[at-l] Coffee (mmmmm)

[Ken Bennett]

Gary,

We are coffee snobs. I admit it. We've tried everything for camp coffee.
Here's a list:

1. The MSR Mug Mate, about $13. It's just a mesh tube that you fill with
coffee, put in your mug, and pour in boiling water. Not bad, but you'll need
a very coarse grind, and even so there's a lot of sludge in the bottom of
the mug. Grade: 6.

2. The Melita cone filter doohickey. This one is just a plastic cone that
sits on top of your mug. It holds a standard paper filter, and you make
coffee the same way that a drip coffeemaker works, by pouring boiling water
through the coffee a little at a time. Much, much better coffee, but more
stuff to deal with. Grade: 8.

3. French Press mug from various sources. A plastic mug with a mesh filter
on a long handle that sticks out the top. Put your (very coarse) coffee in
the mug, add water, and replace the top. After a few minutes push the
plunger and drink. Most of the grounds will stay on the bottom. Grade: 2-5,
depending on model.

4. Electric Drip Coffee Maker, various brands, $20-200. This is my favorite
coffee maker by far -- it's the same one I use every morning at home. When
we're car camping I just throw it in the back of the truck with an extension
cord. The coffee pot is a metal vacuum bottle, so it won't break and keeps
the coffee hot. If we have a site with electricty, I just plug in and start
making java. If not, I walk over to the bathrooms and plug into the outlet
that they always have near the sink. Then I stand there looking like an
idiot for ten minutes while it brews -- but I get the last laugh bwa ha ha
ha. Grade: 10+.

For our recent trips, I've taken both the electric coffee maker and the
Melita cone thingy. Then I just use whichever one I can depending on the
power situation. This works well on long car trips when you are staying in
hotels, too. (Please note: do NOT try to use an electric drip coffeemaker
with a cheap inverter and your car battery. Coffee makers draw about 600
watts, cheap inverters supply maybe 20 watts. Something is going to melt.)

--Ken






On 12/5/06, Gary Ticknor <garyticknor at starpower.net> wrote:
>
> More advice needed. I am being Christmas gifted a coffee gadget of my
> choice. This would be for car camping, I have no intention of carry the
> thing over mountains, so weight is not really a factor. Quality of
> produced coffee is the major requirement, with ease of use (after all,
> this IS first thing in the morning), ease of cleaning, etc also needing
> consideration. I would like it to work with just boiled water.
>
> What have you all tried that you like?