keeping your hot drinks steaming, your whiskey clear and your fresh produce crisp while enjoying the outdoors.
All-In-One Convenience
The Adventure All-In-One Coffee System combines the tried and tested Stanley quality with brilliant modular design and engineering. Roughly the same size as a standard 1-litre flask, this one-stop-coffee-shop includes a 500 ml vacuum flask with a lid that doubles as a holder for your ground coffee, 750 ml stainless steel pot, a French press that fits inside the pot, and two 200 ml cups. The simplicity and convenience of grabbing one item for freshly brewed coffee at the crag is unbeatable – and if you want to brew more coffee later, the pot can be used to boil water on a gas stove.
Design
Apart from looking cool, the All-In-One Coffee System is a pleasure to work with. All the pieces click and screw back together with lovely tactile feedback and the pot’s spout makes for easy pouring every time.
Although the name specifies its intended use, the vacuum flask is also great for carrying ice and other frozen items into the mountains – nothing like having some ice and frozen blueberries for your G&T at the mountain hut.
Heat retention
Stanley claim 15 hours of heat retention, which I imagine was measured under the most ideal circumstances, so I won’t hold them to it in a variety of real-world scenarios. That being said, my water still came out at a toasty 82 °C after 5 hours in the flask, which was totally sufficient for a lekker cup of coffee.
One thing to pay attention to is not leaving the coffee in the pot for too long. Being a thin-walled, stainless steel pot with no lid, it will lose heat rapidly in colder conditions and potentially leave you with a lukewarm cup of coffee.
Weight
Weighing in at 750 g, it’s a fair amount of weight for a non-essential, which means it probably won’t be seeing many multi-day adventures where weight is premium. However, for long days at your local crag, or a short weekend hike where one can be more extravagant with luxury items, this unit will quickly become a favourite addition to your packing list.
Conclusion
Freshly brewed coffee, all-in-one convenience, sleek design, and that unbeatable Stanley quality make the Adventure All-In-One Coffee System a joy to use. Although it has its limitations, it’s a fantastic coffee solution for two people spending a day on the hill.
Specifications
Capacity: 500 ml
Weight: 750 g
