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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum BWCA Food and Recipes BWCA.com Cook Book - COFFEE METHODS |
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02/14/2019 11:51AM
Start heating water on the stove. Empty contents of 2 packets of VIA Italian Roast coffee into an insulated mug. Settle into a Flex Lite chair to watch the sun rise and slowly burn through the white horses. Halfheartedly continue work on a crossword puzzle. Pour 12 oz of hot water into the mug. Cover and give a slight swirl. Sip. Savor the silence and the sunrise.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." -- Yogi Berra
02/16/2019 06:00PM
Not a coffee drinker myself...but hubby is. Whether he is on the trail or at home, he always makes his coffee using a Costa Rican coffee sock. It is just a cotton/flannel 4 inch long 'sock' that has a wire rim and little wire handle. Just add a scoop of coffee, set it across the rim of the pot or mug and slowly pour hot water over it.
02/20/2019 07:48PM
schweady: "Start heating water on the stove. Empty contents of 2 packets of VIA Italian Roast coffee into an insulated mug. Settle into a Flex Lite chair to watch the sun rise and slowly burn through the white horses. Halfheartedly continue work on a crossword puzzle. Pour 12 oz of hot water into the mug. Cover and give a slight swirl. Sip. Savor the silence and the sunrise.
"
Doing this, but reaching down to the stove without leaving the hammock.
"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread; places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul" -John Muir
03/17/2019 06:38PM
Am a coffee snob. I do one of the following:
GSI French Press (32oz)
Pre-grind and vacuum seal beans, add hot water, stir, let sit for 4 minutes, plunge, pour.
Snow Peak dripper
Pre-grind and vacuum seal beans, heat water in kettle, place filter in dripper (I used a V60 filter, a Melitta #4 would work I think), pour water in slow spiral motion to proper amount (I just fill the kettle with what I need)
French press is easier because I don't need the kettle for the smaller controlled pour and it doesn't involve filters, clean-up is easy. But I think the dripper tastes better. Enjoy both.
GSI French Press (32oz)
Pre-grind and vacuum seal beans, add hot water, stir, let sit for 4 minutes, plunge, pour.
Snow Peak dripper
Pre-grind and vacuum seal beans, heat water in kettle, place filter in dripper (I used a V60 filter, a Melitta #4 would work I think), pour water in slow spiral motion to proper amount (I just fill the kettle with what I need)
French press is easier because I don't need the kettle for the smaller controlled pour and it doesn't involve filters, clean-up is easy. But I think the dripper tastes better. Enjoy both.
08/25/2019 12:10AM
schweady: "Start heating water on the stove. Empty contents of 2 packets of VIA Italian Roast coffee into an insulated mug. Settle into a Flex Lite chair to watch the sun rise and slowly burn through the white horses. Halfheartedly continue work on a crossword puzzle. Pour 12 oz of hot water into the mug. Cover and give a slight swirl. Sip. Savor the silence and the sunrise.
"
Yes, pretty much same! We use either Starbucks VIA Italian Roast or Alpine Start Original Blend...and I am definitely in my Flex Lite chair as I get that water ready in the A.M., doing my best to wake up!
Even when I'm hating this, I absolutely love it!
08/27/2019 08:15AM
I've always done the coffee "tea bag" thing, but have never really liked it.
This year, I'm going to try an Aeropress. I love the results in my kitchen - but as we all know the practicality changes in the woods. However, I don't believe the cleanup will be all that bad.
I'll let you know what I find!
This year, I'm going to try an Aeropress. I love the results in my kitchen - but as we all know the practicality changes in the woods. However, I don't believe the cleanup will be all that bad.
I'll let you know what I find!
12/06/2019 05:35AM
I bought Bialetti moka pot from this list and use it now, but our family friend told us about another way to brew coffee in Turkish coffee pot. It's like a metal cup, and you heat the coffee on the stove, but the Turks use a bowl full of hot sand to heat up the coffee pot
12/06/2019 10:42AM
French press, Black Rifle coarse ground dark roast, good single malt Scotch Whisky, clear BWCA water. Mix appropriately and enjoy!
Personal preference, very strong with visible oil slick!
butthead
Personal preference, very strong with visible oil slick!
butthead
"never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" George Carlin
01/14/2020 08:48AM
EricaL: "I bought Bialetti moka pot from this list and use it now, ... "
I have switched to doing this now for canoe trips. Makes the best, "get going" coffee I have ever had in the backwoods.
For backpacking I still bring the Starbucks Via.
"It is more important to live for the possibilities that lie ahead than to die in despair over what has been lost." -Barry Lopez
01/14/2020 01:46PM
soundguy0918: "I bought one of these on amazon...works great.
"
After several different methods of making coffee (percolator, French press, the gold filter)we have settled on this. Works very well!
Mike
I did indeed rock down to Electric Avenue, but I did not take it higher. I regret that.
01/20/2020 03:54PM
dogwoodgirl: "Aeropress and french roast....smooth and soooo strong!
aeropress "
Now you need to add a Java Presse manual burr grinder; I will be taking this along from now on along with fresh roasted beans from a local guy in St. Paul. The most amazing coffee ever!
Java Presse Manual Burr Grinder
"The future ain't what it used to be" Yogi Berra
01/24/2020 10:51AM
I love good coffee as much as the next coffee drinker in line, however, when it comes to the boundary waters, I keep it simple and light. I boil coffee in my cooking pot, add a couple pre-filtered coffee pods by Folders, Maxwell House (take your pick) and stir them around in the hot water til it's darkened to my liking. Easy - packable - convenient and awakening! You can buy the pre-filtered pods at just about any walmart. Usually packs of 10. This is so convenient because it saves you the hassle of having to take up gear space with a perculator or anything else ( french press ) that takes up a bunch of space.
PointMe2Polaris
05/17/2021 07:18PM
Start with water added to just below steam vent in lower chamber of Bialetti Express Moka Pot, or equivalent, sized to one or two people. Add finely ground/espresso grind to internal strainer. Place on good fire or smallish stove flame. Wait for steaming to stop.
In mean time, pour in wee bit of maple syrup in bottom of metal cup. Add 1/3 cup light cream per person. Heat over second like-sized heat source. Remove from heat.
Pour finished espresso from Moka Pot into cup[s]. Using battery operated milk frother [$2.49 @ Amazon] whip heated maple cream to a delightful frenzy. Using a large spoon to shield coffee from direct pour, pour frothed maple cream into the coffee pot on top of large spoon.
Consume. Complaints may be resolved by adding Irish spirits to concoction for the return match. Might cut back on fishing, or maybe not.
In mean time, pour in wee bit of maple syrup in bottom of metal cup. Add 1/3 cup light cream per person. Heat over second like-sized heat source. Remove from heat.
Pour finished espresso from Moka Pot into cup[s]. Using battery operated milk frother [$2.49 @ Amazon] whip heated maple cream to a delightful frenzy. Using a large spoon to shield coffee from direct pour, pour frothed maple cream into the coffee pot on top of large spoon.
Consume. Complaints may be resolved by adding Irish spirits to concoction for the return match. Might cut back on fishing, or maybe not.
08/03/2021 06:45PM
Aeropress every trip I/we do, it’s simple, plus you can reuse the filters numerous times (if you want to) and you can make coffee for multiple people at once. My other method is Jiva cubes, I think they taste better than a lot of other instant coffees out there. They have flavors as well, if you’re into it.
Why I’ve never once considered my Bialetti mocha is beyond me! Must mean I don’t use it enough
Why I’ve never once considered my Bialetti mocha is beyond me! Must mean I don’t use it enough
04/01/2022 08:19AM
Shimbo: "GSI Ultralight Java Drip works very well, especially if you use a kettle that is easy to pour from (I use the GSI Stainless Kettle and a Pocket Rocket 2 - with the fuel stabilizer thingy)."
+1 for GSI Ultralight Java Drip. For years this has been one of my favorite gear purchases. It's inexpensive, incredibly lightweight, and brings joy to my hear every morning in the back country. I've never found an instant coffee that can compare with pour over.
08/24/2022 01:50PM
Fill metal kettle or pot with lake water. Container should be black with soot and dents from years of use. Bring water to a rolling boil. Dump in coffee without measuring. Return to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour one cup and dump back into the kettle OR add a little cold water. Either method will settle down the grounds. Serve. Chew on some grounds for a nice dessert. BONUS FOR MORNING DRINKERS: Fill a squeeze ketchup bottle with Irish cream and squirt into coffee.
02/23/2023 08:11PM
Back in the early 90s I ran a leading regional coffee roasting company. I bought a million pounds a year of green coffee beans from all over the world. Created blends and roasts that worked, cupped coffee with plantation owners, and roasted plenty of beans myself. I was able to brew anything I wanted to throughout the day, fresh from the roaster. I helped one of the leading coffee house companies in the country get started by teaching the principals about coffee and espresso and walking the streets and skyways of Minneapolis to find their early locations. I know coffee pretty well.
Good coffee is a pleasure and a ritual, a delight and a necessity every day but especially in the BWCA. For several years we used a French Press but it is a pain to cleanup and I always waited 4 minutes longer than I needed to for that first sip. The Aero Press makes good coffee but only in small portions, even if I cheat I might get 8-10 ounces.
Years ago I went to the filter cone with cone filters (#4 size for larger portions) and the Melitta ones, for example are lightweight and compact. They make excellent coffee and allow you to adjust strength as desired. Often bring a small cup and brew the first 4 ounces for an espresso like morning starter cup while the rest is finishing up. Cleanup is easy, convenience is high, quality is excellent. I also use this method to brew coffee every morning at home, although I use a ceramic pourover cone and heat my water with an electric kettle instead of a camp stove.
The only variable after that is the choice of coffee and that is an individual thing. I tend towards darker roasts or a medium roast African coffee like Kenya or Ethiopian which are delightful.
Whatever you are comfortable with is the right answer as long as it makes coffee that you enjoy. This is what works for me.
Good coffee is a pleasure and a ritual, a delight and a necessity every day but especially in the BWCA. For several years we used a French Press but it is a pain to cleanup and I always waited 4 minutes longer than I needed to for that first sip. The Aero Press makes good coffee but only in small portions, even if I cheat I might get 8-10 ounces.
Years ago I went to the filter cone with cone filters (#4 size for larger portions) and the Melitta ones, for example are lightweight and compact. They make excellent coffee and allow you to adjust strength as desired. Often bring a small cup and brew the first 4 ounces for an espresso like morning starter cup while the rest is finishing up. Cleanup is easy, convenience is high, quality is excellent. I also use this method to brew coffee every morning at home, although I use a ceramic pourover cone and heat my water with an electric kettle instead of a camp stove.
The only variable after that is the choice of coffee and that is an individual thing. I tend towards darker roasts or a medium roast African coffee like Kenya or Ethiopian which are delightful.
Whatever you are comfortable with is the right answer as long as it makes coffee that you enjoy. This is what works for me.
04/03/2023 08:05AM
Couldn't agree more lindylair. I may never settle on one brewing method whether at home or in the woods. I took a Commandante hand grinder on the most recent winter trip and decided it wasn't worth the weight or the hassle, but on the other hand a big mocha pot in the winter sounds absolutely amazing.
The convenience of instant always keeps it in consideration and makes me wonder if I need to be less fussy and just settle for something hot and caffeinated. But recently I was surprised to learn instant could have 25-50% less caffeine than fresh brewed. So, hot and kind of caffeinated? I'd rather have a bag of Lipton tea at that point.
The convenience of instant always keeps it in consideration and makes me wonder if I need to be less fussy and just settle for something hot and caffeinated. But recently I was surprised to learn instant could have 25-50% less caffeine than fresh brewed. So, hot and kind of caffeinated? I'd rather have a bag of Lipton tea at that point.
06/08/2023 05:49AM
lindylair: "Back in the early 90s I ran a leading regional coffee roasting company. I bought a million pounds a year of green coffee beans from all over the world. Created blends and roasts that worked, cupped coffee with plantation owners, and roasted plenty of beans myself. I was able to brew anything I wanted to throughout the day, fresh from the roaster. I helped one of the leading coffee house companies in the country get started by teaching the principals about coffee and espresso and walking the streets and skyways of Minneapolis to find their early locations. I know coffee pretty well.
Good coffee is a pleasure and a ritual, a delight and a necessity every day but especially in the BWCA. For several years we used a French Press but it is a pain to cleanup and I always waited 4 minutes longer than I needed to for that first sip. The Aero Press makes good coffee but only in small portions, even if I cheat I might get 8-10 ounces.
Years ago I went to the filter cone with cone filters (#4 size for larger portions) and the Melitta ones, for example are lightweight and compact. They make excellent coffee and allow you to adjust strength as desired. Often bring a small cup and brew the first 4 ounces for an espresso like morning starter cup while the rest is finishing up. Cleanup is easy, convenience is high, quality is excellent. I also use this method to brew coffee every morning at home, although I use a ceramic pourover cone and heat my water with an electric kettle instead of a camp stove.
The only variable after that is the choice of coffee and that is an individual thing. I tend towards darker roasts or a medium roast African coffee like Kenya or Ethiopian which are delightful.
Whatever you are comfortable with is the right answer as long as it makes coffee that you enjoy. This is what works for me. "
Great post. I’m curious if you grind fresh while in the backcountry or just do preground? Do you go so far as to weigh your coffee/water? I’m curious if you have ever tried the G7 coffee? I haven’t yet and it sounds like it may be worth trying for an instant alternative. I’ve been carrying a Cleaver Dripper which is quite handy for trips.
06/08/2023 08:13PM
BG I do not grind fresh in the BWCA but do grind right before the start of the trip. Mainly due to weight, the process itself is enjoyable. As far as portions, neither do I measure but after all these years of paying attention to my coffee I can eyeball an appropriate amount pretty well I think. I also generally make the first cup of the morning and then another 12 or so ounces in a small thermos type vessel that allows me a second cup still quite hot an hour or so later.
I have tried VIA and it is not too bad, and I would be open to any significant improvement on it as well. But unless I was backpacking and really watching weight it is doubtful that I would bring that for my primary source on a trip. Ive been bringing Melitta filter cones for years but bought a GSI silicone collapsible drip cone this year and it worked great. Collapses to the size of a pancake and tucks away in the pack. Good addition to the kit.
Morning coffee is a ritual and a pleasure. If my doctor told me I had to quit drinking coffee I would...switch doctors:)
I have tried VIA and it is not too bad, and I would be open to any significant improvement on it as well. But unless I was backpacking and really watching weight it is doubtful that I would bring that for my primary source on a trip. Ive been bringing Melitta filter cones for years but bought a GSI silicone collapsible drip cone this year and it worked great. Collapses to the size of a pancake and tucks away in the pack. Good addition to the kit.
Morning coffee is a ritual and a pleasure. If my doctor told me I had to quit drinking coffee I would...switch doctors:)
06/22/2023 04:37PM
A couple of years ago I got introduced to cold brewed coffee, that is now the only way I make coffee. This year I extended that method to my two BWCA trips. After supper, I put coffee into my french press and added treated water. I let it sit until morning. Worked great. You can make it really strong and thin it with treated water. My 1L press easily made enough for two of us to each have two cups of coffee. If it is a warm morning, the cool coffee is nice. On a cold morning, simply warm it in the cooking pot.
I ground beans and portioned them out prior to the trip. Cold brewing makes very rich coffee with no bitterness. It is also very quick, especially in the morning.
I ground beans and portioned them out prior to the trip. Cold brewing makes very rich coffee with no bitterness. It is also very quick, especially in the morning.
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