I don't know about you, ..... but I NEED a good cup of coffee to get going.

No more instant for me!

What's your favorite method of making small portions (1-2 cups) of coffee on the trail?

TIA!

quote:

Originally posted by DaMan:
No more instant for me!

What's your favorite method of making small portions (1-2 cups) of coffee on the trail?

I can live with instant when the light weight and no clean up is important. Otherwise we have a little espresso maker that will turn out a couple shots in short order.

At home I use a Vietnamese coffee maker. It looks like a little top hat and sits on top of the coffee cup. Load 'er up with your favourite grind of "black death" and fill with boiling water. The elixer of life drips through and all you have to do is ass a little more hot water to thin it out enough to drink. The Vietnamese restaurants serve it with some condensed milk-yummy! It's about as light a coffee maker as there is. I wouldn't take it back packing though-instant is good enough. There are also coffee bags just like tea bags, they work ok.

quote:

Originally posted by nordrseta:
Otherwise we have a little espresso maker that will turn out a couple shots in short order.

What kind of espresso maker do you use, nordrseta?

TIA!

quote:

.......and all you have to do is ass a little more hot water to thin it out enough to drink.

Calgary Chef, that doesn't sound too tasty!

But, that's what I'm looking for ..... something compact that I just pour boiling water into.

Do you know where I could check out one of these VietNamese coffee makers?

I am an expert at boiling water!

TIA!

I need a coffee to get going on work days or while camping, or even just hanging around the house on the weekend. But backpacking (or backpack hunting) is about the only time I don't crave a good cup of java in the AM. If it were just me, I'd never pack it and would have no answer for you.

I do take coffee and a method for making it for my GF. The lightest, fastest, easiest method I have found for a good cup of joe is the MSR filter basket. It sits in the cup when not in use and only weights a couple ounces. You just put the basket in the cup, put in some coffee, pour boiling water through it and wait about 4 mins.

I'll find a pic and post it, so you can see what it looks like.

Calgarychef's system sounds PDG too though.

Cheers,
Canuck

MEC - product and reviews

I use the coffee bags, just like the tea bags. Not Community, but works fairly well for me.

MSH,
I used to use those too. They are better than I thought they'd be. Unfortunately, my GF likes flavored coffee....very specific flavored coffee ...so the bags weren't an option. But they are probably the best, lightest backpacking solution for a reasonable cup o' joe.
Cheers,
Canuck

I think something like the MSR filter would be what I'm looking for.

I've had the Folgers single bags..... and they taste a lot like instant coffee to me. But they are convenient.

I'm going to give the MSR filter a try.

Thanks for the suggestions and please keep them coming!

Hey DaMan, I have the very same weakness you suffer , sometimes I even feel that without my "first thing in the morning" coffee I wouldn't be able even to pronounce my own name ... and must finish that very same day with a good cigar (or smoking pipe) - and another cup of coffee ...

What I use and have survived many hunting trips (and will surely continue doing so for many more to come) is what I know as a volturno coffee maker ... its a really ooooold model, successfully proved during all these decades ... is almost indestrutible and can be used above any type of camp fire ... of course it makes a delicious (almost) expresso, using whatever type of coffee you might like ... and comes in two or three different capacities (believe me, sooner or later your hunting partners will ask you to share this coffee with them )

Here is a link I found to give an idea about what am I talking about
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/03/21/172123.php

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/04/vietnamese/


This is what they look like. I've also used the espresso makers shown-they're nice too but much heavier.

It's back packing people- instant should be damned well good enough!!!

Try the Folgers Coffee Bags.

They work just like tea bags.

Does not taste like instant.

N E,

Taste is subjective. They do resemble instant more than a brewed cup of coffee. I do however, use them for my hunting and backpacking trips.

quote:

Originally posted by DaMan:

quote:

Originally posted by nordrseta:
Otherwise we have a little espresso maker that will turn out a couple shots in short order.

What kind of espresso maker do you use, nordrseta?

We're becoming quite attached to our little Bialetti Moka Express http://www.bialetti.com/ On our canoe trips we splurge and bring the GSI French Press http://www.rei.com/product/6377.htm No one who travels the backwoods with me wants to see me without my java fix...

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:
http://www.ineedcoffee.com/04/vietnamese/

My, what civilized link. Thanks!

quote:

It's back packing people- instant should be damned well good enough!

So, do you make your instant oatmeal in your mug before or after your instant coffee?

The best way I have of making coffee in camp is to use a filter (or paper towel, etc) and put it into a styrofoam cup that you've punched a bunch of holes in the bottom of.

It is cheap and disposable, use an old cup and toss everything if you are in a place to do so.

The best part is that you can hold it in your hand, over your coffee cup, and pour the water with your other hand as it does not get too hot to hold.

If that doesn't work for you, you can get an ortlieb filter holder:



or another way that works is to just boil up your water in whatever pot you have, remove from the fire and toss your coffee into it. Let it steep for 4-5 minutes, then add just a dash of cold water to settle the grounds.

I've been meaning to buy one of these from Campmor:


I think it would be handy to boil the water in the pot, plus you can use it for other things too. Anyway, I'll get one sometime as it is nice to have more than one cup made at a time.

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:
There are also coffee bags just like tea bags, they work ok.

Hey, I've been told dandelion tea tastes just like coffee!

Instant'll do for me, some tea bags, an occasional chocolade drink. Once upon a time I've even carried a little flask for medicinal purposes, that helped to mask other flavours.

Frans

I've got the MSR Titan kettle for solo backpacking and the Alpine tea kettle for larger groups. Both work very well. I'm likely going to spring for the MSR filter just to see how it works as well.

The photo of the kettle from Campmor is interesting; what is the brand?

Frans, they make that out of roasted and ground dandelion roots. Close to chicory methinks.

quote:

Hey, I've been told dandelion tea tastes just like coffee!

I need an "upchuck" graemlin.

My boss used to drink that stuff, so I tried it a couple times (once to satisfy him, and another out of desperation as there was no coffee in the office, having forgot how bad it was the first time ). I am sure different brands taste different, but the crap he had was horrid.

It might be similar to chickory in flavour, but I don't think chickory is all that good on its own (not bad blended with real coffee though!).

JMHO,

Canuck

REI makes a small double walled-vacuum thermos that has a screened top. Drop you coffee in and add hot water. Give it a couple shakes and your pretty well ready to get going; keeps it plenty warm if you need to be on your way in a hurry.
Plus, the screen can be removed so it can be used for more than coffee and helps keep the pack weight down

I think I paid about $25.

I take instant on my trips, but if you don´t like it, why not doing it like they did in ancient times? Just cook the coffee powder in the water in than drink it: It stays on the bottom of your cup, so drink the rest with care it throw away the "bottom" in your cup... delicious at all, cheap and absolutely LIGHTWEIGHT...

Not sure what the gripe with instant is. I use Nescafe , made according to the directions with a bit more for my taste, and find it better than messing around with the other items needed.

Thanks all!

I'm going to try out the Vietnamese filter thingies based on Calgarychef's recommendations.

quote:

Originally posted by Frans Diepstraten:
Instant'll do for me, some tea bags, an occasional chocolade drink. Once upon a time I've even carried a little flask for medicinal purposes, that helped to mask other flavours.

Frans

Hmmmm! That's an idea ...... Coffee Liqueur!

I must admit my wife and I have backpacked Baileys N Cream for our coffee.

Well, actually she carried it up the mountain....
I snuck it into her pack.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I must admit my wife and I have backpacked Baileys N Cream for our coffee.

Well, actually she carried it up the mountain....
I snuck it into her pack.

last time I carried the bottle of red wine into NZ wilderness... maybe I am doing some tings wrong... :-)))

You guys obviously have good taste. Personally, I prefer my coffe with a little whiskey. there's a reason they make those little hip flasks. As for the vietnamese coffe maker, I bought one at the T and T supermarket in Marlborough, in Calgary. I would assume most oriental grocery stores would carry them.
Grizz

How about a Melitta filter http://www.melitta.com/search.asp?SKW=MACM ...those are easy and make great coffee. The small ones are very light, an ounce or two and enough fliters for a week weigh next to nothing.....abd they are cheap.

-phil

scubapro

On our first backpacking trip together we had caught some trout.

As we were getting ready to clean then cook them I said to her "Sure would be nice if we had some cold white wine". She said, "Yes it would". I then replied, "Why don't you look in your pack and see if there is a bottle you can put in the cold water over there in the stream".

At first she thought I was kidding...

Then she looked. She was a "little mad" she had carried it all the way to camp...

However she almost blew her stack when I told her she also had to carry the empty bottle out.

You can get a nonbreakable 3 cup (or bigger) French Press for pretty cheap and they don't weigh much and work really good. Amazon has them.
Also for all you coffee lovers, I happen to be a coffee roaster and you can visit me at www.dobsoncreekcoffee.com

Does the Vietnamese coffee maker come with an AK-47?

So, there are basically two methods for coffee brewing lightweight? Drip filter and French Press?

Fairly fine grind for the drip...... course for the French press?

quote:

Originally posted by DaMan:


Fairly fine grind for the drip...... course for the French press?

Yes, that's right.

quote:

Originally posted by DaMan:
So, there are basically two methods for coffee brewing lightweight? Drip filter and French Press?

Fairly fine grind for the drip...... course for the French press?

NO 3 methods. "Cockoing the powder and let it sink on the bottom" too

@ne450#2: Great!!!

I broke down and bought a Snow Peak Titanium Cafe Press.

It makes excellent coffee......BUT.....being made of Titanium..... it takes longer to get the water hot (more fuel).

It's very similar to that Campmore press that Mark showed above. The Snow Peak Press is smaller and lighter than the Clipper International X-Press but it doesn't make as much coffee and doesn't heat the water as fast as stainless steel. I wish Clipper International made a .5L model because that's my "dose"!

I did a side by side taste test this morning with the Vietnamese cup maker and the Snow Peak Press. The coffee from the press tasted better but the Vietnamese cup maker coffee was also damn good!

The Vietnamese cup makers I bought were dirt cheap (less than $5 US each). The Snow Peak Press was $50.

I use French press grind in both.

Needless to say, I'm hopping around like a Mexican jumping bean after the test!

I'm going to give the Melita "Ready Joe" a try. (AK Phil is that the one you were refering to?) With #2 filters, that would be a 'no-cleaning' alternative (very important).

Oh, another interesting coffee doodad you can get at a mexican food store is simply a little cloth bag on a handle, and you just put the coffee in it and pour through it into your cup. When you're done just shake it out and let dry. I've seen them but never used one though.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark:
Oh, another interesting coffee doodad you can get at a mexican food store is simply a little cloth bag on a handle, and you just put the coffee in it and pour through it into your cup. When you're done just shake it out and let dry. I've seen them but never used one though.

Sounds interesting... and reusable!