Coffee

[Cheeseandbeans]

What’s everyone preferred method for making coffee in camp? I have tried most- French press, percolator, drip through a filter, Aeropress... the last few trips I have been putting freshly ground into empty tea bags. Throw a couple in a kettle that was brought to a boil and let it sit for a bit. I am happy with the results and clean up is super easy.

 

[Robin]

I just boil some water, take it off the heat and pour some coffee in from a zip lock, never measured, just eyeballed. I then pour a little cold water in to help drop the grains but I always end up with some grains in the cup. I make enough for 3 cups and reheat it during breakfast and camp tear down.

 

[sweeper]

 

[dogbrain]

Instant Nescafé decaf with coffee mate creamer. Quick and easy. Now if I’m wanting something with a kick, I’ll pull out a Starbucks on rare occasion.

Mark

 

[Higgster]

Drop the shells from the eggs you cooked for breakfast into the coffee pot. The grounds accumulate around the shells after boiling in the pot. makes cleanup easier too.

 

[Odyssey]

I'm a prisoner to my percolator. I don't mind. It treats me well. I follow the routine of wood and fire, coffee and water, wait and wonder. It rewards me with 4 cups of bold bliss. To date I've experimented with different instants, but even Starbucks VIA is just another coffee substitute and not the same thing at all. Two French presses later and they're both gathering dust put away for safe keeping. Since giving away a Bialetti Brikka (it didn't work well) we're now down to one large (12 demitasses) and two small (6 demitasses)Moka pots; these two smalls are our his&hers. My wife and I are morning monsters for our cappuccinos. It's indescribable luxury, although we don't go for the dainty little cups and saucers no, we are mug drinkers. A big mugga caffeine hit every am starts our day off just right. But that's at home, in camp there's no easy way to froth milk without getting frothy fussy so it's just straight from the perc and the Italian job stays home. I've tried forgoing morning tripping coffee altogether and even resorted to strong tea instead (which I do love as an afternoon necessity) but can't help but miss those caffeine chains, my perc coffee.

 

[Guest]

I'm a leave no trace camper and since coffee grounds are garbage, I don't like packing them out. I'm not a coffee connoisseur, but instant is awful. I found liquid coffee concentrate in little plastic one cup pods. Just add to hot water, Even coffee lovers say its pretty good and no grounds! life is good.

 

[snapper]

If I'm out on my own I usually use the Trader Joe's instant. It's obviously not the same but it works. If I'm with a group I'll bring along my French press that I picked up years ago from Campmor. I purchased the large one so you can end up with 32 oz. of whatever you choose to create. Very simple and gives good results. That being said, I have to get better at making cowboy coffee. It would be nice not to have to bring an extra item along; unless someone else wants to carry the press

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[scoutergriz]

Been drinking coffee for almost 50 years, and tried them all! french press? too weak and acidy, plus a mess to clean up, bodum? too heavy and easy to scorch, those fancy drip machines- forget it I've spent more time unplugging them than drinking, instant? not even going to talk about THAT!
For me there are only 2 ways- the perk, of which I have 3 (4 cup, 10 cup, 14 cup) they hold my fixins in baggies wrapped around the stem, can double as an extra pot for liquids, and can make the worst coffee palatable by controlling the heat and brew time, or an old boiler if I need copious quantities (I've made 50 cups that way) a cup of cold water sends the grounds to the bottom, just don't drink the last cup!

 

[yellowcanoe]

MSR Mugmate and ground coffee. Disperse the used grounds into the soil. I do that at home . It is called compost.
Caveat I am not an urban paddler and there has to be sufficient humus.. don't dump on hardened bare ground.

 

[ppine]

I learned to make coffee in the bush from ranch cowboys. Robin has it right if you ask me. You can crush whole beans in a bandanna with a rock. Put some coffee in cold water in any vessel, and heat it to boiling, then simmer. Cold water settles the grounds. Egg shells neutralize some of the acid, especially if you have cheap coffee that is not arabica beans.

 

[Guest]

When doing living history camping with garbage service I make cowboy coffee. and like it. Old timers bring it to a boil, take it off the heat, boil it again, tale it off, a do that a third time. they then add eggshells and let it sit. Great.

 

[Odyssey]

Cowboy coffee might be a simpler camp version of a much older more elaborate tradition practised by the Turks. I'd like to try it sometime.

"First appearing in the Ottoman Empire, under the strictest interpretations of the Quran the strong coffee was considered a drug and its consumption was forbidden. Due to the immense popularity of the beverage, the sultan eventually lifted this prohibition.[SUP][11][/SUP]

Turkish coffee culture had reached Britain and France by the mid to late 17th century. The first coffee house in Britain was opened by a Turkish Jew in the mid 17th century."

"Turkish coffee refers to a method of brewing very finely ground coffee. Any coffee bean may be used; arabica varieties are considered best, but robusta or a blend is also used. The beans must be ground to a very fine powder, which is left in the coffee when served."

"Turkish coffee is made by bringing the powdered coffee with water and usually sugar to the boil in a special pot called cezve in Turkey, and often called ibrik elsewhere. As soon as the mixture begins to froth, and before it boils over, it is taken off the heat; it may be briefly reheated twice more to increase the desired froth. Sometimes about one-third of the coffee is distributed to individual cups; the remaining amount is returned to the fire and distributed to the cups as soon as it comes to the boil. The coffee is traditionally served in a special type of small porcelain cup called a kahve finjanı."

"Sugar is added to Turkish coffee while brewing, so the amount of sugar must be specified when preparing the coffee. It may be served unsweetened (Turkish: sade kahve), with little or moderate sugar (Turkish: orta şekerli), or sweet (Turkish: tatlı). Coffee is often served with something small and sweet to eat, such as Turkish delight. It is sometimes flavoured with cardamom, mastic, salep, or ambergris. A lot of the powdered coffee grounds are transferred from the "cezve" to the cup; in the cup, some settle on the bottom but much remains in suspension and is consumed with the coffee."
-Wikipedia

 

[Cheeseandbeans]

Really interesting.

I enjoy making cowboy coffee when there is a large group,
but haven’t had good luck in my small kettle when solo- too many grounds in the cup. Could be my method.

I also like my beans ground course. I enjoy the flavor more then finely ground, but again could be related to the method.

I’ve tried the instant route, but I enjoy the real thing too much- I’m a coffee junky and snob. Admitting it is the first step to recovery....

 

[Canotrouge]

I’ve tried all the OP’s method and more, I now use the pour over method and so does everyone I trop with these days! Kelly kettle first thing in the morning to get water boiling and then every one does what need to be done!! I now use a David’s tea stainless steel infuser and it works great!!

 

[alsg]

I’ve tried all the OP’s method and more, I now use the pour over method and so does everyone I trop with these days! Kelly kettle first thing in the morning to get water boiling and then every one does what need to be done!! I now use a David’s tea stainless steel infuser and it works great!!

I'm clueless about pour over. If I wanted three mugs of coffee for myself with that rig, would I need three filters? How long do you need to stand there pouring hot water over the grounds?

 

[Odyssey]

Another idea.
A coffee sock is a tightly knitted piece of fabric (cotton) attached to a metal wire. The brewing method for the coffee sock uses the processes of filtration (like a pour-over) and immersion (like a french press) depending on how long the sock itself is. Boiling water is poured into the sock held above the cup or pot allowing slow soaking/filtration dripping. The sock would be reusable. (For coffee.)

Pretty sure once upon a time somewhere seeing : a bandanna containing crushed coffee beans tied up and tossed into a pot to soak. Retrieved when the coffee was judged to be strong enough. Bandanna emptied and kept for coffee next time. I wear bandannas but not sure I want to give one up for coffee.

 

[gumpus]

I do pour over too. I like the simplicity and it makes good coffee if you bring good coffee. Sometimes I use a reusable filter made for tea instead of pour over...again I like the simplicity plus it works. I'd like to try the coffee socks mentioned by Odyssey.

If you haven't tried Pocket Coffee I suggest that you order some right away (we order through Amazon). They are not a substitute for real coffee in the morning but they are quite a treat in the afternoon. Liquid espresso surrounded by dark chocolate, individually wrapped. Made in Europe and in my experience Europeans know about coffee. I also give them to pretty girls.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_Coffee

 

[Guest]

I liked the look of that David's Tea stainless steel infuser, and so when to the website. No such infuser, but I did find this:

"Get your matcha on with this specially designed bamboo-print frother. With its matcha-specific motor and green tea-friendly nylon head, it lets you whip up rich and frothy matchas in no time flat. What’s more, this little beauty also works wonders on hot or cold milk so you can make delicious green tea lattes. With its battery-powered, cordless operation, you can bring it everywhere you go. Includes two AA batteries."

 

[Patrick Corry]

This guy loves his cowboy coffee, and makes pretty entertaining videos.

https://youtu.be/HjZC8LIrr5s