JamesT Making coffee at a camp used to be limited to the cooking equipment you take with you. With more and more coffee-making gadgets that are proving to be perfect to bring to your campsite, what other kinds of coffee drinks can you now enjoy? Here are some of the best ways to make camp coffee feel more like home.
Camp coffee with a kick
Unless you’re traveling in an RV, you can’t just drag your espresso maker out into the wilderness to get espresso coffee or gourmet coffee flavor so easily. And since camping requires that you reduce the number of supplies you bring with you, is there a way to get espresso-like coffee while camping? We’ve gathered some gadget examples that will certainly perk up your mornings with better camp coffee suggestions.
French Press
Most people have never heard of a Moka pot, but a lot more certainly know about the French press. It’s been featured in more movies and TV series than other methods and makes a very different kind of coffee than most people are used to. It’s based on immersion brewing but doesn’t remove the essential oils that get caught in ordinary coffee filters. This gives you a cup of coffee that is bright and has plenty of bite.
Coffee grounds are typically coarse to medium-coarse so the final color is much lighter. You add hot water into the chamber and attach the plunger lid and let it brew. Once you slowly push down the plunger, this separates the coffee grounds from the carafe. It also provides flavors that you normally don’t get with typical brewed coffee which include coffee beans flavors that have fruity, earthy, or mocha-like tones.
The result is a full-bodied coffee that many die-hard coffee drinkers enjoy over espresso. If you want to have more of an espresso-like flavor, your next best bet is a Moka pot. This uses medium-fine grounds inside the brewing chamber and water pressure below the brewing chamber forces it into the upper chamber when the water starts to boil. Either one of these is portable to use at any campsite.
Pourover
Perhaps you’ve seen the Hario V60 pourover coffee brewer or the Chemex coffee maker at fancy coffee shops. In recent years, the interest in brewing coffee made with these types of immersion coffee devices, and dazzles coffee drinkers- making fine dark blends that taste way better than standard drip coffee. It’s also a labor of love to make each cup (depending on the size you buy), and based on your experience making pour-over coffee.
It’s not a hard method to learn but does take patience and a steady hand. Many professionals like to use a digital scale and a stopwatch to get the best results. While this kind of coffee isn’t espresso-like at all, the subtle flavors that aren’t noticed using other brewing methods are immediately brought out using the pour-over method. It’s a method that’s perfect for single-origin coffee for those who like the flavor clarity that’s produced.
Portable espresso pump
Many of the newest espresso pumps you see coming out these days look similar to an oversize garlic press or a mini thermos with a button pump on the side. No matter which model you find, these all use pressure to make instant espresso that makes a single shot or two. More often, it’s a single shot, but for being so portable, it can be used easily at your campsite. All you need are coffee grounds and hot water.
Just a warning if you’re looking for a good portable pump. Always read the product reviews no matter which model you want to buy. There are a lot of crappy espresso pumps that aren’t intended for daily use, so find a model that’s built to last. Most of these new models aren’t gimmicks, but they can break if they are built using cheap materials.
Aeropress
The famous little invention that makes the perfect cup of coffee- from the inventor of the Aerobie Frissbee… Well, it does work and it’s amazing how good coffee can taste using this method. If you’re looking for a combination of espresso pressure and perfectly clean filter coffee, this method is completely foolproof. This device not only makes great drinking coffee, but it also makes flavored coffee blends like Frapucchinos and Iced Caramel Macchiato drinks.
You can take some of the ice from your ice chest to make instant flavored ice coffee drinks for those who are missing the city already. Don’t forget to bring along some flavored syrups stored in little hotel shampoo bottles. Just wash them out first… Pair with some our great camp breakfast ideas. Enjoy!
