Coffee Makers Archives • Page 5 of 5 • Top Off My Coffee

A close friend of mine, lets call her "J", asked me last week about coffee makers for campers. I had been telling her a bit about my new website here and of course she asked a question that hadn't been directly covered here... at least until now. I know that campers tend to come in a few different varieties. There are the campers who take a big well stocked RV to a campground with full facilities. These people are often similar to those campers who like to head out to a distant campground and stay in a cabin that is furnished to some degree. Then there are people on the other end of the spectrum who like to camp in the most basic way possible. They head out into the wilderness with as little on them as possible in the direction of nothing but nature. Obviously every camper will have their own idea of what camping is and the equipment one camper brings with them is different than that of another camper. When all is taken into account however there are a few basic things that tie most campers together as one demographic group - whatever is brought along on a camping trip is rarely electric and is usually a simple product with few (if any) moving parts. Making Coffee While Camping is Very Important! When it comes to coffee makers automatic drip coffee makers which saturate kitchen counters nation wide are not an option. In some cases many cabins that people camp at have no electricity and certainly not outdoor camp sites. For campers of all types the best bet is to bring a non-electric coffee maker that can be operated by hand over a fire. Common Options for Making Coffee on Campsites Percolators tend to be perennial favorites among campers as they are metal pots that sit on a heat source like a fire and they just percolate away until you remove them from the heat but an better way of making coffee is to stay away from percolators and use something that doesn't roast your coffee grind while it brews. For this I recommend either a good sturdy moka pot or a stainless steel french press. In both cases these units can be purchased inexpensively and in small enough sizes for campers who have a limited ability to hold on to "things". Other options include small cup-sized coffee drippers. These are small cones that sit on top of a cup. You take hot water from a pot and pour it through the coffee grind sitting in the cone on top of your mug and out comes coffee. This is kind of like a DIY drip coffee maker. In any case moka pots, french press pots, and cone-style coffee drippers all make better coffee than percolators. You can see some of the better coffee makers in each category in the store. If you are looking for specific guidance in choosing a camping friendly coffee maker then read on. I've got some info on a few great options down below. My Favorite Camping Coffee Makers There’s just so many options out there. Each model and brand offers different features, one better than the other. The plethora of portable coffee makers can overwhelm you. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Just remember: one of the important factors to achieve good cup of coffee even away from home is to pack a good ground of coffee beans. Now, check out these coffee maker recommendations from savvy campers and travel bugs. Aerobie AeroPress - This coffee maker combines drip method and French press with a twist. The parts are easy to assemble. After you add the hot water, you can have a brewed coffee in just a few minutes. Pros: Excellent tasting coffee, easy to clean, small and light Cons: It has some loose small parts that you need to keep an eye of. Primula Single Serve Buddy - This is pure ingenuity in a cup. It has a simple design that’s easy to use and a reusable filter, perfect for camping, even for days. You get to enjoy a good cup of coffee without the fuss. Pros: Easy to clean, very portable, fits any mug, very affordable Cons: Can only make a single cup of coffee Coleman Quickpot - Coleman is a favorite brand about campers and outdoor enthusiasts. You can expect nothing less for its travel coffee maker. This large and hardworking coffee maker can make 10 cups of coffee in one session. Pros: Good taste, easy to clean, good for large serving, can pour coffee even while brewing Cons: Pricey Snow Peak Titanium Café Press - This coffee maker is lightweight and very durable, perfect for the great outdoors. It may not serve a large group but you can enjoy brewed coffee with that special someone. It allows you to bring the great taste of French pressed coffee wherever you go. Pros: Lightweight and durable titanium, French press, good taste Cons: Pricey Hario V60 Plastic Coffee Dripper - This coffee dripper is so unassuming but it performs well beyond your expectations. It follows the standard pour-over model. It’s plastic is easy to use and retains good coffee taste. Make sure to bring paper filters with you. Insert the filter, pour hot water and you are ready to go. Pros: Great flavor, easy to use, easy to clean Cons: Plastic material is not very durable Jetboil Java Kit - The Jetboil Java Kit is every camper’s dream. The complete kit includes an efficient boiling equipment and French press accessories. It’s like brining a mini-stove on your camping trip. You can boil water anytime and just add the French press accessories to quickly brew a good cup of coffee whether your atop a mountain or by the beach side. Pros: Efficient boiling system, good coffee flavor, color-changing heat indicator Cons: Pricey, needs a specific fuel to turn on GSI Outdoors Personal Java Press - One key feature of GSI is its insulated canister. This means you can make a coffee in the morning and still enjoy it warm for hours. This produces a strong coffee brew that fans of French press will surely recognize and love. Pros: Insulated canister, strong taste, easy to use Cons: Harder to clean, press tends to get stuck in the process Faberware Classic Stainless Steel Yosemite Percolator - It’s a handy percolator that helps you brew coffee for up to 8 people. This is a good equipment for large groups of campers. You can also reheat the coffee if you want. Since it’s a percolator, you can easily adjust your coffee flavor. Just watch out or your coffee will be over-brewed and taste burnt and bitter. Pros: Good for large group, sturdy and durable, can reheat coffee in the pot Cons: Takes longer to brew, not fully automatic, requires hand-work GSI Outdoors Collapsible Java Drip - This is fully designed with campers in mind. It can brew coffee good for 12 people. This drip style outdoor drip machine makes good tasting coffee. It is not the lightest but it is a good alternative for bulky coffee makers. Pros: Easy to clean, collapsible, can make up to 12 cups of coffee Cons: More on the heavy side Surely, nothing beats a good cup of coffee while you are surrounded with breathtaking sights. To achieve this, you need to decide on a travel coffee maker to suit your needs. Every coffee lover agrees that making good coffee is important for a relaxing camping excursion, so don't suffer from instant or cowboy coffee. The great outdoors offer so many good memories for families, couples or just for some alone time. Camping provides an opportunity to marvel at the wonders of nature. For coffee lovers, a good cuppa is a must! You can always go cowboy and brew your coffee the old-fashioned way. But, drinking a good brew would add to the pleasure of enjoying the beauty of nature. Just imagine: the aroma of coffee greets the sweet smelling scent of pine trees or the fresh ocean mist and wakes you up in the morning. Or a delicious cup of coffee warms you up as you watch the stars at night. Ahhh! If only you could live this kind of live every each day. But since you can only go out camping every once in a while, why not make it perfect by bringing a good quality coffee maker for camping. Best Ways to Make Coffee While Camping Hello and welcome back to Gamble Bay Coffee! I am one of those people that love to go out camping! In fact, I go out camping so often that I have actually started to look for ways to make my camping experiences more home-like! If you're like me, you'd understand the importance of having one or more good ways of making coffee while you're out camping, because your cup of coffee is one of those things you don't want to compromise on! So, I have decided to write today's article about the different awesome ways in which you can make your perfect cup of coffee while you're out camping! I really hope that you'd be able to learn at least something new from this and that this would help you in one way or another when you go our camping! So, let's get started already! Method 1: Using a Pot! One of the oldest and most well-tested methods is that of using a pot! People have used it ever since they started having coffee, making it one of those methods you can never forget! All you have to do is that you put your coffee with water in a pot and you put it on the fire! That's all that you have to do! The sheer simplicity of this method is remarkable because despite using the most limited resources, it's still almost hassle-free! The main concern, however, is when it comes to taking the coffee out carefully without getting the grounds into your cup, and cleaning the pot after everything is done! But pay close attention to the kind of coffee grounds you’re using as it really affects the taste. Click here to read our article on the best coffee grounds you can get for preparing your cup of espresso! Method 2: Using a Percolator! Now, this is pretty much the same thing as the last one. However, the only difference is that it takes away one of the disadvantages I mentioned with the last one- it makes it simpler for you to clean it up once you're done because it uses a special basket where you can keep your grounds! So, if you're looking to get even more use while sticking to the conventional and tested methods, and are willing to pay just a little more than the regular pots for this extra feature, the Percolator sounds like the right choice for you! Once again, the grounds equally affect the taste in this case as well, so you might still want to check our article on the best coffee grounds you can go for! (Click here to read our article on the best coffee grounds you can get for preparing your cup of espresso!) Method 3: Using a French Press! Now, you must admit that you had this on your mind all along but you managed to forget about it as you were reading the earlier choices- but we didn't! The French Press really is one of the best options out there, making it one of the main reasons why so many people just choose to stick to it forever! So, of course, the French Press is always an option, and is actually a widely used option when people go out camping. So, if you haven't actually tried this one out yet, be sure to do that soon because you might just make this your new favorite way to make coffee while you're camping out there in the lap of nature. Now of course, you need a handy French Press if you're planning to take one for camping, but there are still a lot of options available out there, so you might to check our article on the best ones available: Click here to read our article on the best single cup French Press Coffee makers out there! Method 4: Instant Coffee Now, this is one of the simplest method there are out there, and one that I personally mostly stick to- partially because of my laziness too (my lazy brothers and sisters, this is the perfect thing for you, I assure you from the perspective of someone who simply cannot be in a lower level than you when it comes to laziness!) All you have to do is just put in the right amount of it in the amount of water you're planning to turn into coffee and viola! You have the coffee without doing anything else! This is by far one of the best and most simple methods EVER, making it the favorite way for those who are either not to keen on the aspect of preparing something while they are out camping, or are just plain lazy like me! Method 5: Using a Filter! Using a filter is yet another method to prepare your coffee! You can prepare a coffee bag kind of thing and put your grounds in it and then heat up your water, pour it in the cup, and let the coffee-bag sit in there for a while until the amount of flavor and aroma you want is extracted from it. Between you and me, while this sure is a method and some people actually love it, I've always found this method to be a little complicated. You have to prepare your own tea-bag like thing, and even if it comes in a similar shape, you have to heat up your water and just go through almost all the same things as using a pot, leaving almost no difference between this and a percolator. Yes, the cleaning is even easier in this case, admittedly, but it's only worth it if you're fine with the extra amount of money you're having to pay for the filter. Method 6: Using a Moka Pot! Now, there are also Moka pots that are specially designed for this purpose. There are a lot of them so you might want to check our article on the The Best Moka Pots Available Out there if this is your first time buying one. These actually have been designed to help you prepare your coffee properly and with the same comfort of a coffee maker, without actually using a coffee maker. This makes these really useful, and so a lot of people who make coffee manually stick to these even now. So, if you’re planning to try out some new methods of preparing coffee without a coffee maker, the Moka pot is one of those things that you simply cannot exclude from your list of things to try out! Gamble Bay Coffee is here for you! Now, of course, these are just a lot of methods that are all practically useful if you want- but not all of them might be the best choice for you. You have to judge them for yourself, and even try them out if you want, in order to find out the best option for you! Just keep in mind that the best option for you isn't the simplest or the cheapest one, but the one that actually serves all your needs in the way you want! So, don't be afraid of experimenting in order to find the one that is the best for you! And of course, do not forget that we are here for you all the time! We are always on the lookout for helping you out in any way we can and we really hope that you would reach out to us if there's anything you think we might be able to help you with- we look forward to hearing from you! We hope that you liked this article and learned at least something new from it that would help you on your next camping adventure! We also hope that you'd check out more of our articles and let us know how you liked them! Well then, see you in the next article again! [While coffee is important when you're out camping, it is no less important when you're at home! Click here to read our article on the best ways to make coffee at home without a coffee maker!] Ways To Make Coffee While Camping There's something about overnighting it in the great outdoors. Whether you're backpacking through the rockies or just car camping a few miles out of town, cooking meals and prepping beverages in the wilderness just makes things taste better. Maybe it's something in the air. Regardless of what you're camping preference is, you're not going to be going without coffee. Obviously you're not going to be packing the Keurig or any other on demand coffee maker for that matter on your back, or car camping without a stitch of coffee for everyone. We've got you covered. There's a plethora of ways to make coffee on the go without having to resort to instant coffee. There are four main things to consider when determining way to make coffee while camping. So grab your pack and let's review the must-have camping items to make coffee: Grinder: If you really want fresh coffee then grinding just before you brew is supremely important. Beans: Whether you bring pre-ground beans or intend to grind them yourself, this is a must. Water: If backpacking is the focus of the trip then a Jet Boil will be your best bet. These little guys are small burners that connect to a propane source, typically lightweight cans. Otherwise you can bring in your own water and heat it on a fire or stovetop. Brewer: This is of course the big variable. It is largely determined by what kind of camping you intend to do. Are you going out overnight with a backpack or are you car camping? Camping With A Coffee Grinder Let's not get halfway down the trail to realize we brought our stationary home Bunn system for a hike up Mt McKinley with no beans. The fact is that the coffee you brew is going to be largely determined by what kind of camping you're doing, how many people are in your party, and what length your stay is going to be. Although fresh ground beans make the best coffee, chances are your not going to want to haul a grinder up a mountain. Or are you? If you've met the criteria to bring a grinder on your trip, then we shouldn't divert from fresh beans. Electricity isn't our friend out in the great outdoors. We could bring a solar panel, certainly. That just tends to ruin the vibe of the trip anyway. Regardless, unless you have a battery powered grinder, then electric grinders are never on the portable side. So of course we're going to recommend a manual grinder. There's a whole slew of coffee grinders that are designed for the outdoors. We just need to determine what fits our needs. Of course the car camper can easily bring whatever manual grinder they'd like or even an electrical grinder attached to your AC outlet. But realistically, considering a burr mill grinder is great because its made of steel, has a conical ceramic burr mechanism, and it is adjustable. Not to mention, this orvite grinder is very portable and has easily adjustable grind sizes. That means if you're prepping to make coffee on an Aeropress or Drip-style it's quite easy. More on that later. Just pour in your fresh coffee beans and start turning the crank. When selecting a grinder keep in mind that it should be durable enough for camping. Steel or aluminum is a good way to go. Make certain your investment can last forever if it doesn't fall down a rocky crag. Any outdoors aficionado should expect gear to incur slight damage, but steel builds mean much less chances of breaking. Although the Orvite is made for camping you could probably take one of these small hand grinders camping as well, so long as you pack it correctly. Keep a look out for ceramic burrs as well, these burrs heat up the least and this is good for your brew. Now of course you can get a great brew out of freshly ground beans, but we need to decide what beans, pre-grounds etc. to take with us. Taking Coffee Beans Camping While there are certainly diehards out there who will go as far as fresh roasting their beans over a campfire to those simply fine with a canister of Folgers on the trail, many of us are just as happy with any coffee in the backwoods. Of course, packing some pre ground coffee or consider packing some sealed, left over K-cups from your broken Keurig. As long as there's enough beans packed for the trip. It's not recommenced to try to repeat the Keurig brewing process o teh trail though. The K-Cups rely on pressure and infusion within the cup to properly brew, you're not going to be able to come up with a simple solution on the trail that results in a decent cup of coffee. The K-cups likely will result in a mess and failure. Pack a small screen or filters to pour your coffee through into your mug after it has brewed in your pot. If you want to bring coffee beans for grinding it's important to consider what kind of coffee product you'll be making with the provisional gear. Perhaps you're grinding beans for an espresso. This requires a fine grind, and you'll find that eats up beans pretty quickly and produces less coffee. But portable Espresso makers do exist for campers (more on that later) and nothing is worse than running out of coffee mid-trip. It's wise to keep in mind how you're going to keep beans fresh and protected on the trip. Are Bears attracted to Coffee Grounds? Certainly. Bears are notoriously good at tracking scents. And we often forget how pungent coffee is when we're in a caffeinated office space or coffee shop all day. Additionally, the Seattle Zoo reports that "coffee is like catnip to bears". Although it's important to seal your coffee for freshness while camping, we'll still need to get a dry-bag, also called a bear bag for such reasons, and hang it from a tree. This is common practice in backpacking anyway, but with coffee it's especially desired. Keeping beans for freshness while camping is going to depend on what kind of container you use. Airtight containers are perfect and there's a plethora of light-weight ones. Check out the CoffeeVac, at one pound it can't be beat. The air-sealing performance here is also very dire to the freshness equation. Another way to keep beans fresh is to roast them on-site. That's about as fresh a brew as you can get. Imagine how great it tastes in the wild. Roasting coffee at your campsite, whether backpacking or car camping, is simple. Probably should have been doing it all along! As you practice it will be easy to evenly roast your beans and experience something you might not do all the time. Use whatever pan you're okay putting on the fire and load it with the unroasted beans. The first 10 minutes on the fire, don't stir if you have the pan covered. Visually check the beans often. After the beans turn a light brown, that’s your cue to remove the cover (if applicable) and start stirring them evenly about every 30 seconds. Don't think like Popcorn: Around five minutes you’ll hear what’s called “first crack”. As moisture escape the beans they begin to crack. This means the beans are done roasting but the time you extend this roasting process will determine how dark the beans get. How dark do you want the roast to be? For the lightest roast possible stop right after first crack. The darker the roast is determined by the more crackling of the beans. You can overdue the roast though, as the natural oils from the beans begin to dissipate and the beans will begin to burn. Various kinds of beans are better for different roasts too, so make sure you have some idea of the roasting condition you're trying to achieve. Next we need to quickly remove the chaff while the beans are still hot. Take the roasted beans from the pan and toss them back and forth from any two containers. The Chaff is unwanted for brewing and will ruin the quality of the brew. Now your beans are good to grind. If you've decided to forgo our portable grinder recommendation, it possible to just using two flat rocks for this step is doable, too. Freshly roasted, especially dark roast, beans are easy to crush and grind. Now we need to determine what water source we plan on using. Water Source and Boiling Depending on where you're camping, using water can be of varying difficulty. If you're camping on a cliff wall, then you'll hopefully have brought ample water for brewing. If not it's going to be a drowsy morning hanging off the canyon wall. Of course you're going to need water for making coffee, but you're going to want to purify water from the source when possible. Water in lakes, rivers, and springs may look crystal clear but often contains various bacteria that are prone to causing illness. It is rarely posted in the campground that the water is safe to drink. It's best to use one of three purification methods: filter, chemical tablets, or boiling. Boiling water is helpful in the coffee making process anyway. Still, a water purifier is easy to pack if you haven't the option to bring your own water in. Just don't rely on something like a Brita water filter. Brita style filters are only designed to remove sediment and water-borne contaminants from the tap. They will not remove biological contaminants such as Giardia. There are plenty of affordable purifiers that are specifically designed for the backcountry. The Lifestraw and Filterpens are compact but will likely not help you create a brew effectively. It's best to find water purifiers that feature large, compact reservoirs and can be set up as a gravity-fed purification system by placing the full dirty water reservoir above the clean water reservoir and letting gravity and the filter do the rest. When you just need a quick coffee to get you through your hike or trail run, simply place the hose in a water source and pump the filter into your water bottle to quickly filter out bacteria, protozoa, and particulates. Brewing In The Mountains It's come time to select a brewing system for your outdoor adventure. This is widely determined by what you can pack weight wise. If you're able to bring in a camp stove then it's easy to make coffee on a stovetop. There are also propane brewers that function to heat water and prepare a large amount of drip coffee. Let's say you're planning on hitting the trails for a few days, there's many solutions to provide you caffeine to tackle the uphills. Camping With Pour-Over Coffee Makers A pour over is easy to achieve while backpacking and is very enjoyable given the setting. The same classic cone for your home pour over is very durable is also our favorite choice for camping - just in a lighter and more durable plastic form. A plastic dripper is easy to pack and relatively light. Also, the pour over plastic piece is not only affordable but doesn't comprise of multiple pieces, and works fantastic if you are brewing for multiple people. If you enjoy the taste of fresh brewed coffee and scenic vistas then this is a surefire way to brew coffee. Not complex, just concise. If near boiling water and plastic bothers you, or you'd prefer not to bring filters along then look into the metal pour overs, which might do best stuffed in an overflowing pack anyway. Camping With The Aeropress The AeroPress edges ahead in taste. If you're already familiar with Aeropress coffee then you're on the right track. If not, then listen up. The avid camper should really know about this little apparatus. The supreme portability of the Aeropress means whatever remote area you plan on camping in, so long as you have access to boiling water and some freshly ground beans, you're prepared! In fact if you can fit a manual hand grinder in your pack, it's easy to get the freshest possible coffee by grinding beans just before use. The Areopress brews smooth, bitterness-free espresso shots. A huge number of people use this as their sole home coffee maker, as a plus however, it is portable enough to bring along while traveling or on camping trips. Just keep in mind that you need it's special filter and it is comprised of multiple parts. Not the most durable item either. The Handpress Outdoors If you're looking to get out for a solo trip or backpacking a lengthy enough trip that requires very economical planning, then the Handpresso is going to deliver beautifully done coffee. The Handpresso is a stroke of genius when it comes to single-cup coffee makers. As the name suggests it is mostly used for espresso, but given how small and simple it is, it can make the application to backpacking rough terrain. You can pack it with some pre-filled espresso pods and then simply boil water for a quick pick-me-up. The item itself weighs one pound, so consider strongly if that's worthwhile. Sitting in the mountains and drinking fresh espresso is certainly appealing. If you don't have espresso pods, you can make a weaker version with those old K-cups that've been sitting around. Portability really makes this a solid choice for camping. You'll be the talk of the campfire with this contraption that looks like a sleek pair of binoculars and delivers smooth espresso as well. The only downside is that you're going to be packing more coffee to counteract the single-use nature of the brew. The French Press Camping Experience There are many french press options designed specifically for campers. These are light weight and the brewing vessel itself is even usable as a mug on most models. They are easy to clean and feature the wire mesh that french press need for endless usage. Often made of stainless steal, so durability is possible. Most of the camping model mugs will still feature the measurement markings on side. This can be extra helpful if you'd like to swap your measuring cup out to cut weight. The con we see here is that like the Handpresso, packing a lot of coffee is a must. If you're the type that is finicky about their coffee, and we all should be, then perhaps fitting a french press in your gear is worthwhile. Otherwise, there are still plenty of simple solutions to your brew. Percolator Or "Cowboy coffee" This is the go-to for car camping. If you're approaching your few days out with ease and relaxation on your mind, then waiting for a percolator to deliver it's timely results is fine. Simply load your percolator with water and grounds, and it'll let you know when it's ready. Though the percolator tends to treat the beans as if they weren't fragile, the coffee still satisfies when you're in the great outdoors. If you're also not particularly concerned about what happens to the grinds, go for cowboy coffee. You can pack any kind of kettle, fill it with water, bring to a boil and when it's begun to cool, stir in some grounds. This is a great technique for car camping, especially if you've forgot a vital piece of coffee prep gear. It's just not an easy clean-up, so packing it out is slightly difficult. However, there is a trick to containing your grounds. The old cowboy method: Bring your campfire kettle to a boil. Separately, mix eggs yolks,shells and all with coffee, salt and 1 cup water. Pour your strange concoction into the boiling water and let sit for a few minutes. Pour in another cup of cold water, which will essentially push the coffee granules and eggs to the top of the coffee as a solid object. Once the coffee looks to be clarified from the egg and granules, it's ready! This might seem like a whole extra step between you and the caffeinated beverage, but it's worth it to help clean up after yourself. After all, pack it in = pack it out. Cold Brew Camping Though this is most grind requiring method on our list, but it really satisfies the coffee addict out on the trails. It can also be made prior to the trip if you're going car camping. Maybe you thought cold brewing was some mysterious technique performed by dwarfs in the cafe at night. However, it's as simple as the name is. Simply steep coffee in cold water over night and retrieve the grounds in the morning. This is the best way to create a simple, and strong brew with a deeper, less acidic and more subtle taste. It's also a refreshing way to have coffee if you're out in the heat of a hike. Pre-bagged coffee Like a hybrid of the cold brew method and a pour over (or just like making tea), this method adds almost no weight to a pack and is really scalable; you can make a single cup or a whole pot for a group just by altering how much coffee you add to the filter. Bring along some paper coffee filters. When you’re ready to brew, put the desired amount of grounds into the center of the filter, draw up the edges like a coin purse, and tie it shut using any string. Dental floss works well, which you have thanks to your homemade camping repair kit, right? Get your water to a boil and either drop the bag in the pot or pour water over the bag. Wait a few minutes, and drink away. If you tied well, you shouldn’t be drinking coffee grounds that leak. Instead of paper filters, you could always go green and use a handkerchief (or, if you’re desperate, a shirt, sock or, really, any clean cloth) as a filter. Same process as the DIY Coffee Bag above but without the waste. Just ensure that whatever cloth use in the process is clean so coffee doesn't earn a “unique” added taste. With all this talk of technology, and gadgets, we would be remiss not mention great ways to make coffee in a survival scenario. If you've simply got grounds, a mug, and hot water, you can make a pour over. Similar to the process in a coffee cupping session, but without the same kind of setting. This is a simple solution to preparing coffee for one or many campers. Whatever your camping adventures might bring you, we hope that you'll have plenty of coffee and use some different gear for new results on your adventures. Happy Trails!