Coffee!

[Pritch]

From time to time the subject of coffee in the backcountry comes up and we discuss various products and methods of brewing this morning blessing. I have tried various several, including Folgers Singles (like tea bags) and Java Juice (concentrated coffee liquid) as well as several brands of "instant" coffee.

The Folgers bags have been my fallback for years but they are at best fair. I was excited when I discovered the Java Juice because of the fanatical popularity it had inspired. Unfortunately, it failed to live up to the hype.

GOOD NEWS! I will admit to a shameful Starbucks addiction. The girls at all of the local ones all know me by name and have my drink started before I get to the counter. Yesterday while I was there, they gave me a couple of samples of their new Via Ready Brew instant coffee. I tried both the Italian Roast and the Columbia brew and enjoyed them both. They weren't just "good enough" for camp but are fine for every day if I don't want to make a pot or drive to Starbucks.

The online pricing looks steep, but I don't know if they are offering a better price in the stores. Right now they are giving away free samples so go check them out!

-- FLIX

 

[tknife]

I always take JavaJuice with me when I go backpacking. Nothing like a hot cup to get me going on a cold morning!

 

[mikeal]

The aeropress packs small and light. It makes a pretty good cup of coffee.

It doesn't pack as small as a pouch of coffee extract, but I like it.

 

[Pritch]

I've also tried the H2jO which threads on a Nalgene or Guyot bottle. It is nice to have your choice of regular ground coffee, but I haven't quite figured out the right proportions. On the downside, you end up with brewed coffee in your water bottle and it requires a bit of clean up.

I had a lexan french press on my boat but didn't like the flavor of the coffee. It seems like a lot to carry but I guess it would be fine for car camping.

-- FLIX

 

[iBlade]

I have this tiny metal thing that you put ground coffee ( I grind my own and carry it in a zip lock bag) in the middle, water in the bottom, screw it together then oput it on a direct flame, from a gas cooker, but maybe you could use an open flame, when it gets hot enough the water boils up through the ground coffee and real black coffee come out, only enough for a espresso but its agood pick me up.

I ahve seen some travel cookers have a conversiion kit for a french press/plunger jobby that looks pretty good too.

I have tried coffee in a tube before, it looks a bit like brown toothpaste, and does not taste much better to tell the truth.

One girl i knew was such an addict that she used to sprinkle gound beans on her cereal when we went camping...

 

[chris in mo]

The folgers singles are not even drinkable in my experience. I always toss a mietta single cup filter brewer when I am going to be out overnight. For car camping I favor a full size coffee press.

 

[A.W.U.K.]

Others may disagree but I find the Douwe Egbert's range of instant coffees a fair substitute for freshly brewed.
But then I am a Philistine and drink more instant coffee than real!
And more tea than either!

 

[KuRUpTD]

I have this tiny metal thing that you put ground coffee ( I grind my own and carry it in a zip lock bag) in the middle, water in the bottom, screw it together then oput it on a direct flame, from a gas cooker, but maybe you could use an open flame, when it gets hot enough the water boils up through the ground coffee and real black coffee come out, only enough for a espresso but its agood pick me up.

I believe you're referring to a good old perculator :thumbup:
I'm a caffeine fiend and use the perculator usually for car camping.
I've used the GSI mini espresso maker and it works great but only makes enough for 1 ... I need to try some of that Java Juice

 

[Foilist]

I tote along a Lexan French press from GSI. It's light, easy, and makes good coffee. I pregrind decent beans at home and bring them in a ziplock bag.

 

[desmobob]

I bought a cheap thingie that consists of a bunch of cone-shaped filters and a plastic spike that hangs the filter from the top of your chosen cup or mug. You put ground coffee in the filter, hang it in the top of your cup, pour boiling water through it, then leave it hanging in the water to seep for a while.

Cheap, easy, effective.

Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[Uplander]

When I'm going fast&light, I've come to like "Kava". Jeep camping, I make cowboy coffee.
Uplander

 

[Pritch]

I have this tiny metal thing that you put ground coffee ( I grind my own and carry it in a zip lock bag) in the middle, water in the bottom, screw it together then oput it on a direct flame, from a gas cooker, but maybe you could use an open flame, when it gets hot enough the water boils up through the ground coffee and real black coffee come out, only enough for a espresso but its agood pick me up.

I ahve seen some travel cookers have a conversiion kit for a french press/plunger jobby that looks pretty good too.

I have tried coffee in a tube before, it looks a bit like brown toothpaste, and does not taste much better to tell the truth.

One girl i knew was such an addict that she used to sprinkle gound beans on her cereal when we went camping...

Is this what you're talking about?


This is what my wife uses to make Cuban coffee. I've thought about taking it along when car camping.

I bought a cheap thingie that consists of a bunch of cone-shaped filters and a plastic spike that hangs the filter from the top of your chosen cup or mug. You put ground coffee in the filter, hang it in the top of your cup, pour boiling water through it, then leave it hanging in the water to seep for a while.

Cheap, easy, effective.

Stay sharp,
desmobob

Sounds cool, desmobob. Do you have a name or link for it?

-- FLIX

 

[Cigar]

+1 Aero Press.

Travel french press from REI

 

[myright]

I use the Folgers singles in my senseo machine at home.

How do they work in the bush? Do you prepare exactly like you would tea?

 

[Hassilov]

Oh man... coffee is so important to me in the morning. I have to bring a french press with me and I'll drink almost a full pot myself. I've already used up 3 GSI lexan presses and won't ever recommend them – the lexan carafe is fine but the plunger just won't last. Finally I found a Bodum lexan press with an all-metal plunger that's bombproof. I removed the big clunky handle to make it easier to pack. (It's only the size of a Nalgene bottle and very lightweight.)

A good tip for keeping the coffee warm is to wrap the carafe – I use my bandana and it works just fine. And if you need to make massive quantities of brew, just make some in the press and the rest in the pot you boiled it in. After you've emptied the coffee in the press (I just transfer it to insulated mugs), put the rest of the coffee through it to separate the grounds.

My coffee? Starbucks house blend, freshly ground.

 

[misanthropist]

I've also tried the H2jO which threads on a Nalgene or Guyot bottle. It is nice to have your choice of regular ground coffee, but I haven't quite figured out the right proportions. On the downside, you end up with brewed coffee in your water bottle and it requires a bit of clean up.

I had a lexan french press on my boat but didn't like the flavor of the coffee. It seems like a lot to carry but I guess it would be fine for car camping.

-- FLIX

That's what I use...I am not a guy who drinks much coffee but if I am camping with campfires I will bring coffee grounds, honey and whipping cream and drink it thick and strong in the morning. Please do not insert homoerotic joke here.

For me, good proportions have worked out to one heaped up strainer full per liter of coffee. I just use the Guyot filter thing, scoop out a full scoop of coffee, pour it in to the nalgene, fill it with boiling water, put in my cream and honey, and then screw the filter on and drink it through that.

It's good!

 

[task force k]

Is this what you're talking about?


This is what my wife uses to make Cuban coffee. I've thought about taking it along when car camping.



Sounds cool, desmobob. Do you have a name or link for it?

-- FLIX

These things are super-plus-two-great. The only issue is the plastic of the handle which tends toward the melty side.

French press is another packable wonder and, if kept clean, makes excellent brew.

My lovely wife got me Folger's singles to include in a survival kit. I find them intolerable...the taste is what I imagine a Skoal Bandit would taste like if it were boiled in cat urine. No offense to anybody that enjoys them...you have my respect and admiration.

 

[Pritch]

I use the Folgers singles in my senseo machine at home.

How do they work in the bush? Do you prepare exactly like you would tea?

Yep, just dunk them a bit longer. You can't rely on color to let you know its done like you can with tea bags. That being said, I really recommend the Starbucks VIA over these.

My lovely wife got me Folger's singles to include in a survival kit. I find them intolerable...the taste is what I imagine a Skoal Bandit would taste like if it were boiled in cat urine. No offense to anybody that enjoys them...you have my respect and admiration.

You forgot to add "then strained thu a used diaper!" :barf: To their credit, they pack up small and will introduce caffine to the bloodstream.

-- FLIX

 

[evbouret]

I hear a lot of people battling this issue on different backpacking forums. It seems like everybody is on the search for an ideal method to brew coffee. Here is mine.

Reusable cotton teabags. Put your ground coffee into the bag, tie it shut and put it in your cup of boiling water. Once the water gets to the desired strength remove bag, pour out the used grounds and rinse with water. It's as light as a method will ever get, unless you bring just a coffee filter.

 

[tenkara]

Nescafe Clasico from the Latin section at Wal-Mart has done a good job of jumpstarting my day. I found out about it from some foodie forum that compared American instant coffee to rank, bitter, boiled tree bark. The Clasico is anything but. Adjust to taste and kick back!