Coffee in the bush [Archive] - BushcraftUK: Community Forum

Survivalmike

01-04-2010, 07:06

Hi folks!

I´m a coffee fan and like to brew a fresh one when I´m out in the bush.
My question is how you transport it and which type you use?

I wanna make some leather draw string pouch which have a plastic zipper bag in it.
The pouches are finished now and I´m wondering, that I cant find a fitting plastic zipper bag.
Have a look around and can only find some 1 liter bags (which is too big for the job).

I also wanna know which type of coffee you prefer when you´re out.
the "normal" coffee which you have to use with a filter or the one who is sulubly and you only have to mix up with water?
Do you use coffee filter as well or only the solubly powder?

Also thinking of making 3 leather pouches:
one for the coffee itself
one for the powderd milk
one for the sugar
What do you think about that and how do you do?

Pics of your eqipment are very welcome!

thx
cheers
Mike

johnboy

01-04-2010, 07:22

British Red

01-04-2010, 08:18

Dear Gods I don't know whats in that tube but it isn't coffee!

My trivial brew kit (including the freshly roasted beans in the skillet)

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6393/pot1gx6.jpg

drewdunnrespect

01-04-2010, 08:24

nescafe instant with suger and no milk and adding milk in my opinion is criminal but each to there own

johnboy

01-04-2010, 08:29

Dear Gods I don't know whats in that tube but it isn't coffee!

Here you go...

http://www.nestle.com.au/Products/Drinks/Coffee_Milk/Coffee_Milk.htm

Tastes pretty good think Camp coffee but thicker.... A bit like a Vietnamese Cafe Sua Da in Ben Than Market in HCMC...

British Red

01-04-2010, 08:31

<shudder>

;)

dwardo

01-04-2010, 09:58

Illy Coffee which tranports fine in the tin it comes in.

All the hassle taken out of brewing with a SmartCafe cup

http://www.ciao.co.uk/smartcafe_hot_cafetiere_mug__6 460761

Got to have proper coffee in the woods you heathens :rolleyes:

Nat

01-04-2010, 10:24

While i'm a huge fan of "proper" coffee, carrying all that parafinalia into the woods or on a 20 mile yomp is a pain in the bum!
When you're cold, wet and miserable, any hot caffiene goes down a treat. :pokenest:

Those caetierre mugs look the biz though cheers for the link.
I found something in Lakeland that was a coffee press but fitted ontot he side of your mug, unfortunately the buggers sold out when i went back to get one :(

Paganwolf

01-04-2010, 10:26

Nestle Coffee and Milk for me....

http://www.shopenzed.com/img/?syscmd=picoverlay&picID=26758&text=&col=cc0000&angle=15&size=11&font=Verdana&flags=4&quality=90&loc=361&spacing=0&resizeTo=200

Warm and wet....and not bad cold with a bit of snow for a sort of bush frappachino..:):)

Ive got some of that from Australia, they dont sell it in the UK tho, i called to find out if they did but the marketing team said it wasnt viable to sell in the UK!! :( that was a couple of years ago before someone googles me wrong :rolleyes: however there was a company who imported it that Bambodoggy got some for us through, its bloody nice stuff and handy to carry/store/and use if you dont want to go down the other coffee routes...

verloc

01-04-2010, 10:32

Ah well - the individual brew kit being the inside bit of a smartcafe mug that stores nicely inside the Liveventure Ti mug (so it can stay warm next to the fire).

For groups or camps, then brew it in a pot, and pour into mugs through a piece of muslin or filter paper in a tatonka collapsable coffee filter holder thing (or you can make a nice filter holder using mni-withies, will get some pics next time im out).

Use various blends from the local coffee roasters in Dundee and then sweeten with brown sugar (cubes make this so much easier in the woods).

IMHO the instant stuff deserves no place in this world. I would rather go without.

/end coffee snobery.

Twodogs

01-04-2010, 10:37

I use one of these when camping solo or dont want to share the bean ............
http://7bargrille.wordpress.com/2008/09/28/my-urban-vice-how-i-make-coffee-in-camp/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eB6TnLyQC4

It it a group coffee cowboy coffee works for me ,

http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv120/CLB-Twodogs/2006_0116wolf0013.jpg

Lavassa Red is my bean of chioce ,
Java , milk powder, tea bags plus one for my fire kit , I carry in ex US army decomtamination containers ,
http://www.endicotts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=126&products_id=1248

verloc

01-04-2010, 10:57

Man I think its time for a brew :)

Hoodoo

01-04-2010, 12:20

Try Starbucks new instant coffee, Via. Generally instant coffee disgusts me. I can't even stand the smell of it. Via is a whole new breed of instant.

Andy2112

01-04-2010, 12:53

Try Starbucks new instant coffee, Via. Generally instant coffee disgusts me. I can't even stand the smell of it. Via is a whole new breed of instant.

I've only just started seeing it over here H, might try some when i've saved enough money up to go into Starbucks, lol:D

woof

01-04-2010, 12:54

Your all heathens !, drink & plenty of it.

Rob

Paul_B

01-04-2010, 13:03

I use Kenco in plastic tube shaped sachets that come with sweetener and whitener. Small, light and easy when you're tired or only just awake.

Have a look at this link. They are neat little insulated filter mugs for real cofee or real tea leaves. Please not tea bags are not that environmental but the tea leaves in it are so take real tea if you take tea at all.

http://www.outdoorsgrub.co.uk/pi_smartcafe.php

Paul_B

01-04-2010, 13:09

It seems this mug is what others have recommended from ebay. I'd get it from the site I posted as it is a good little company. I've bought loads from them without any problems. The guy posts a lot on another outdoors website forum and was a regular character before he set up his company. It pays to support these people especially if they offer a good service not really found elsewhere quite as good. Me and my mates do a group buy to get free carriage and any discounts for bulk orders. They also have an expedition food site for people buying a lot say for a trip round the world sea trip or up the amazon.

verloc

01-04-2010, 13:11

Im using one of these right now - great for use at work.

Blencathra

01-04-2010, 13:30

Is there anything better on a trip than greeting the day with a cup of freshly brewed pure coffee?
With its famous uncompromising quality Snow Peak has conjured up this titanium coffee press.
The water heated directly in the coffee press, then you put the ground coffee in and put the lid on.
After about 3 or 4 minutes you push the knob down slowly and you can enjoy
the freshly brewed outdoor coffee just as slowly and appreciatively.
Weight: 179 g
:red::red:

http://www.touratech.com/shops/008/product_info.php?cPath=19_132_ 614&products_id=7773&osCsid=f7bee4ce1d0033f67371b75 3be4c9a75

British Red

01-04-2010, 13:39

When I am going light, I use a "swiss gold" filter

http://www.whittard.co.uk/images/catalogue/sku/zoom/115592.jpg

http://www.whittard.co.uk/store/catalogue/Tea-&-Coffee-Equipment-P6000/Infusers-Strainers-&-Measures-SC6006/Swiss-Gold-Filter-115592.raa

These use real coffee but can also be used to make tissanes and also for coarse (actually quite fine) filtering of water prior to boiling etc.

I found them at a fiver each in a whittards sale a while ago and bought four or five - bargain!

Red

BushEd

01-04-2010, 13:51

British Red

01-04-2010, 13:56

Not huge to be honest - half pint mug or so

MartinK9

01-04-2010, 14:04

Mike, I use food and feezer bags from Tesco:

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-price-comparison/Bags_Foils_And_Wraps/Tesco_Food_And_Freezer_Bags_Zi p_Slide_Medium_20.html

And put teabags, coffee and milk powder in pouches made by John Fenna:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24775&highlight=leather+pouches

and brew up using a jetboil coffee press:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/7910/mysetupjetboil.jpg

http://www.hitchnhike.co.uk/acatalog/Jetboil_Accessories_and_Spares .html

or my Hobo stove:

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/5066/cowboycoffeeonthehobo.jpg

Or for the group, you could use:

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/7505/mylavvusetup001.jpg

And just let the grounds settle:)

Survivalmike

01-04-2010, 17:48

thx for all your replys -that helped a lot.
I completly forgotten that I have something like that:

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/6393/pot1gx6.jpg

So the question how to make is already cleared.
Can anyone (who dont use instant coffee) post a pic of the transportation?
especially milk, sugar, coffee, etc.

Really like the look of a leather bag. hope to get some small zipperbags/freezerbags tomorrow in my local store.

thanks a lot
Mike

Jellytot

03-04-2010, 23:18

Once again my image of Rufty Tufty pine needle and nettle tea drinking bushcrafters is shattered.:lmao:

Firstly for those total coffee snobs get hold of Lyons Coffee bags a big round "teabag" full of fresh coffee grounds.
Makes one cup per bag £1.79 gets you 20 bags. Each one is sealed in its own waterproof foil pouch. Then you can carry your milk, cream or whitener and sugar and make proper coffee in the bush without caffetier or perculator.
Secondly for those just after a quick no fuss coffee Kenco now do 2 in one and 3 in one instant coffee tubes like the Aussie Nescafe ones.....
2 in one unsweetened and 3 in one sweetened.
10 tubes in a box for £1.39.
We have both kinds, Dave is the coffee drinker of the two of us he said the Kenco stuff is "not bad" but the Lyons coffee bags are the better option even if fiddlier. Still by no means as fiddly as carrying coffee pots/caffetiers or the like.

We got both from Tescos

kai055

03-04-2010, 23:55

99p stores do 3in1 nescafe coffee, its just so much easier 10 packets 10 cups

Survivalmike

04-04-2010, 08:00

@jellytot:

I´m familiar with the nescafe 3in1 or 2in1 instantcoffee packets and used it for quite a while.

With the Lyons bags do you mean something like that?
coffee Pads for Pad using machine (http://www.d-living.de/images/products/images/1101010299.jpg)

If not, is this maybe an option?
I´m thinking to drop one of these pads into a boiling water and fish it out when finished. This pads are maybe a way to make FRESH coffee without having the problems of "cowboy coffee".

What do you think?
thx
Mike

Twodogs

04-04-2010, 08:16

Mike I use these US Military Decontamination boxes to carry my brew kit ,
Shown next to our Rocky for scale :D
http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv120/CLB-Twodogs/2009_0723wolf0003.jpg
Twodogs

Tor helge

04-04-2010, 09:54

This is my setup for brewing coffee.

http://home.online.no/~tbygjord/artimages/800x6002005_1128_025903AA.JPG

The pot could differ though. I sometimes carry a coffe pot or a stainless steel cooking pot, but mostly I just use an old food tin (picture).
The coffee is pre-ground coffee for cooking coffee (a little coarser then the filter stuff) wich you will get in any food store in Norway. I don`t use a plastic lining in the leather bag.
I bring the water to a boil and just toss in the right amount of coffee. Let it sit for 7-8 minutes and it is done.

I don`t use sugar nor milk in my coffee and thus don`t carry any containers for those.

Tor

Twodogs

04-04-2010, 09:56

:lmao:Norwegians are proper coffee drinkers after all goodjob.
Twodogs

andybysea

04-04-2010, 10:53

twodogs are those containers you use wheelie bin's (without the wheels) and you just have a giant puss?

Nat

04-04-2010, 10:57

Good containres those Twodogs, i use a couple myself. Wheelie bins without wheels :lmao:

Those filters you use BR are now a tenner each or two for £15 :eek: picked up a couple yesterday!

Twodogs

04-04-2010, 11:16

Andy we drink a lot of brews in the Midlands and all own the escapees from Dudley Zoo :D.
Twodogs

ProjeKtWEREWOLF

10-07-2010, 23:02

Mike I use these US Military Decontamination boxes to carry my brew kit ,
Shown next to our Rocky for scale :D
http://i675.photobucket.com/albums/vv120/CLB-Twodogs/2009_0723wolf0003.jpg
Twodogs

My missus likes your cat. Reckons he could carry those cases on a harness for you. Bless.

HC

British Red

11-07-2010, 01:33

A new image for coffee lovers

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4738866555_ba6329a501_b.jpg

Twodogs

11-07-2010, 08:33

Cheers Red
Its coffee time...
Twodogs

rik_uk3

11-07-2010, 08:52

Coffee percolator bottom left of picture

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/rik_uk3/SENNYBRIDGE%2004%202010/100_0498.jpg

QDanT

11-07-2010, 09:11

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j274/QDanT/5coffeecloseup.jpg
The stoves a Borde petrol stove from Switzerland running on Panel wipe and the coffee pot is an Italian Lavazza with Lavazza Rossa coffee. Sugar is Bajan Barbados Cane. No! Milk Ugh Cow juice.
cheers Danny

drewdunnrespect

11-07-2010, 09:46

well said danny lad milk in coffee is criminal

rik_uk3

11-07-2010, 20:33

well said danny lad milk in coffee is criminal

For some reason unknown to logic, when camping I like a lot of either sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk in coffee.

British Red

11-07-2010, 20:37

Danny - that stove is like a piece of deco architecture! I feel Teddy requires a smoking jacket to be around it!

Fin

12-07-2010, 01:23

My girlfriend is French and all beverages at hers are made with an, all metal, stove top, espresso pot (she doesn't own a kettle! which was seriously disconcerting to an Englishman like me!). The pot sits nicely on my bushbuddy stove when we're out in Fontainebleau forest - loaded with Carte Noir Espresso (although I prefer Illy).
However - stove top espresso pots never produce a real espresso (with crema) so I gained some real kudos with a couple of (expensive) purchases - first this:

http://www.handpresso.fr/index.html (Also sold in the excellent Lakeland bushcraft store - no connection - blah!)

Makes a true espresso - but what to serve them in? I purchased a couple of espresso sized kuksas from cloudberrymarket.com (who don't appear to sell them anymore - after half an hours frantic searching for the web link!). Anyway - our party piece now is to serve up some real espresso whilst out on a hike - or from the boot of the car using the bushbuddy and a 1 ltr tatonka billy.

Sorry no pics, but I've just got back from La Belle France having put another 600 miles on the bike and it's an early start tomorrow!

Red - love the "coffee snob" (or afficianado, I'm sure you would insist!) posts - keep them coming!

Danny - I also own a Borde Bomb (I'm surprised Rik didn't leap on this as he will have knowledge of this stove). Mine is, as yet unused, boxed and in a drawer - but my girlfriend and I are planning a motorbike Tour de France this summer (actually in about two weeks now!) and I'm thinking about taking it along as a back up - how does it perform for you?

Fin

James Popham

12-07-2010, 08:18

I like to take my đezva with me to make coffee in the woods, been an addict of Turkish style coffee for around 6 years since my first visit to Croatia.
Mine doesn't quite look like the one in the link.......yet....
http://blog.savic.com/?p=79 (http://http://blog.savic.com/?p=79)

http://http://blog.savic.com/?p=78

Mmmmmmm link to this picture doesn't seem to want to work, till i sort out a picture to post ...try Google.

QDanT

12-07-2010, 20:02

Danny - that stove is like a piece of deco architecture! I feel Teddy requires a smoking jacket to be around it!
Be careful Red
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j274/QDanT/Crushersmokingjacket-1.jpg
you'll have mistur Brown kicking off next
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=57725
Just to keep Mike's (Survivalmike) thread on track I've just received two superb buckskin pouches from mikeE the small ones become my flint,steel,tinder and sulphur matches companion while I'm aiming to make the larger one for brew kit, tea,coffee,cocoa,sugar never use cow juice (milk) in brews. cheers Danny

British Red

12-07-2010, 20:13

aaaah now thats far more the thing master Edward

Reminds me of the last words of Oscar Wilde

"My dear......either this wallpaper goes...or I do"

Style is never out of fashion!

rik_uk3

12-07-2010, 20:40

I have several Ibrik's but never seem to remember to take them with me. I love VERY strong and very sweet Greek coffee though :)

Not a bad price
http://www.auravita.com/product/Turkish-Coffee-Pot-7-Cup-Stainless-Steel.FAFX11770.html?RefId=220&adid=FAFX11770

QDanT

12-07-2010, 20:50

Danny - I also own a Borde Bomb. Mine is, as yet unused, boxed and in a drawer - but my girlfriend and I are planning a motorbike Tour de France this summer (actually in about two weeks now!) and I'm thinking about taking it along as a back up - how does it perform for you? Fin
Hi Fin it performs very well and I take it out for a quick brew quite often and as a back up it should be great, might be too much to full time cook for two on it though.It will run on petrol, but it's smoky with black smuts I run mine on "Panel Wipe" though you could run it on the tins of lighter fuel I use the empty tins as fuel cans for meths and panel wipe as they have a handy sealing spout Link to lighter fluid tin (http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.houseofswan.com/public/images/heroes/Swan_Requisites_Image14.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.houseofswan.com/SwanRequisites.aspx&usg=__07ZQp9x6LrLvfsxvq_VeETaC Ux0=&h=421&w=472&sz=61&hl=en&start=18&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=PNZwzHDjFLIpSM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlighter%2Bpetrol% 26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26newwindow %3D1%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26t bs%3Disch:1). My method of lighting it is :-
open the back filler screw to let air into the tank while checking there's fuel in then close
open the control burner star and tip stove (burner down) until fuel drips out of nozzle close burner star
place stove level and play lit cooks blow torch blow torch (http://www.howdididoit.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/creme-brulee-7.jpg) over coils just opening the burner star a little. when it lights, blue flame, keep blow torch on coils and open star with (separate) adjusting rod until burning well remove blow torch. You'll find it gets really hot running (and roars like a good un) and you'll have to turn the flame down after a while to maintain a good flame pattern. You can't touch the tank it's that hot but thats why it self pressurizes :yikes:, to turn off just screw the burner star down (it will simmer at this) till it goes out then allow to cool which takes awhile.
All this may sound complicated but when you've done it a few times it becomes 2nd. nature. Better to practice before you go though. I suppose you could use a jet flame lighter to light though I never have. It really takes a nack to light it the instructions way of lighting the dripping out petrol :yikes::campfire: until it warms up enough. I do use mine often and wouldn't part and have even played making a couple of "Stesco" clone coil burners in the shed
cheers to Mike for taking off thread Danny

Pignut

12-07-2010, 20:57

Red,

Looks like you come from the same school of coffee as me!

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a318/DavidCribb/faaaaae9.jpg

A new image for coffee lovers

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4738866555_ba6329a501_b.jpg

Fin

12-07-2010, 22:37

Hi Fin it performs very well and I take it out for a quick brew quite often and as a back up it should be great, might be too much to full time cook for two on it though.It will run on petrol, but it's smoky with black smuts I run mine on "Panel Wipe" though you could run it on the tins of lighter fuel I use the empty tins as fuel cans for meths and panel wipe as they have a handy sealing spout Link to lighter fluid tin (http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.houseofswan.com/public/images/heroes/Swan_Requisites_Image14.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.houseofswan.com/SwanRequisites.aspx&usg=__07ZQp9x6LrLvfsxvq_VeETaC Ux0=&h=421&w=472&sz=61&hl=en&start=18&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=PNZwzHDjFLIpSM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlighter%2Bpetrol% 26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26newwindow %3D1%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26t bs%3Disch:1). My method of lighting it is :-
open the back filler screw to let air into the tank while checking there's fuel in then close
open the control burner star and tip stove (burner down) until fuel drips out of nozzle close burner star
place stove level and play lit cooks blow torch blow torch (http://www.howdididoit.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/creme-brulee-7.jpg) over coils just opening the burner star a little. when it lights, blue flame, keep blow torch on coils and open star with (separate) adjusting rod until burning well remove blow torch. You'll find it gets really hot running (and roars like a good un) and you'll have to turn the flame down after a while to maintain a good flame pattern. You can't touch the tank it's that hot but thats why it self pressurizes :yikes:, to turn off just screw the burner star down (it will simmer at this) till it goes out then allow to cool which takes awhile.
All this may sound complicated but when you've done it a few times it becomes 2nd. nature. Better to practice before you go though. I suppose you could use a jet flame lighter to light though I never have. It really takes a nack to light it the instructions way of lighting the dripping out petrol :yikes::campfire: until it warms up enough. I do use mine often and wouldn't part and have even played making a couple of "Stesco" clone coil burners in the shed
cheers to Mike for taking off thread Danny

Cheers Danny - good info - love the tip for using empty lighter fuel tins as panel wipe/ Coleman fuel dispensers. I'll do some test firings of the stove this week - based on your instructions and see how it goes - I have a small compartment in my motorbike luggage that seems made for it!

Fin

QDanT

12-07-2010, 22:56

Cheers Danny - good info - love the tip for using empty lighter fuel tins as panel wipe/ Coleman fuel dispensers. I'll do some test firings of the stove this week - based on your instructions and see how it goes - I have a small compartment in my motorbike luggage that seems made for it!

Fin
Hi Fin this is going to :pokenest: but lighter fuel isn't far off Coleman fuel just loads cheaper so I actually meant to buy lighter fuel tins from the local tobacconists shops as you travel round and use it in the stove then your not carrying weight on the bike. You can of course save the empty tins. Don't forget the "Peacock" type hand warmers run on lighter fuel and I personally wouldn't run them on petrol though I run our hand warmers on Panel wipe.
once again apologies to Mike for off-track
cheers Danny

darrenleroy

15-07-2010, 18:00

British Red, I'm a barista by trade and it's good to see you doing things properly! No instant for you. I take a stove top espresso maker with me and some pre ground coffee ground in my works grinder. I use a little Bialetti one as it's a design classic. In a perfect world we should grind just before we use but I don't think the portable grinders are up to the job and I already find the espresso heavy enough to lug around (but for me coffee is a necessity, not a luxury so I don't mind the weight).

The stove top espresso should sit supported above a good flame if heating on the fire, making sure to cover the plastic handle with foil to stop it melting. I've tried burying it in embers but it doesn't heat as quickly or as well. It would work better on a hobo stove or similar.

Finally, British Member, looking at the grind of your beans, I'm wondering if you would do better to go a bit finer to get more crema on the coffee and a thicker, intenser brew. But I haven't seen your coffee machine before so can't be sure it works in exactly the same way as mine.

pango

16-07-2010, 10:30

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j274/QDanT/5coffeecloseup.jpg
The stoves a Borde petrol stove from Switzerland / cheers Danny

Dan, I had one of those stoves nicked by a rather handy looking security guard in Munich, or was it Zurich... I had burned it off and flushed it out with water half a dozen times, and left it sitting open for a week, but he insisted on having it as you could still smell petrol.

I was absolutely furious but one glance at his calloused knuckles convinced me I could give it up either with or without a broken face!

To make matters worse, I found a gorgeous little stainless cafetiere in TK Max last week.
Sadly, her indoors confiscated it immediately. (Please don't tell her I called her that.)

Bill.

Gaoler

21-07-2010, 21:47

I have on of those smart coffee presses and I like it.

However, I saw this when shopping the other day and now NEED one.
http://www.johnlewis.com/230667054/Product.aspx

tiger stacker

24-07-2010, 17:50

I have on of those smart coffee presses and I like it.

However, I saw this when shopping the other day and now NEED one.
http://www.johnlewis.com/230667054/Product.aspx

Saw it in Blacks in Inverness for £12 instead of £18. Having a cafetière that fits inside a cup, means i can use my kelly kettle for hot drinks.

mayfly

24-07-2010, 19:58

I've been using Illy coffee and an aero press which makes a good brew but is quite a lot of bits to carry around. Some good ideas here I need to try. Chris

Hetzen

14-11-2010, 23:13

rik_uk3

14-11-2010, 23:21

I've gone back to loose tea these days and the 25p tea strainer from wilko's works very well on 'cowboy' coffee as it strains 99% of the grind out.

Shewie

15-11-2010, 00:14

Hetzen

15-11-2010, 08:13

Yes, just add water, sugar and/or milk. And to my taste, they're just like filter coffee.

resnikov

15-11-2010, 08:22

sandbender

15-11-2010, 08:56

I have one of these...
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/sandbender/misc/sport_preszo.jpg

The aluminum box measures about 14x8x6 cm and contains a two cup espresso maker, a tiny hexi stove, two containers for coffee and sugar, two cups, two spoons and two lifting tools.

However it doesn't get any serious use I generally just spoon coffee into a can like Tor helge (http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54889&p=671016#post671016).
:)

Grebby

15-11-2010, 10:54

I just a GSI Outdoors 1 cup aluminium Espresso set as a present, http://www.gsioutdoors.com/resources/images/cache/pdp/resources/images/product_images/55201_h1_g-486x376.jpg More info here (http://www.gsioutdoors.com/products/pdp/1_cup_aluminum_mini_expresso_s et/coffee_espresso_makers/).

Haven't used it yet but it looks a good solid piece of kit. Any one used one ?

I've got one. Makes a nice coffee but the trouble is that the base is so small that it didn't fit on any of my stoves:rolleyes: I had to get a grill to stand it on. That and you will find that you will find that the coffee making sequence goes like this..

Fill with coffee & water.
Put onto the heat.
Sit waiting for the coffee to come out (During this time a friend will turn up).
Coffee ready, friend says that the little machine is brilliant and could thay have a coffee too.
Ow Oww HOT. Unscrew the top off machine and try and empty coffee grounds from it. Difficult and fiddly and burny.
go to step 1.

I did manage to break the spout tube on mine when it was in my pack but I took it back to where I got it fromm and explained and they sent off to manufacturers and they sent me a new one FOC.

Basically it makes a lovely coffee but is a bit of a PITA with the faf.

Cheers

Grebby

garethw

26-12-2010, 11:09

Hi there
I can't remember the make, but my mum got me all-in-one coffee cup-cum-press in one of those kitchen shops... basically it works like a small Bodum press, but in an insulated cup... I use this for out door camping...
Only down side is you get just one cup at a time..if I want several morning starter cups I use a Melitta filet holder and a stainless coffee pot. You do need a paper or mesh filter too, but I find this a useful method. The stainless pot can go back on the stove or fire between cups to keep the coffe hot.
Re: coffee brand, I'm a bit spoiled living in France as there is a very wide selection of ground coffees.. The only I like at present is 'L'Or' by 'Maison du Café'
cheers
Gareth

Xunil

26-12-2010, 21:10

Bowhunting in Montana a few years ago I was served 'coffee' by an old-time trapper who was 'working out his retirement' as a camp cook and hunt guide. He boiled the coffee in a traditional coffee pot (think any old cowboy movie) on an iron grid over the coals of an open fire.

Three handfuls of coffee, a good pinch of salt and he always, but always added the shell from a fresh egg. He cracked the egg, drank the egg white and yolk raw and then simply crushed the shell and threw it in. He insisted on bringing the pot to the boil three times in succession, after which he was happy to serve it.

I don't know whether it was the grounds, the hunting camp environment, the hard work and fresh air or the great company on that trip, but it was the best coffee I have ever tasted bar none and I wish I had asked more questions when I had the opportunity. Dan, the old guy who made it, sadly died a few months after I last spoke with him. He was one of those 'made out of rawhide and rope' characters and I was astonished to learn that although nobody (himself included) actually knew how old he was, he was certainly well into his late nineties when he passed.

I am a fan of Taylors of Harrogate Christmas Blend. I pre-pack the right amount of coffee and brown sugar in ziplock bags for a single cup when I'm going on solo trips, or I repeat the process using larger bags when I'm out with friends, adjusting quantities and coffee/sugar mix to taste and depending on the number of people on the trip. That way any accidental spills are limited to a single 'serving', as is any damage done by excessive moisture or similar problems. It's also easier to do a brew in near absolute darkness if you know with absolute certainty that what you are using is going to result in the brew you want. No guesswork, and each portion is individually protected and accessible.

I also carry coffee creamers and bring the empty pots back home with me or, at a push, coffeemate, but I can just as easily cope with it black. I am in Holland for a week or two usually every five or six weeks and, when I can, I always bring back a carton or two of their coffee cream. It's a weird, long-life product that doesn't need refrigerating and, as a result, it can be carried with you in any suitable liquids container.

Although I like to use cafetiere grounds I don't bother with a filter - some years ago in Croatia I was shown how to make a cup of real coffee with cafetiere grounds but without the cafetiere and, basically, the process simply consists of putting the grounds in your cup, adding hot water and letting your cup settle to allow the ground to go to the bottom under their own steam (no pun intended). It can take several minutes, so I usually do a double hit where the coffee cup is 2/3 filled, left to settle and then very gently (to prevent the grounds stirring up) topped up with freshly boiled water. An alternate method is to slowly and gently pour off the coffee from the first cup to a second, top that up with hot water and leave the grounds behind completely in the first cup.

Yeah, I know, I need to get out more, but I like my coffee...

santaman2000

12-02-2011, 23:57

Those old pots are great. I still have one I always take camping if weight/bulk or not a consideration. Besides making coffee I also just fill it with water and leave it near the fire so I always have hot water in camp.

Yeah the company and surroundings definitely have that effect on me too.

santaman2000

13-02-2011, 00:04

Hi Fin this is going to :pokenest: but lighter fuel isn't far off Coleman fuel just loads cheaper so I actually meant to buy lighter fuel tins from the local tobacconists shops as you travel round and use it in the stove then your not carrying weight on the bike. You can of course save the empty tins. Don't forget the "Peacock" type hand warmers run on lighter fuel and I personally wouldn't run them on petrol though I run our hand warmers on Panel wipe.
once again apologies to Mike for off-track
cheers Danny Lighter fuel will work but they are as different as petrol and parrafin. Because they ARE petrol and parrafin. Coleman Fuel is just white gasoline and lighter fuel is just de-scented (mostly de-scented) parrafin.

QDanT

13-02-2011, 00:14

Lighter fuel will work but they are as different as petrol and parrafin. Because they ARE petrol and parrafin. Coleman Fuel is just white gasoline and lighter fuel is just de-scented (mostly de-scented) parrafin.

Coleman fuel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
White gas, exemplified by Coleman Camp Fuel, is a common naphtha fuel used in many lanterns and torches

Coleman fuel is a petroleum naphtha product marketed by The Coleman Company. Historically called white gas, it is a liquid petroleum fuel (100% light hydrotreated distillate) sold in one gallon cans.[1] It is used primarily for fueling lanterns and camp stoves. Originally, it was simply casing-head gas or drip gas which has similar properties.

Coleman fuel has an octane rating of 50 to 55 and none of the additives found in modern gasoline.[2] It has a lower molecular weight than gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel and cannot be used as a substitute for any of those fuels in modern engines.[2]

The flammability of Coleman Fuel is similar to gasoline; however, it should never be used in modern era gasoline engines. Its high heat of combustion and lack of octane boosting additives like tetra-ethyl lead will destroy engine valves, and its low octane
--------------------------
Kerosene
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Kerosene (disambiguation).
A kerosene bottle, containing blue dyed kerosene. Kerosene is typically in a blue (or blue labeled) container.

Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage,[1] also known as paraffin in the United Kingdom and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros (κηρός wax). The word Kerosene was registered as a trademark by Abraham Gesner in 1854 and for several years only the North American Gas Light Company and the Downer Company (to which Gesner had granted the right) were allowed to call their lamp oil kerosene.[2] It eventually became a genericized trademark.

In the United Kingdom there are two grades of heating oil under this name - Premium Kerosene (more commonly known in the UK as Paraffin) BS2869 Class C1, the lightest grade which is usually used for lanterns, wick heaters, and combustion engines; and Standard Kerosene to BS2869 Class C2, a heavier distillate, which is used as domestic heating oil.

Kerosene is usually called paraffin (sometimes paraffin oil) in Southeast Asia and South Africa (not to be confused with the much more viscous paraffin oil used as a laxative, or the waxy solid also called paraffin wax or just paraffin); the term kerosene is usual in much of Canada, the United States, Australia (where it is usually referred to colloquially as kero) and New Zealand.[3]

Kerosene is widely used to power jet-engined aircraft (jet fuel) and some rockets, but is also commonly used as a heating fuel and for fire toys such as poi. In parts of Asia, where the price of kerosene is subsidized, it fuels outboard motors rigged on small fishing craft.[citation needed]

Kerosene is typically (and in some jurisdictions legally required to be) stored in a blue container in order to avoid it getting confused with the much more flammable gasoline, which is typically kept in a red container. Diesel fuel is generally stored in yellow containers for the same reason.
-------------------------
cheers Danny

WeThePeoplexfbm

13-02-2011, 09:12

RonW

13-02-2011, 09:45

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4738866555_ba6329a501_b.jpg[/QUOTE]
What a great sight!

Bowhunting in Montana a few years ago I was served 'coffee' by an old-time trapper who was 'working out his retirement' as a camp cook and hunt guide. He boiled the coffee in a traditional coffee pot (think any old cowboy movie) on an iron grid over the coals of an open fire.

Three handfuls of coffee, a good pinch of salt and he always, but always added the shell from a fresh egg. He cracked the egg, drank the egg white and yolk raw and then simply crushed the shell and threw it in. He insisted on bringing the pot to the boil three times in succession, after which he was happy to serve it.

I don't know whether it was the grounds, the hunting camp environment, the hard work and fresh air or the great company on that trip, but it was the best coffee I have ever tasted bar none and I wish I had asked more questions when I had the opportunity. Dan, the old guy who made it, sadly died a few months after I last spoke with him. He was one of those 'made out of rawhide and rope' characters and I was astonished to learn that although nobody (himself included) actually knew how old he was, he was certainly well into his late nineties when he passed.

I guess he would have added a splash of cold water, too. Combined with the eggshells that would get the coffee clear. As far as I understood, it's the cold water that really does the trick.

DavidJT

13-02-2011, 10:06

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4738866555_ba6329a501_b.jpg
What a great sight!

[/QUOTE]

But this is a coffee percolator isn't it? Not just cowboy style coffee pot, anyone tell me the make, I think I saw a similar one in Sweden last week, but it was serious £ (or actually serious SK!).

Partickpebbles

14-02-2011, 16:41

I've got one. Makes a nice coffee but the trouble is that the base is so small that it didn't fit on any of my stoves:rolleyes: I had to get a grill to stand it on. That and you will find that you will find that the coffee making sequence goes like this..

Fill with coffee & water.
Put onto the heat.
Sit waiting for the coffee to come out (During this time a friend will turn up).
Coffee ready, friend says that the little machine is brilliant and could thay have a coffee too.
Ow Oww HOT. Unscrew the top off machine and try and empty coffee grounds from it. Difficult and fiddly and burny.
go to step 1.

I did manage to break the spout tube on mine when it was in my pack but I took it back to where I got it fromm and explained and they sent off to manufacturers and they sent me a new one FOC.

Basically it makes a lovely coffee but is a bit of a PITA with the faf.

Cheers

Grebby

Looks great that!

Puddock

14-02-2011, 16:55

or my Hobo stove:
http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/5066/cowboycoffeeonthehobo.jpg

What pot is that you are using on the Hobo?

santaman2000

16-02-2011, 23:45

Coleman fuel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
White gas, exemplified by Coleman Camp Fuel, is a common naphtha fuel used in many lanterns and torches

Coleman fuel is a petroleum naphtha product marketed by The Coleman Company. Historically called white gas, it is a liquid petroleum fuel (100% light hydrotreated distillate) sold in one gallon cans.[1] It is used primarily for fueling lanterns and camp stoves. Originally, it was simply casing-head gas or drip gas which has similar properties.

Coleman fuel has an octane rating of 50 to 55 and none of the additives found in modern gasoline.[2] It has a lower molecular weight than gasoline, kerosene and diesel fuel and cannot be used as a substitute for any of those fuels in modern engines.[2]

The flammability of Coleman Fuel is similar to gasoline; however, it should never be used in modern era gasoline engines. Its high heat of combustion and lack of octane boosting additives like tetra-ethyl lead will destroy engine valves, and its low octane
--------------------------
Kerosene
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Kerosene (disambiguation).
A kerosene bottle, containing blue dyed kerosene. Kerosene is typically in a blue (or blue labeled) container.

Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage,[1] also known as paraffin in the United Kingdom and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros (κηρός wax). The word Kerosene was registered as a trademark by Abraham Gesner in 1854 and for several years only the North American Gas Light Company and the Downer Company (to which Gesner had granted the right) were allowed to call their lamp oil kerosene.[2] It eventually became a genericized trademark.

In the United Kingdom there are two grades of heating oil under this name - Premium Kerosene (more commonly known in the UK as Paraffin) BS2869 Class C1, the lightest grade which is usually used for lanterns, wick heaters, and combustion engines; and Standard Kerosene to BS2869 Class C2, a heavier distillate, which is used as domestic heating oil.

Kerosene is usually called paraffin (sometimes paraffin oil) in Southeast Asia and South Africa (not to be confused with the much more viscous paraffin oil used as a laxative, or the waxy solid also called paraffin wax or just paraffin); the term kerosene is usual in much of Canada, the United States, Australia (where it is usually referred to colloquially as kero) and New Zealand.[3]

Kerosene is widely used to power jet-engined aircraft (jet fuel) and some rockets, but is also commonly used as a heating fuel and for fire toys such as poi. In parts of Asia, where the price of kerosene is subsidized, it fuels outboard motors rigged on small fishing craft.[citation needed]

Kerosene is typically (and in some jurisdictions legally required to be) stored in a blue container in order to avoid it getting confused with the much more flammable gasoline, which is typically kept in a red container. Diesel fuel is generally stored in yellow containers for the same reason.
-------------------------
cheers Danny

Mostly accurate but over here "White Gas" was and still is sold at gas stations using an ordinary gas pump and for use in cars. It may well be the original "Casing" gas or "Drip" gas referred to in Wikipedia, I don't know. Yes it is lower in octane. That was the original reason that lead was introduced into automobile gas in the 1920s or 30s.; To boost octane. The downsides of leaded gasoline were higher pollution levels and engine fowling (the same way lead fowls rifle barrels). That's why unleaded gas was introduced in the 1970s and why it is mandatory now for modern cars to be designed for unleaded use. Unfortunately the newer octane boosting substitutes for lead aren't exactly without their own pollution problems but that's another thread, possibly another forum.

The army made wide use of "Gasoline" lanterns during WWI fueling them from ordinary gas supplies; again possibly "Casing" gas or "Drip" gas. Today the Air Force only buys vehicles and Ground Support Equipment with diesel engines so that we can fuel them with JP-8 (a kerosene/paraffin based jet fuel) when deployed. At least that was the practice when I retired about a decade ago. When I first enlisted, 20 years prior, logistics was a nightmare for POL (Petroleum, Oils and Lubricants) shop who had to calculate and supply fuels for at least 3 (sometimes more) different types of engines.

I use Wikipedia a great deal also but have noticed there are some inaccuracies just like in the old fashioned hard copy encyclopedias. It seems though that it's not exactly an inaccuracy, but rather a vague understanding (on all our parts) as to when white gas evolved from the original "Case" gas into a naphtha fuel. My info in this case comes from memory of white gas being sold in regular stations when I was a kid (it still is but it isn't as common anymore) and from my family who largely still work in the oil industry.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to have to do more research on the Case gas aspect now that you've piqued my interest.

I wish I could remember the name of the company that makes the multi-fuel lantern. It is a German company and they make one that can use virtually any petroleum based fuel. I last saw it advertised in Cabelas years ago and wanted one then but was unable to justify the cost. It was around $200 even back then compared to an ordinary dual-fuel Coleman at $25. A few companies market backpacking stoves that do that and stoves bring us back to the original object of this thread :)

johnboy

16-02-2011, 23:54

I wish I could remember the name of the company that makes the multi-fuel lantern. It is a German company and they make one that can use virtually any petroleum based fuel.

Petromax / Britelyt ????

http://www.petromax.com/prod1.html

rik_uk3

17-02-2011, 00:12

Mostly accurate but over here "White Gas" was and still is sold at gas stations using an ordinary gas pump and for use in cars.s when I was a kid (it still is but it isn't as common anymore)

Not often found on the pump these days though I thought, a lot of the American stove collectors I talk to have all said how they miss the days of white gas via a pump, stuck to buying gallon cans in the most part.

Be very careful of the new Petromax/Britelyt lanterns/products, the quality is poor, just not as well made as they were; they are not the safest lantern.

MartinK9

17-02-2011, 01:03

What pot is that you are using on the Hobo?

It was a Wilkinsons stainless steel coffee caddy:

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/521/myhobostovesetup003.jpg

http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/386/myhobostovesetup004.jpg

santaman2000

17-02-2011, 02:25

Petromax / Britelyt ????

http://www.petromax.com/prod1.html

Petromax sounds familiar.

santaman2000

17-02-2011, 02:29

Not often found on the pump these days though I thought, a lot of the American stove collectors I talk to have all said how they miss the days of white gas via a pump, stuck to buying gallon cans in the most part.

Be very careful of the new Petromax/Britelyt lanterns/products, the quality is poor, just not as well made as they were; they are not the safest lantern.

No, it's not as common. For that matter neither is kerosene but both can be found on the pump in isolated areas. Elsewhere it's only available in tins on the shelf at a dear price. I miss the old days too. Thanks for the warning.

rik_uk3

17-02-2011, 02:58

Martyn

17-02-2011, 07:29

Got to say I'm really impressed with these new "Starbucks Microgrind" saches. I picked up a few from Tesco. They're actually really good. £1 for 3, or £2 for 7. Not exactly in the same league for cost as filtered, but then you have to take in ease of use and space required.

http://store.mpgear.com/images/products/detail/starbucks_via.jpg

Have to agree, this stuff is a revelation. At home, I buy my beans freshly roasted from hasbean (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/), or pre-roasted from Whittards if I'm being lazy, I grind on a burr-mill grinder and extract using a beautiful La Pavoni Professional (http://www.coffeeitalia.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=H-P) hand press. Espresso doesnt get any better than that - god-shots all the way. Sometimes I'll use a French press if there are few people to serve and previously I've used an aeropress when car-camping. I never use coffee pots or percolators because they steep the coffee making it over-extracted and bitter. Percolated coffee is almost as foul as instant IMO. But whatever method you use, when backpacking all the paraphernalia is just way too heavy to carry, so it's either that foul drek known as instant coffee, or tea. No choice really.

However, these new Starbucks VIA sachets are a revelation. It's instant coffee, but it's mixed with micro-ground real coffee that goes into suspension when water is added. The result is a cup of instant coffee that does a very, very good approximation of the real thing. It's not quite as good as the real thing, and real coffee aficionados will certainly tell the difference, but many cant. It's close enough for me to be a very acceptable alternative when practicality is a consideration and for backpacking, they are absolutely ideal. So if you are a real coffee lover who has simply written off the notion of instant coffee as universally horrible, give these a go. You wont drink it as a first choice at home, but for backpacking, it will definitely give you pause when trying to decide whether to carry all your usual coffee junk ...or a few sachets of VIA. Two sachets in a cup first thing, will give you a caffeine hit that will have your teeth rattling. :D

British Red

17-02-2011, 09:41

But this is a coffee percolator isn't it? Not just cowboy style coffee pot, anyone tell me the make, I think I saw a similar one in Sweden last week, but it was serious £ (or actually serious SK!).

Old Coleman one - used with hand roasted green beans (got to roast them yourself or you lose so much), it makes a great cup. It was about £15 if that helps?

shortyman

17-02-2011, 10:06

Have you looked at the aerobi aeropress? It may look like the sort of thing sold in a plain cover from specialist book shops but it works really well, very smooth coffee, easy to clean and bombproof.

Went to Tamarack the other day and they had an esbit hexi powered expresso maker. V cool.

Martyn

17-02-2011, 15:05

Old Coleman one - used with hand roasted green beans (got to roast them yourself or you lose so much) If you buy your beans from www.hasbean.co.uk, before sending them to you they roast the green beans in a commercial roaster at a consistent temperature while the beans are tumbled. They are perfectly roasted to your specification and as fresh as the time it takes to arrive in the post, which is usually less than 24 hours.

EdS

17-02-2011, 15:35

an old tin lined copper briki (cezve) warmed on the embers still makes the best coffee.

Coffee, sugar, water & 1 cardamon pod. Job done.

British Red

17-02-2011, 15:38

Martyn

17-02-2011, 15:51

I have been using Hasbean for years. I prefer green beans (which they supply in all the varieties). I don't want to order every week, but I do prefer the flavour of freshly roasted (actually 48 hrs after is optimal for me). Try roasting your own sometime - you might be surprised.

I've looked into it and read a lot of disappointments. Seems it can be very tricky to get an even and consistent roast. I've never done it, but I would think with pan roasting it would be very difficult to bring all the beans to the crack at the same time, which means some would be under-roasted. If you wait till they are all cracked, how do you avoid some being over-roasted, over-caramelised and bitter? How do you get consistency without a commercial home roaster?

British Red

17-02-2011, 16:01

I like to skillet roast outdoors in the summer. A deep sided wok works well for keepig things moving. I have been known to raise Spikey da Pikey from his pit with the smell :) (he got to break out the hand grinder as a result). Electric Popcorn makers work well though if you want a mobile air roast (or in the winter) - cheap too if you keep an eye on Argos and ebay.

Martyn

17-02-2011, 16:14

Sounds like fun. I might try it, though I confess I'm sceptical of the results.

If ever you are backpacking and dont want to carry your skillet, burr-mill grinder and percolator, try Starbucks VIA sometime - you might be surprised. ;)

Wigate

17-02-2011, 16:33

i buy green Etopean Mocca beans from HR Higgins who seem to be the only ones to have them. I roast them at home in a glass covered pan and keeping beans moving whilst heat is applied is part of the experience and only way to get an even roast. I leave them to cool and grind them the following morning. Nothing smells as good as fresh ground coffee in the morning.

garethw

17-02-2011, 16:34

As I said in a previous post I prefer filter coffee so I carry a pot and filter cone. I have one of these in the picture though and if you like strong Italian coffee they are great, and perfect for use on a stove or small fire...(careful if the handles are plastic or they will melt.(happened to me when a Coleman flared up).
http://www.croixblanchelakes.com/coffee.jpg
I find the coffee very strong with these and you only get a small amount even in the biggest pot...I like a good half litre of coffee in the morning...
cheers
Gareth

santaman2000

18-02-2011, 03:39

I've looked into it and read a lot of disappointments. Seems it can be very tricky to get an even and consistent roast. I've never done it, but I would think with pan roasting it would be very difficult to bring all the beans to the crack at the same time, which means some would be under-roasted. If you wait till they are all cracked, how do you avoid some being over-roasted, over-caramelised and bitter? How do you get consistency without a commercial home roaster?

When I was a kid my grandparents used to roast their own (we called it parching rather than roasting) in the oven with the heat set on about 400-425 Farenheight. Way back when they were growing up whole green beans was the only way coffee came. If they're arranged in a single flat layer on a cookie sheet or something similar they will roast evenly just like peanuts or pecans or chestnuts. That was pretty much the standard for getting coffee in American households until about the 1910s and in rural areas on up until the 1930s. Not sure why you want them to crack though. They should be an even dark color (color to your taste) but still whole until you grind them. That's what keeps them fresh is keeping them whole and unscathed. Not sure how to replicate that process in the bush though.

santaman2000

18-02-2011, 03:54

LOL.Just don't grind them with your pepper mill or the same grinder that you use for your spices unless you want a customized flavor.

santaman2000

18-02-2011, 04:02

Have to agree, this stuff is a revelation. At home, I buy my beans freshly roasted from hasbean (http://www.hasbean.co.uk/), or pre-roasted from Whittards if I'm being lazy, I grind on a burr-mill grinder and extract using a beautiful La Pavoni Professional (http://www.coffeeitalia.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=H-P) hand press. Espresso doesnt get any better than that - god-shots all the way. Sometimes I'll use a French press if there are few people to serve and previously I've used an aeropress when car-camping. I never use coffee pots or percolators because they steep the coffee making it over-extracted and bitter. Percolated coffee is almost as foul as instant IMO. But whatever method you use, when backpacking all the paraphernalia is just way too heavy to carry, so it's either that foul drek known as instant coffee, or tea. No choice really.

However, these new Starbucks VIA sachets are a revelation. It's instant coffee, but it's mixed with micro-ground real coffee that goes into suspension when water is added. The result is a cup of instant coffee that does a very, very good approximation of the real thing. It's not quite as good as the real thing, and real coffee aficionados will certainly tell the difference, but many cant. It's close enough for me to be a very acceptable alternative when practicality is a consideration and for backpacking, they are absolutely ideal. So if you are a real coffee lover who has simply written off the notion of instant coffee as universally horrible, give these a go. You wont drink it as a first choice at home, but for backpacking, it will definitely give you pause when trying to decide whether to carry all your usual coffee junk ...or a few sachets of VIA. Two sachets in a cup first thing, will give you a caffeine hit that will have your teeth rattling. :D

The problem with percolators is they actually steep the coffee in boiling water. Coffee should be brewed at about 8-10 degrees cooler than boiling. Anything above that releases a tannin much like that found in treebarks that makes it bitter. The easiest way to do that in the bush is just to boil the water then let it cool a couple of minutes before adding the grounds. In an earlier post someone mentioned the best coffee he had ever had was made by boiling it in an old cowboy pot in Montana. The eggshells dropped into the finished pot would have drawn that tannin back out (or so I'm told). Like he said, the company and camp surroundings go a long way to make that coffee perfect.

santaman2000

18-02-2011, 04:23

One of the guys lives near the Amish and kerosene and white gas is easy to find there, they use a lot of it I'm told. Do you know how much Coleman brand fuel is in the UK? Hold onto your seat........... $70 bucks a US gallon We use alternative white gas sources in the UK lol.

Take a look at www.spiritburner.com, lots of stove and some lantern information, large American membership too.

Thanks for the link. Yeah the Amish country would be one of those isolated ares I meant. That and some rural areas in the West and in the South.

There are other brand names besides Coleman for the 1 gallon tins on the shelves here but we refer to them all as "coleman" fuel the same way you refer to all vacuum cleaners as a "Hoover." They are slightly cheaper than actual Coleman brand but still about double what white gas at the pump is (in the areas where it's available). No where near what you're paying though. That explains why Butane, Propane and Gaz are more popular there than they are here. Coleman fuel her is about $8-$10 per gallon. At least here in Florida; prices vary across the country.

shortyman

18-02-2011, 08:05

There's a chap at work who uses ground coffee tea bags. Off the top of my head they're from Lyons. Links to some other solutions...

http://www.gsioutdoors.com/products/cat/coffee/

http://aerobie.com/products/aeropress.htm

http://www.esbit.de/index.php?id=305

Martyn

18-02-2011, 10:49

When I was a kid my grandparents used to roast their own (we called it parching rather than roasting) in the oven with the heat set on about 400-425 Farenheight. Way back when they were growing up whole green beans was the only way coffee came. If they're arranged in a single flat layer on a cookie sheet or something similar they will roast evenly just like peanuts or pecans or chestnuts. That was pretty much the standard for getting coffee in American households until about the 1910s and in rural areas on up until the 1930s. Not sure why you want them to crack though. They should be an even dark color (color to your taste) but still whole until you grind them. That's what keeps them fresh is keeping them whole and unscathed. Not sure how to replicate that process in the bush though.

I know you can roast coffee this way, but my point was that if you are after the absolute best you can get, I cant see how home roasting will deliver. It'll be very fresh, no question, but it's going to be inconsistent, with some beans roasted darker than others. The beans dont actually crack, the first and second cracks are terms used to describe certain stages in the coffee roasting process...

http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/roasting.htm

I can see how roasting your own can be fun, but I cant see how it will produce a superior cup of coffee and with companies like hasbean that roast to order using commercial roasters, I dont really see the point.

santaman2000

18-02-2011, 16:42

I know you can roast coffee this way, but my point was that if you are after the absolute best you can get, I cant see how home roasting will deliver. It'll be very fresh, no question, but it's going to be inconsistent, with some beans roasted darker than others. The beans dont actually crack, the first and second cracks are terms used to describe certain stages in the coffee roasting process...

http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/roasting.htm

I can see how roasting your own can be fun, but I cant see how it will produce a superior cup of coffee and with companies like hasbean that roast to order using commercial roasters, I dont really see the point.

I caught on to your term "crack" after it was too late to really change my post. Sorry for the confusion. If the beans are spread evnly in a single layer then the roast will be even as well. At least as even as most of us can differentiate. I think you're probably right about the pros being better at it. Reallistically as long as you wait til the last minute to grind your beans then when they were roasted has a lesser effect on freshness. Many companies here now offer roasted but unground, whole beans. Another key is to store them as air tight as possible.

I think many people get mere satisfaction roasting their own because of either a sense of nostalgia (ref my grandparents) or perhaps it's better simply because they expect it to be.

cave_dweller

18-02-2011, 22:25

I think many people get mere satisfaction roasting their own because of either a sense of nostalgia (ref my grandparents) or perhaps it's better simply because they expect it to be.

I reckon it's largely the smell. There's nothing quite like it, apart from (maybe) fresh baking bread.

almac

19-02-2011, 03:32

i use a gizmo made my GSI and a stainless bottle.
someone made a video of its use here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtv8ejyHLbY

santaman2000

19-02-2011, 03:50

I reckon it's largely the smell. There's nothing quite like it, apart from (maybe) fresh baking bread.

Two of my favorite places in a shopping mall: 1) a tobbacco shop, & 2) a coffee shop (one that sells grounds or fresh roasted beans) Both just to enjoy the smell.

cave_dweller

19-02-2011, 09:17

Two of my favorite places in a shopping mall: 1) a tobbacco shop, & 2) a coffee shop (one that sells grounds or fresh roasted beans) Both just to enjoy the smell.

Mmmm... tobacco. I've tried to program myself to forget about it, having quit smoking a couple of years back, but you're right.