Coffee solution!

[B and C]

On instant coffee, I use Tasters Choice (caffeinated) when in a pinch (always carry it).  To me it has the best coffee flavor of the instants I have tried.  YMMV.

I do not, nor ever have worked in the coffee industry.

 

[roadtrekker]

I think we finally stumbled onto the best solution for us. We either hated the taste, or cleanup, or cost, or equipment bulk of virtually every method we tried. Screens to wash out, or special filters to buy, or power draws and storage of some methods just didn't work for us. Now we use the simplest minimalist way I think possible. We buy the flat coffee filters for Mister Coffee type machines that are available anywhere cheap. I put one heaping tablespoon (our tastes - YMMV) of ground coffee into a bag, then fold up the top. I can either staple the top which allows me to drop the coffee bag into my capped travel mug, or wrap it over the tines of a fork. The first method lets me simply shake the contents for a cup, and the later method lets me massage it with the fork, which gets stronger quicker. Clean up is simply tossing the bag. While not the strongest cup of coffee, we've found that using very hot water works well for a smooth, ground free, satisfying cup. No wasted water on clean up, no special appliance to carry, and it's always a single cup.

 

[roadtrekker]

Almost forgot to mention. Two stapled home made coffee bags in a 1qt thermos of hot water the night before makes good coffee for the next morning, and still, cleanup is a snap.

 

[jimindenver]

I decided to give the little espresso maker another try for the mornings. I wanted something quiet and easy so I don't have to be clanging and banging while honey sleeps in. I found that if I set it up the night before that I could lite the stove under it when I got up that it was ready by the time I had walked and fed the dogs.

Now normally I can finish off a 12 cup pot myself before Honey even gets up. With the espresso a single blue cup like in the picture is more than enough for me and regular coffee taste like hot water in comparison.

 

[29chico]

Since we are talking about coffee, sometimes you don't want it black.  No refrigeration coffee creamer, small containers of dairy go bad within days of opening in the summer heat, whey protein while some people like it I felt it ruined the taste of my coffee and was hard to mix in. I was totally opposed to those non dairy creamers that are mostly corn sugar so what I think I've settled on is Nido(powdered whole milk).

Check this coconut cream powder out for non-refrigerated coffee enhancement.  It is good by itself in coffee but would probable be great with your Nido milk powder.

It is very good in oatmeal or other cereals.

It is packaged in high quality pouches,  just roll it up tight and rubber band it and it keeps great.

Link:  http://importfood.com/spct5601.html

 

[eDJ_]

jimindenver wrote:

I decided to give the little espresso maker another try for the mornings. I wanted something quiet and easy so I don't have to be clanging and banging while honey sleeps in. I found that if I set it up the night before that I could lite the stove under it when I got up that it was ready by the time I had walked and fed the dogs.

Now normally I can finish off a 12 cup pot myself before Honey even gets up. With the espresso a single blue cup like in the picture is more than enough for me and regular coffee taste like hot water in comparison.

I have a friend who is a Chef and has traveled in Europe.   He made an observation about the way we drink
coffee here in the states.   "There they drink small cups of very strong coffee and here we drink big cups
of very weak coffee". 

 

[Baloo]

jimindenver wrote:



I have a friend who is a Chef and has traveled in Europe.   He made an observation about the way we drink
coffee here in the states.   "There they drink small cups of very strong coffee and here we drink big cups
of very weak coffee". 

I am ok with that, I like my cup to last through an article or two in the news paper...

 

[Sabatical]

We used a french press for a bit until we found a real nice stove top percolator. Our coffee is ground pretty fine and it stays in the basket. It only makes 4 cups so when it's empty that's my cue to get my butt in gear and do something productive. At work (firehouse) the coffee pot runs all day.

 

[eapvan]

I love me some Iced Coffee. Cold brewed is always smoooooth as silk.

Here's the recipe that inspired me: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/perfect-iced-coffee/

 

[Theadyn]

A shout out to the Melita I bought.. She sure did good for the 2 weeks in Utah, everyone got the strong or weak coffee they wanted by adjusting their amounts of grindage, and everyone was happy.

 

[raygun]

Oooooh...coffee is my favorite subject!  Recently we've been doing three different things, depending on available time and what is clean. Sometimes it is a French Press morning, sometimes a pour over / drip morning or sometimes a Starbucks Via morning. I'm thinking about getting a percolater to try out. I've heard they can be hard to get just right. Anybody have experience to talk me through it?  I'm pretty good at following directions. I have a Bialetti 2 shot espresso maker too. I save that for the weekend though. ?

 

[ZoNiE]

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[highdesertranger]

percolator instructions,

1. fill pot with water.

2. put coffee in the basket.

3. put perker on a heat source and heat until it perks.

lol sorry to be a smart ass but that is what I do. highdesertranger

 

[raygun]

Perfect! That will give me a great excuse to pick one up. Redundancy with coffee is essential. Isn't the saying "two is one and one is none"? I thought there was some skill in making sure it perks the correct amount of time or something...? I'm staying at my MIL's house right now so once I get my rig back with my gas stove, it's on like Donkey Kong! Thanks!

 

[ZoNiE]

Just put the flame on high, and when it starts to perk, turn it down low and let it perk for about 10 Min... MMMMMMMMM

 

[raygun]

Cool. Thanks again! MIL has an electric stove. I can't cook anything on that!

 

[highdesertranger]

make sure you get one with a clear glass perker on top that way you can watch it to see how strong the brew is. once you get the hang of it it's easy. highdesertranger

 

[dhawktx]

I'm an espresso w/milk drinker. I like my coffee strong so I only need the one cup. I put away the De Longhi Espresso machine when I got to Provo and realized how hard the water is here!

I love coffee toys so since then I've tried other brewing methods to see what I wanted to do on a daily basis. I've now extended that to tryouts to see who is going on the road with me. I've got a large Italian Moka pot that is too much bother to clean if I don't have plenty of water. Same for the French Press. Cold Brewed is too wimpy for me - no character. The Vietnamese coffee infuser is great for iced coffee and small enough I may bring it anyway. Melitta is a possibility, especially for backup, but I have found I really like my Aeropress, which makes a mean cup of coffee, cleans easily and stores in a small place. I prefer the inverted method, shown here:



Please ignore the fuufuu stuff, these guys are fanatics!

 

[eDJ_]

Just want to offer this to those who are unfamiliar with percolators. 

Put cool water in the percolator.   You don't want to put hot water in it.
 
You want to heat the pot till it starts to perk, and then turn the heat down
so the water doesn't boil.  Many suggest only perking the coffee for three minutes
once it starts to perk.

The coffee that seems to work best is a smooth low acid roast that is coarsely ground.

If you are using a metal percolator, remember to clean it regularly.  The oils
that build up can build up and give a rancid flavor otherwise.  

When camping I always found it interesting how people who lived in houses tended
to have Automatic Drip Coffeemakers.   But when they came out to visit me at the
campsite they were  charmed with perked coffee.

 

[GypsyDogs]

Yep- I grew up with perked coffee or steeped coffee -similar to the method I will be using.
I chose the steep method, as I only have to heat the water to boiling then pour over the grounds, so I will save propane by not running the stove for periods of time.  And I prefer the flavor of a good steeped coffee over a good perked coffee by just a couple percentage points.