Fresh air, millions of stars overhead, a great company gathered around the campfire – the best elements of camping.
However, when a cold, damp morning comes, a cup of hot coffee will come in handy, which will warm you up and give you strength.
Whatever you are doing (for example, camping in the mountains or glamping in a three-bedroom camper with plasma), there are several options for making coffee while camping.
Tens of millions of people go camping every year. Since the number of adults who enjoy coffee daily is growing, most camping enthusiasts would not mind a morning cup of coffee. It does not matter if you are an experienced camper or just going to the forest for the first time.
Here you will read about how to make coffee while camping. Of course, to use any of the methods presented below, you must stock up on ground coffee and clean water.
Cowboy Coffee
If you are one of those, who go hiking for a week, taking a minimum of equipment with you and, as it were, returning to nature, try to make coffee in a cowboy way. It is one of the simplest methods of making a drink when resources are limited. You need to get a kettle hung over a fire or something that will be a heat source.
To make cowboy coffee, first, fill the kettle with water and bring it to a boil. Then you need to remove the kettle from the heat source and let it cool down so that the water in it stops boiling. It should take 30 seconds to cool down.
While stirring, add two teaspoons of ground coffee per serving. You should hear a hissing sound when the coffee touches the hot water. Maybe you will even see some foam.
Leave the coffee on for two minutes. Stir it again, and then leave it again for two minutes. As soon as the ground coffee settles to the bottom, pour the drink into a mug. Do this slowly so that as little of the grounds as possible get into the cup.
Coffee Pot with Strainer
If you still need to make coffee using a campfire and a minimum of accessories but want it to taste better than cowboy, get an old-fashioned coffee pot with a filter covered with enamel.
When the water heats up, it gets into the tube and sprinkles ground coffee. After that, the water re-enters the department, similar to a kettle. This cycle continues until the water turns into freshly made coffee.
To use the coffee pot, you need to open the lid, pull out the tube, and filter. Then it is necessary to fill the container with water. Place two teaspoons of ground coffee (per serving) on a filter. You can also put filter paper there so that most grinding does not get into the final drink.
Then return the tube and the filter to the container, and close the lid. Place the coffee pot over the heat source. If the top of the coffee pot is transparent, you will observe how the water turns brown from fine.
If you cannot see it, mark 8–10 minutes – that is the time you need to make coffee. Leave the drink in the coffee pot for two minutes before use. It is necessary so that the grinding particles settle to the bottom before you start pouring coffee into mugs.
Drip Coffee Maker for Camping
This option is as close to a home drip coffee maker without electricity. However, you should place it not over a campfire but on a camping stove.
There are two legs at the base of the coffee maker, which should stand on both sides of the burner. Thanks to this, you can see the flame, adjust its strength and observe the coffee-making process.
The algorithm of using this coffee maker for camping is similar to the model for home use. Then, pour water into the rear tank. There is a filter basket in front.
After opening it, you need to pour in so much ground coffee that it could be enough for ten mugs of the drink. Then turn on the burner to heat the water. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare a whole jug of coffee.
You can use such a coffee maker as a kettle too. In this case, you need to heat water for tea or hot chocolate. In addition, this device is for the fast preparation of dehydrated food.
Agent MacGyver-style Coffee
To apply this trick to making a cup of coffee, you will need a strong elastic band and gauze or a filter for coffee. It is also necessary to acquire patience.
Place a piece of gauze on top of the mug. Wrap the edges of the cup around it, gently holding the fabric with one hand. With your free hand, press into the center of the material so that it drops to the bottom of the mug by a couple of centimeters.
It will result in a small recess. Secure the gauze filter outside the cup with an elastic band. Put two teaspoons of ground coffee into the resulting filter.
Boil water in a pot or kettle. Leave the water on for 30 seconds: it will cool down a little during this time. After that, it should no longer boil, but its temperature should remain high. Rinse the grinding with a small amount of hot water; leave the cup for a minute.
Then continue to pour water into the mug until it is full slowly. If you do this too fast, you will overflow the filter. Once the cup is full, remove the gum, and filter, and enjoy your coffee.
French Press
When you think about coffee makers for camping, you probably do not even think about French presses, usually made of glass and copper.
However, French press coffee makers’ materials are more reliable. For example, it is double-layer stainless steel or plastic. Both of these options are ideal for camping.
When making coffee in a French press, use one teaspoon of ground coffee per mug. You need to boil one cup of water per serving.
The water should cool down slightly for 30 seconds. Pour half a cup of liquid into a French press. Within a minute, the coffee will open. Top up the remaining water.
Then, infuse the mixture for at least three minutes. The longer this time is, the stronger the coffee will be. Gently press the plunger; let it sink as deep as possible. Then you can pour coffee into a mug and enjoy life.
Hiking Cup for Pour-over
This method is the simplest. The fact is that in this case, coffee is made directly in a camping cup. At the same time, use a reusable metal filter included in the kit.
The mug is made of stainless steel, so the coffee will be hot for a long time. In addition, the cup will withstand everything that can happen when it is in your camping gear.
It is necessary to place the filter on a hiking cup for a pure over and add 1–2 teaspoons of ground coffee. Boil the water, let it cool for 30 seconds, and then pour it into the coffee. For a minute, it will open up.
Then you can slowly top up the remaining water. Before closing the camping cup with a lid, you must remove the filter. The coffee will be hot in such a container a few hours after it is ready.
Gas-powered RV Coffee Machine
One of the novelties of technology that will make the trip more enjoyable is a gas-powered coffee machine. A convenient and practical thing will become indispensable on a long journey, with no food outlets along the way.
However, before you buy such a miracle of technology, you need to figure out what kind of coffee machines for RVs are in general.
Any coffee maker consumes electricity. Working in the car from the cigarette lighter, it gradually discharges the battery. They come in 12 and 24-volt. The first type is suitable for passenger cars, the second – is for trucks and buses.
They also differ in volumes – they can prepare from 1 to 12 cups of the drink. If the driver often drives alone, choosing a more compact coffee maker with one cup is preferable. It will take up less space in the car.
The volumes should be solid if the coffee maker is for a large company. The car coffee maker is available with fasteners, thanks to which it will be possible to avoid spilling the drink while driving.
It means that the interior of the car and the passengers’ clothes will remain clean. Some models are equipped with an automatic shutdown function for ease of use if they forget to fill with water or coffee is already ready. It is best to buy a coffee machine in a professional specialty store.
Filtration Coffee Makers for RV
Perhaps the most common type of coffee maker is filtration. Passing through a unique heating element, the water reaches a temperature of 87–95 degrees Celsius (188–203 degrees Fahrenheit). You should not use boiling water to make coffee, which is vital because it retains more valuable properties.
The filter can be paper or nylon. The paper filter is disposable. It is easy to use, does not add any additional flavors to the drink, does not change the color of coffee, and is affordable. Nevertheless, to brew a drink in a coffee maker with this type of filter, it is always necessary to have a stock of paper bags.
They sell a nylon type of filter; it completes a coffee maker. You can use it up to 60 times. However, after each preparation of coffee, you should waste it.
How to Choose?
The appearance will satisfy any preferences since the design is diverse. In the process of manufacturing the device, high-quality plastic is harmless to health.
With all the convenience, they require careful handling during storage and cleaning. The price range of car coffee makers is different. Here you can find the most appropriate list of coffee machines for RV for you.
Maybe you will not have the opportunity to take a hot shower while camping, but that does not mean you need to forget about your coffee. Whether driving in Nepal, spending the night in the mountains, or glamping in an RV with a bathroom, you can prepare fresh, hot coffee daily.
