Coffee Press

Percolator
I have two french presses, one plaxtic (REI I think) for camping and a glass one for home. They do make the best coffee, BUT there is something about the smell of a percolator over an open campfire that just cries out to my inner coffe drinker.

Hmm . . .
This thing looks interesting, how does it work? The website really doesn’t provide much detail regarding the mechanics.

french press
I carry a french press backpacking and kayaking. Actually have two different ones, Jetboil and SnowPeak titanium that I use with a pepsi can stove. I just HAVE to have my coffee in the morning and carrying the french press is my luxury item. The jetboil is the one I usually have on the kayak for day trips. I always carry the snowpeak one on any trip lasting more than 2 days. The Jetboil does allow coffee grains into your drinkable coffee. The snowpeak works great. Snowpeak does make a milk frother ???!!! Haven’t trid it, don’t plan to either. I use powered milk when camping.

Pretty Straightforward

– Last Updated: Dec-16-08 9:18 AM EST –

The Survival Perk is basically a plastic bottle, much like the sort used as catsup dispensers, surrounded by heavy insulating foam sleeve. The screw-on cap is fitted with a nipple valve, and a very fine microscreen that fits beneath the cap when it is attached to the bottle. You open the perk, add a spoonful or two of coffee, then pour boiling water in. Wait about one minute, invert the perk and tap the bottom to help settle the grounds, open the nipple valve and squeeze -- that's all there is to making the best coffeee I've ever had in the woods.
And it's completely unbreakable... a huge advantage when it's being carried in kit bags and jammed through hatches.

Thanks
Thanks for the review of the Snowpeak press. I’ve been shopping for a good coffee maker for awhile, and had pretty much settled on that one, it looks great. Only real drawback is the pricetag. But I’m tired of using Folger’s coffee bags.

Have a FP but it stays home
As others have said it’s a pain to clean. The year I forgot it on a week long Boundary Waters trip we rediscovered cowboy coffee and have done that since for both flavor and simplicity sake. We found the secret not to pour from the prep pot into mugs. After sitting for a couple minutes we pour slowly and continuously into a second pot, then into the mugs. Completely grounds free and the cleanup is an easy pour and wipe.

Randy

amen to those coffee bags
then who wants to live with a used bag for two weeks?


You mean you left coffee grounds in
the BWCA!!! THE HORROR!!!

they are in my compost pile
I knew this discussion would lead to the ethics of ground disposal…



Maybe I should feel blessed about not going to the BWCA…is there a rule about coffee grounds?

Actually they get burned
in the morning or evening fire. Technically against the rules, but when we leave a site there is no trace of them.

not to mention that coffee grounds are
GREAT composting material!!!

The magic number
200 degrees F!



It is sooooo worth it. Maybe like, 3 retail coffee makers get to that perfect temp range.



FP allows you that personal control.



Or bring an ibrik and some turkish coffee! Double boil it in the proper method and forget your filter/fitting troubles :smiley:


Start on high heat, lower quickly
Start on high heat to get the water started to steaming quickly. As soon as the water has reached the heat point it is evaporating nicely, all you have to do is keep it going. Lower the heat on the burner substantially to keep the unit from over-heating and burning the grounds. This will also work to prevent the bottom unit is too hot and as the flavor compounds from the beans are infused into the water, the flavor compounds are getting burned by the heat of the bottom of the pot (which is called scalding). Scalding is very common with stovetop espresso makers. This tastes about like the smoke that comes off your stove if you’ve got some crud on the bottom or the heating element and haven’t gotten around to cleaning it yet.



That’s if it’s really burned or scalded. If what you are tasting is a bitter taste something like biting into an apple seed or orange seed rather than a smokey/burnt taste of scalding or burnt grounds, then what you are doing is not using enough grounds. There are a lot of water soluble flavors in roasted coffee grounds, but not all of them taste good. The final compounds to release from the bean are very bitter and taste like apple or orange seeds. Many people think to get robust coffee that you should perc for a longer time - not so. Use more grounds. Also, remember for espresso to use a very fine grind and to pack the grounds lightly in the unit.



Finally, I would suggest a medium roast on the beans rather than a very dark roast that is commonly used. The very dark roast is traditioinal for Italian style espresso and also for Turkish style coffee. Alternatively, for folks who are used to other flavors there’s nothing inherently wrong with using an espresso maker and style of preparation with a roast more suited to your palate. Try some Hawaiian Kona or some Tanzanian Peaberry. Volcano grown coffees like that have some excellent flavor.


  • Big D

Thanks, good stuff

– Last Updated: Dec-17-08 12:54 PM EST –

I use a brand made for making Cuban coffee. I pack the coffee in there, so loose grounds aren't a concern, but I am going to try all your other suggestions. I'm going to try other blends and also the heat thing. I'll have to switch to another burner because the ceramic cooktop takes forever to cool down.

Let me know how it goes
The most common problems with stovetop cooking are scalding and using too few grounds. The flavors in the final product are different for each issue, so if you know what you’re tasting for you can hopefully resolve your issue and get a flavor you like.



Antigua/Guatamala also has some good beans. My current favorite comes from that island. It’s a medium dark roast on the Bourbon Santos bean varietal. MikeSawyer’s had some if he’s ever had coffee in my campsite. Can’t remember rightly if he has dropped by in the mornings when we’ve been at the same events.


  • Big D