How To Make Coffee While Camping: The Best Methods
What could be better than waking up with the world? And there’s no better way to enjoy it than with a delicious cup of joe in your hand.
But when you’re camping, you don’t have the same coffee maker you have at home, and there’s definitely no local coffee shop nearby.
Today we’re going to talk about Today we’re going to talk about how tohow to make your cup of coffee and get your make your cup of coffee and get your caffeinecaffeine fix while camping. We’ll walk through a few methods, then show you the best and easiest way to get that beautiful coffee made in time to savor that one-of-a-kind sunrise. Let’s get started. fix while camping. We’ll walk through a few methods, then show you the best and easiest way to get that beautiful coffee made in time to savor that one-of-a-kind sunrise. Let’s get started.
Cowboy Coffee
One of the most classic ways to make camping coffee, and really make coffee at all, is called cowboy coffee. It’s one of the simplest ways to make coffee, and it really does get the job done.
What You’ll Need
All you’ll need for this easy recipe is a kettle or coffee pot that can go over a flame, coarse coffee grounds, and water. The main perk of this recipe is that it requires pretty minimal equipment, so you can have coffee without having to lug a bunch of gear up to the campground.
How To Make Cowboy Coffee
To make your cowboy coffee, you must first assemble your ingredients. Grab your kettle and add your coffee and cold water to it. Put in about two tablespoons of coffee and eight to 10 ounces of water per serving.
Next, put the kettle over the fire and watch closely. It will take a little while for it to get up to heat, but you’ll need to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t brew for too long.
Take the kettle off the fire as soon as you see the first signs of boiling. Then, add a splash of cold water to the coffee to cool it down and stop the brewing process.
Now give it a stir and let it sit for a few minutes. During this time, the coffee grounds will slowly settle to the bottom, effectively halting the brewing process. Bonus: it will help keep you from slurping down any of those grounds (gross). Once the grounds have settled, pour out your coffee and enjoy.
Pros and Cons of Cowboy Coffee
The pros to this method are that it's pretty easy to do and doesn’t require that much equipment. However, it does require a pretty big kettle, which can take up a lot of space in your pack.
In addition, this method doesn’t do the best job of filtering out the grounds, so it’s likely that you’ll get a few grounds in your cup. Plus, it can be easy to over-brew this coffee, which can make for a bitter, burnt cup. It may not be the best way to start your day.
Moka Pot
Another coffee method is the Moka pot. A Moka pot is a special type of coffee brewer that makes a sort of coffee concentrate that’s somewhere between the strength of black coffee and espresso.
Supplies
For this method, you’ll need ground coffee, a Moka pot, and water.
How To Make Moka Pot Coffee
Unscrew the top part of the pot. Take out the grounds basket and fill the bottom part up with water until the water level is just below the safety valve. Fill up the basket with your coffee grounds, but try not to press them down.
Now, reassemble your Moka pot and put it over the fire. Once you have boiling water in the bottom portion, the building pressure will push the water up through the grounds, and you’ll have coffee come out of the spout and into the top section.
And there you have your coffee. You can dilute it a bit with hot water if you’d like, and you’re ready to drink up.
Pros and Cons of Moka Pot Coffee
This method makes really good coffee if you know what you’re doing. But it’s definitely a trial-and-error kind of process. It’s a pretty involved method of coffee making. You do have to carry around that stainless steel pot and then clean all the parts, which can be a hassle when you’re camping.
On top of that, the Moka pot only makes one or two cups at a time. If you’re brewing for a large group, it’s gonna take a while.
Pour-Over
You’ve probably seen a pour-over on the menu at your local specialty coffee shop. It’s an absolutely delicious way to brew coffee that is used by experts and casual coffee drinkers alike.
What You’ll Need
To make a pour-over, you’ll need a coffee mug, a pour-over funnel, a coffee filter (whether a paper filter or metal filter), coffee grounds, and boiling water.
How To Make Pour-Over Coffee
Pour-overs are pretty similar to the process of a drip coffee maker, but instead of the coffee percolator pouring the water, you do it.
Get your coffee mug and place the pour-over funnel on the top. Put your filter in the funnel and set your grounds inside. Now just pour the water over the grounds in small bursts and watch the coffee dripper work its magic. You’ll have a beautiful cup of hot coffee in a couple of minutes.
Again, use about two tablespoons of grounds and about 10 ounces of water per serving.
Pros and Cons of Pour-Over Coffee
While this is a very delicious way to make coffee, it is a pretty involved process. It also requires a good bit of equipment. And again, this method can only make one or two cups of coffee at a time, so it’s not great for large groups of campers.
French Press
Ahh, the classic French press. This is one of the most iconic ways to brew coffee, and it’s pretty fun too.
What You’ll Need
To make a French press coffee on your backpacking or camping trip, all you need is a French press brewer, coffee grounds, and hot water.
How To Make French Press Coffee
Start by getting your water boiling on the camp stove. While you’re waiting for that to heat up, whip out your coffee grinder and grind up your beans or get your pre-ground beans out. You’ll want to coarse grind your beans.
Now pour out your great cup of coffee and savor the flavor.
Pros and Cons of French Press Coffee
While a French press makes a rich cup of coffee with amazing body and flavor, there are some downsides. Most French presses only make two or three servings, and those brewers are definitely too big to fit in your pack for a backpacking trip. The small French presses only make a single serving.
Aeropress
The Aeropress is one of the newest brewing methods out there. It’s unique and innovative. Some coffee drinkers love it. Think of it as an upside-down French press. Fun!
What You’ll Need
To make Aeropress coffee, you’ll need an Aeropress brewer, special Aeropress coffee filters, coffee grounds, hot water, and a mug.
How To Make Aeropress Coffee
Start by putting your water on the heat source and bringing it to a boil. While that’s going, get your grinds and filter ready. Put the filter into the circular screen and screw it onto the bottom of the brewer. Now place your grounds into the brewer, leave the plunger off, and place the brewer directly onto your mug.
Once your water boils, pour it into your Aeropress and fill it up. Let the mixture sit for about two minutes, then place your plunger in and push down. The coffee will come out the bottom like magic.
Pros and Cons of Aeropress Coffee
This is a pretty good method of brewing coffee. It’s flexible in that it can make a regular cup, or it can make an espresso-like, strong coffee that can be diluted with water or milk. This allows for you to make up to four servings at one time.
But the downsides are that it requires a lot of equipment and a lot of practice. It’s a bit of a strange brewing method that isn’t intuitive for first-timers, so it might take a few tries for you to get the perfect brew. It’s also not the best choice for campers who want to limit their gear.
Instant Coffee
We’ve all had plenty of instant coffee on our camping trips. It’s one of the easiest methods out there. It doesn’t take a barista coffee genius to be able to brew a cup of coffee.
What You’ll Need
All you need for this method is instant coffee bags, hot water, and a mug.
How To Make Instant Coffee
Making instant coffee is simple and, well, instant. Get some boiling water going on the stovetop. Then, simply pour some hot water into a mug, put your instant coffee into your cup of water, and give it a stir. Voila! You’ve got coffee!
Pros and Cons of Instant Coffee
The pros to instant coffee are that it’s super easy to brew. Instant coffee is really easy to fit in your pack if you’re backpacking.
But the cons to this are that it can taste pretty strange sometimes. Plus, brewed coffee has to go through a crazy dehydration process. In that dehydration process, a lot of the compounds that make up the taste and smell of coffee get lost, and it even reduces the caffeine levels in the coffee, which can be pretty frustrating when you want that morning boost.
Javy Coffee Concentrate
Now, let’s talk about our favorite way to make the best camp coffee: coffee concentrate. It combines ease and deliciousness into one.
What You’ll Need
All you need to make Javy coffee is a bottle of Javy Coffee Concentrate, water, and a mug.
How To Make Javy Coffee Concentrate
To make this brew, start by preparing your water. It can be cold or hot, whichever you like. If you want to get freezing cold water from the nearby mountain stream, you can make iced coffee or cold brew, or you can boil water for a nice cup of hot coffee.
Put your water in a mug and add one or two tablespoons of the concentrate, and you’ve got a great cup of coffee ready to drink.
Pros and Cons of Javy Coffee Concentrate
It’s as easy to make as instant coffee, but it contains all the flavor and caffeine you want. It doesn’t require any extra equipment, and it’s really flexible, so you can make hot or cold coffee depending on your mood. Make it with milk for a satisfying latte, or drink your coffee black as you please.
It’s delicious, easy, and flexible. What more could you want from a camp coffee?
The Best Camp Coffee
So next time you break out the camping gear and hit the campgrounds, bring along a bottle of Javy. Ditch your bulky camping coffee maker and leave room in your pack for the things that matter. With Javy coffee concentrate, you can have a perfect cup whether you’re car camping, backpacking, or deep in the backcountry.
And if you brew some Javy on the campgrounds, take a picture and tag us on Instagram @javy.coffee so we can see your beautiful coffee along with the beautiful scenery.
Sources:
7 Ways to Make Coffee While Camping | National Outdoor Leadership School
Science & Technology - What's That Stuff? Instant Coffee | Chemical & Engineering News