Fresh air, millions of stars overhead, great company gathered around the fire are the best elements of camping. However, when a cold, damp morning comes, a cup of hot coffee comes in handy to keep you warm and energized.
Whatever you do, there are several options of how to make coffee while camping and make it taste good. It doesn’t matter if you are an experienced camper or just heading into the forest for the first time. There are several ways to make coffee delicious. Of course, to use any of the methods below, you need to stock up on ground coffee and clean water.
What Do You Need to Make Good Coffee?
The coffee preparation process does not seem too complicated. To prepare this divine morning drink, you need to have just a few essential things:
- pure water;
- a place where you can make coffee is a camp stove or a fire;
- and the coffee itself.
Water
At home, to make coffee, you can use filtered, high-quality water. Camping conditions do not have filters and other devices for water purification. Consequently, to brew delicious coffee, it is best to take regular clean water that you have. Let it be raw. The main thing is that the drink should not contain any impurities and odors that will spoil everything.
Camping Stove or Fire?
Coffee on a campfire or a camp stove will not taste much different. The only thing is that making coffee on fire is much more interesting, and this method gives the feeling that you are really in nature and are trying to use natural forces to make yourself a morning drink.
You can also make coffee on the stove at home. However, of course, it’s up to you to decide — it all depends on how much more comfortable it will be for you.
Coffee
Although a strong drink from coffee beans is not the best option for quenching thirst (coffee quickly tones up, but after 20 minutes, it causes a dry mouth feeling), it can be a favorite drink of everyone during nature trips.
When camping, it is best to choose the brewing method and type of coffee that suits you best — some people like the cowboy style, some like using a percolator.
Coffee is equally good both during the reception of guests at home and on vacation outside the city. Knowing the nuances of the preparation of different types of coffee, you will appreciate the aromatic properties of your favorite drink in a new way. You will be able to enjoy it in any conditions in nature.
Camp Coffee Brewing Methods
If you want to know how to make coffee camping in the mountains or the forest, you should know that it does not require much effort and particular adaptations. Nowadays, there are many ways to brew this great beverage under extreme conditions. You can familiarize yourself with them to choose the most suitable option for yourself.
Instant Coffee
If coffee is just caffeine for you, then this set is for you. It is ideal for solo travel to quickly move from one place to another with a small backpack.
The advantages of instant coffee are clear: it is very light, easy to pack, and overall a good option for camping. But for those for whom taste plays an important role, this option is hardly suitable. Instant coffee cannot boast of incredible flavor.
Using coffee during backpacking is also easy. Of course, each brand offers its instructions. In general, they are all about one thing:
- You need to pour instant ground coffee into a cup.
- Add boiling water.
- Wait for the powder to dissolve and stir it.
This is the most popular and easiest way to enjoy a hot drink on the go.
Turkish Coffee Pot
There are three methods of making coffee in a jezve: on a gas burner, sand, and coals. To make coffee in a Turkish coffee pot without using scales, you must first determine the appropriate amount of coffee at home and calculate it in spoons that you can take with you.
Any food in the forest tastes good, but fresh coffee is delicious. It is not without reason that tourists have recently taken with them not only the usual tea, but also coffee, and even a Turkish coffee pot.
The proportion is the usual — a tablespoon of ground coffee in a glass of cold water. The cleaner and better the water, the tastier the coffee will be. And, of course, sugar must not be forgotten.
Having poured 2 tablespoons of sugar into the Turkish coffee pot, you need to hold it over the fire. The melted sugar will give the coffee a body and a great caramel flavor.
The coffee itself is not prepared on a strong flame: it is necessary to scoop up some coals and bury the Turkish coffee pot in them for a couple of centimeters. The drink will be prepared slowly, you need to remove it from the heat when the head of foam rises. The smell of smoke perfectly enhances the aroma of coffee and caramel.
Portable Espresso Coffee
One easy way to make coffee is as close as possible to a home coffee maker available without electricity. True, the device is designed not to need to be placed over a fire but a camping burner.
The algorithm for using this camping coffee machine is similar to the model for home use:
- Water must be poured into the rear reservoir.
- The filter basket is located at the front. Having opened it, you need to pour in so much ground coffee that it could be enough for ten cups of drink.
- Then it would be best if you turned on the hotplate to heat the water. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare a whole jug of coffee.
French Press
When you think about camping coffee makers, you probably don’t even think about French presses, usually made of glass and copper. However, French press coffee makers are also made of other, more reliable materials: two-layer stainless steel or plastic. Both of these options are ideal for camping.
When coffee is prepared in a French press, there is one teaspoon of ground coffee for one mug:
- You need to boil one cup of water for one serving. The water should cool slightly for 30 seconds.
- Pour half a cup of liquid into a French press. The coffee will open for a minute.
- Top up with remaining water. Then the mixture should be infused for at least three minutes.
- The longer this time is, the stronger the coffee will be. Press down gently on the plunger. Let it dive as deep as possible. Then you can pour coffee into a mug and enjoy life.
Percolator Pot Coffee
A percolator will be a great helper for creating delicious coffee on a hike. All you need is a fire and a minimum of accessories. So how is this coffee made? First, you need to open the lid and pull out the straw and strainer. Then you need to fill the container with water. To taste, you can add a few tablespoons of ground coffee to a filter.
Then you need to return everything to the container and tube and close the lid. The coffee pot can be put on a fire, and the coffee can be steamed. This cooking method takes eight to ten minutes.
AeroPress
This is a well-known device for brewing coffee while camping or traveling. Thanks to this machine, in nature, you can prepare the classic coffee drink and its other varieties. The brewing process is quite simple — coffee is poured, and boiled water is added. After a few minutes, depending on the selected recipe, the drink will be ready.
The advantages of this method include the compactness of the machine itself, which you can always take with you, and the ability to prepare different types of coffee. Disadvantages: to prepare the desired type, you need to know the exact recipe or use a coffee scale. The drink is not very strong, so this method will not work for espresso lovers.
Pour-Over Coffee
It is another compact option for making pour-over coffee while camping. This model folds into a flat disc when you finish using it. The silicone filter funnel is used in the pour-over for the quick preparation of a drink that is free of foreign particles.
The material does not retain odors and does not give off a chemical aftertaste. Moreover, silicone won’t break in your camping gear while other pour-over gear would. When you have finished using the filter, you need to rinse it, wipe it and fold it. After that, you can remove it.
Cowboy Coffee
If you are the type of person who goes hiking for a week, carrying a minimum of equipment, and returning to nature, try making coffee the cowboy way. This is the best way to make coffee while camping when resources are limited. It would be best to get a kettle to hang over a fire or other thing that will be a source of heat.
You need to take already ground coffee with you. A pot of water is heated over a fire; you can also use a tin can or a pot. After the water boils, ground coffee is poured. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat. As soon as the drink has cooled slightly, you can drink it. This method is not very convenient because you will have to enjoy coffee directly with ground beans. But, you can strain through a paper towel and pour it into cups.
