MSR Windburner – Coffee Press

A coffee press is available as an optional extra for the new MSR Windburner.  The coffee press is fairly simple, consisting of a filter and plunger.  The entire assembly weighs just a bit over an ounce (36 g).  I'll list the individual component weights in the Appendix, below.

The plunger fits through the standard hole in the center of the Windburner's lid.

The Windburner's coffee press consists of a filter (held in my mitten) and a plunger which fits through the hole in the lid.

The plunger disassembles into two pieces for easy packing.

To pack, simply unscrew the two components of the plunger, and stow inside the pot next to the burner.

I notice that the lower section of the plunger tends to roll away easily.  We wouldn't want that in the backcountry, now would we?  A simple rubber band prevents roll away.

Banding together the two sections of the plunger prevents the lower section from rolling away.

Interestingly, MSR has put a little slot in the handle of the upper section of the plunger.  The lower section fits conveniently into the slot.  This may be enough to secure the lower section, but I've lost too many small bits in tall grass, so I'll go with the greater security of a rubber band.

The tip of the lower section of the plunger fits into the slot in the handle of the upper section.

Once you've threaded the plunger through the hole in the lid and attached the filter, simply place the filter into the pot (as shown below) and affix the lid to the pot.

Fit the filter into the pot as shown and close the lid.

In a few minutes, depress the plunger, and you'll have your favorite warm beverage.  The filter holds the coffee grounds or tea leaves in place.  The pot holds heat well, and the beverage comes out piping hot.  Note that the cup is a bit hot on the hand.  A simple bandana wrap or similar takes care of that.  Speaking of hot, recall that the pot lid fits equally well on the cup.  For those who tend to sip more slowly, the lid will help retain heat.

The cup gets rather hot on the bare hand.  A bandana serves as an insulator.

There's always going to be a few stray bits that escape the filter, but I found that the filter worked quite well.

Inevitably, a few small particles will get past the filter.  The amount isn't bad with the Windburner's coffee press.

When you're done and ready to pack up, simply place the stove components inside the pot, just as you normally would, and slide the disassembled plunger in next to the burner.  I stress "next to" here because the plunger will fit inside the upside down burner.  It's just that it's a pain to get it back out again.

The MSR Windburner, packed normally, with the coffee press' plunger stowed next to the burner.  Everything fits nicely.

Then, slide the filter over the bottom of the pot; it's a perfect fit.

The filter fits tightly over the heat exchanger assembly on the bottom of the pot.

Lastly, simply slide the cup over the bottom of the pot just as you normally would.  The coffee press essentially takes up no extra room in your pack.  Brilliant!

The cup fits neatly over the coffee filter.  What a wonderful design!

One comment here:  MSR has done an outstanding job on the product design.  Everything fits together just so.  Everything is well thought out.  Everything works well for its intended purpose.  MSR has obviously paid great attention to detail with the Windburner, not just with the coffee press but with the entire system, and it shows.  Bravo, MSR.

I thank you for joining me,

HJ

MSR Windburner Posts

• "First Look" Report
• Trail Report #1
• Hanging Kit I
• Lighting the Windburner
• Wind Testing
• Coffee Press
• Hanging Kit II
• MSR Windburner – Three Things to Note
• Cooking Ability
• Final, Completed Review

Disclosures
The item reviewed here was provided to me at no charge for the purposes of this review.  I am under no obligation to review this or any other item.  I am not compensated for my reviews in any fashion other than in some cases I am permitted to keep the item reviewed.  Given that I have well over a 100 backpacking stoves, a free stove frankly isn't going to buy anyone a good review.  Stove companies must measure up if they want a decent review here.  I am an amatuer stove blogger; I make my living elsewhere, in the IT field.  I fit blogging in as time permits.  Inasmuch as my income is derived elsewhere, monetary issues do not influence the reviews on this blog.  Yes, I do have advertisements on the blog.  I typically derive about $1.00 USD per day from the advertisements (last I checked).  This is a mere pittance and does not influence my reviews in the slightest.  Revenue from the advertisements goes toward hosting fees, stove fuel, and the like.  The blog is self supporting in that sense, and my wife is quite happy that I'm not using the family's income to run the blog, particularly given how tough the economy is these days.

Appendix – Component Weights

Coffee Press
Component	Grams	Ounces
Plunger	8	0.3
Filter	28	1.0
Total	36	1.3