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Coffee is…
The connoisseur's cup Producing the perfect cup of coffee is a matter of ingredients and process. The purer the water and the better the beans, the more satisfying the end result. The smoothest brews begin with spring water or filtered water and freshly ground beans. The basic recipe is one tablespoon of ground coffee for every six ounces of water, regardless of the brewing method. Though the water needs to be piping hot, boiling it makes coffee bitter. Steep the grinds for three to five minutes. For a stronger taste, brew it longer or increase the ratio of coffee to water. Regardless, don't let coffee sit in the pot. It will overcook. Caring for coffee How you store coffee has a big impact on how it tastes. The best brew comes from coffee beans that are stored in an airtight, dry, dark, cool place. The fold-down bags from the grocery story are not good for long-term storage unless they are vacuum-packed. The best way to store coffee is in a sealed ceramic or glass container. Metal or plastic can taint the taste. Roasted beans last up to two weeks in the refrigerator and two months in the freezer before they begin to lose flavor. Coffee Trivia
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Camp coffee
Many of us would never see a tom, let alone shoot one, without coffee. Sitting in a blind, our eyelids would fall limply closed until dreams of gobblers melded with the real ones. We would also snooze unwittingly at work, in our fishing boats and in our cars (not safe!) without a steaming cup of dark caffeinated beverage.
In the wee hours, it's easy to forgo food, but an absence of coffee would cause comatose dysfunction. Sure we're addicted, and we have no desire to quit. There's nothing more satisfying than sipping a warm cup of well-brewed café Americano to ward off predawn chill and jumpstart a day of hunting. And if the hunting involves camping, a steaming cup of joe is that much more satisfying.
Getting a decent cup of coffee on a camping trip is not nearly as difficult as it used to be, when "cowboy coffee" with a texture close to dirt and bitter percolated coffee were the only options.
Today, there are camp-friendly French presses, cup-top filters and a new generation of instant coffees that some hunters claim to be not only palatable, but also downright tasty.
It doesn't really matter how you get your jolt of java, as long as you have the right proportions of good beans and pure hot water, though some techniques are more foolproof than others.
Cowboy coffee
Traditionalists swear by "cowboy coffee," especially if space and weight are considerations, because you can use the same pot you cooked stew in the previous night. You simply bring a pot of water to a boil, take it off the fire, pour in ground coffee and let it steep for a few minutes. When the coffee reaches the desired strength, a splash of cold water settles the grinds (sort of), and it's ready for the tin mugs. Cowboy coffee is java roulette, sometimes you create a delicious hot beverage, but more likely, it's barely palatable, shocking you awake as much from its burnt bitter taste as its concentrated caffeine.
Coffee bags
Coffee bags offer a modicum of predictability as the amount of coffee is pre-measured. Like a teabag, you simply place the coffee bag in your mug, pour hot water over it, and then let it steep until it reaches the desired flavor. To make several cups at once, put a multi-cup bag or several single-cup bags in a pot of hot water. It's easy, with minimal mess or clean up, but the flavor can be flat as the coffee likely was ground a year ago.
Percolated coffee
The most common way to make camp coffee for a crowd, perked coffee requires a sturdy percolator that can handle the heat of a campfire or a propane burner. The longer it perks, the stronger the flavor. A percolator has more parts to clean, but only the grounds to throw away. If you use coarsely ground coffee, the grounds are less likely to escape the basket into your mug.
Instant coffee
This isn't your mother's instant Maxwell House. A number of hardcore camp cooks swear by the newest microgrinds, particularly Starbucks VIA Ready Brew that's leading the movement to end instant coffee's bad rap. Starbucks uses a proprietary process, which retains the essential oils and flavor of the coffee beans. Now other brands are introducing their own quick cups. Just add boiling water.
Drip coffee
Coleman makes a stovetop coffee maker that sits on a large gas burner. It makes 10 cups, but it's bulky, so it's best for car camping or if pack animals carry the gear, and it requires a paper or reusable filter. It produces the same morning mocha as the drip model on your kitchen counter, but it doesn't keep it warm. If you opt for drip coffee while camping, drink it quickly.
French press
Coffee made from a French press can be tasty indeed. The trick is to use water that is very hot, but not quite boiling then let the coffee sit, suspended in the water for about three to four minutes. As you depress the plunger, you force the grounds to the bottom of the container. Course-ground coffee works best as far as keeping the grounds out of your cup and out of the mesh plunger. The clean up can be a bit messy while camping and the plunger can develop a lot of suction, making it tough to pull up again when the coffee is gone. There are many sizes of lightweight, non-glass French presses from a single serving which doubles as the mug, to a six-cup model.
Mug-top filters
Mug-top filters make just one cup at a time. You place the coffee in the filter, and then pour hot water into it, allowing it to drip through the filter into your cup. It's the most convenient reusable option if you want to make only a mug's worth, or if other coffee drinkers like their java stronger or weaker than you do. They are also super lightweight and portable.
Ultimately the method you use to brew your camp-coffee is a function of how much coffee you need to make and how gourmet you want it to taste. Once you figure it out, you'll be on coffee duty every morning, because everyone craves a hot cup of good coffee. — Lisa Densmore
