I have a son who is in Cub Scouts. The Cubmaster is not a coffee drinker and his coffee proves it. I cannot stand another campout with s****y coffee. My preference is fresh ground French Roast, which I make every morning, at home. I have tried the old fashioned perked coffee, but am tired of the grounds at the bottom. What are my options for better coffee while camping?
Coffee for camping
- Thread starter woodbutcher
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French press! I've got a little 3-cupper that I take with me.
By perked, do you mean percolator? A percolator on hot coals is how we used to do it, but we switched to a french press some time ago, which makes very good coffee. Either option requires carrying the large pot, but pack smart and load it with supplies. You can use the french press with your drip coffee grounds, though a courser grind would prevent the occasional ground from making it to your cup.
garyg
B&B membership has its percs
I'll second the French Press, up to you whether you want to pack regular grind and suffer the occasional grain in the cup, pre-grind coarsely at home into a baggie, or tote a hand cranked grinder. If it is car camping, I'd go option #3 with a Skerton mill and a ss French Press
Have you tried an AeroPress? Works well.
For me it works for camping and at the ranch.
For me it works for camping and at the ranch.
+1 for the French Press
Coleman makes a stove top drip coffee maker we use in the trailer for more than a cup at a time. Works very well.
Coleman makes a stove top drip coffee maker we use in the trailer for more than a cup at a time. Works very well.
Moka Pot? You could put it on a campfire.
Maybe not better, but in such cases I drink instant coffee. Those 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 single serve packets make it easy if you take cream and/or sugar.
I'd go for an Aeropress. They're lightweight and plastic, so they pack easily. When you plunge them, it wipes the chamber dry so there's no device cleanup - just push the spent grounds and biodegradable paper filter into the bushes - the nitrogen content is good for plants and composting.
Otherwise, a stainless moka pot on the fire to replace the percolator.
Otherwise, a stainless moka pot on the fire to replace the percolator.
- Thread starter
- #10
Thanks for the ideas. Will look into the French press and the stove top coffee maker. Just need to find something to make several cups at a time with fairly rapid turnover. Every parent in the Pack that is a coffee drinker expects gourmet coffee instantly, even though we are in the woods.
When it comes to old fashioned percolators, the quality ($$$), will pretty much determine whether or not you end up with grounds in it. If you are using one of those crappy little aluminum pots from Wally world...... Lehmans sells some pretty good stainless ones in big sizes. I have this one, no grounds ever as long as you don't boil it over:
https://www.lehmans.com/p-851-giant-stainless-steel-coffee-pot.aspx
For very adequate camp coffee, look at Folgers single serve packets. (the tea bag type ones) In a 12 ounce ish size cup, I use two. It isn't the worlds best, but as good as your average diner. I can have a quart and a half of water boiling in my Kelly Kettle in five minutes. You can hand five parents a cup of coffee every five minutes. If you are into camping/hiking/fishing/backpack/emergency prep at all, you should look into one.
http://www.kellykettleusa.com/
https://www.lehmans.com/p-851-giant-stainless-steel-coffee-pot.aspx
For very adequate camp coffee, look at Folgers single serve packets. (the tea bag type ones) In a 12 ounce ish size cup, I use two. It isn't the worlds best, but as good as your average diner. I can have a quart and a half of water boiling in my Kelly Kettle in five minutes. You can hand five parents a cup of coffee every five minutes. If you are into camping/hiking/fishing/backpack/emergency prep at all, you should look into one.
http://www.kellykettleusa.com/
pour over is the best bet if you want to avoid grounds. A simple, plastic Melitta filter packs well, along with some paper filters and your ground coffee and your laughing in the morning over a good cup of joe.
I car camp that way too, but when I'm backpacking, I tend to go with instant. Just to stave off the caffeine withdrawal headache. I've never had a leisurely morning while backpacking.
-jim
I car camp that way too, but when I'm backpacking, I tend to go with instant. Just to stave off the caffeine withdrawal headache. I've never had a leisurely morning while backpacking.
-jim
Never mind the Aeropress if you're providing for all the parents. same with a pour over since those are often for single serve too.
Amazon has some stainless steel French press pots which would be more resilient than glass.
I always enjoy percolated coffee while camping.
there is not a good way to make a LOT of coffee (for everyone) while "out in the woods"
I would suggest that you make yourself a cup using a #2 plastic Melitta dripper and some beans you ground that morning before you left home.
Then all you need is hot water, your cup, the dripper with filter and coffee in it.
Very simple but it is one cup only, unless you want to pack a #4 or #8 and a carafe along with you and make a "pot" for everyone
I've also used a French press when camping. Or Mr Brown if lazy and slumming it (or if it's warm/hot when camping) but I can understand if others can't drink canned coffee.
Well, the coffee is clearly not the problem.
Starbuck's Via packs make for a purty darn good cup of instant coffee while camping.
+1 on aeropress.
Making coffee for the crew gets you out of cooking & cleanup duty, if you drop the right hints!
