COFFEE: Boondocking Off the Gird... ahhhfully good

[Ray Eklund]

My mother was from the Netherlands. The 'Dutch' had coffee so strong and expensive in the early 1960's, they used small coffee cups to drink it... black.

Coffee was considered expensive and a luxury item, at the time.

My Dad would smuggle Coffee and Cigarettes from Landsthul Army Base, Germany to the Netherlands, while stationed there. For my mother's brothers and parents. My Mom worried we would get arrested at the border, as smugglers.

Our car had USA Military plates... they flagged us at the border without stopping, every time. My Mom... looked guilty. The car was a late 1950's yellow Studebaker with the bullet nose. It seemed that the entire town of Wylre (L), NL would stroll by to look at the Car... not us.

Those were 'exciting times'. Smuggling that is.

The Dutch added sugar and cream, skimmed off the top of a fresh glass bottle of milk.

I tried some of this 'dense caffeine coffee at 11 years old. The Caffeine would not be pleasant. I opted for a small glass of Beer. The Brewery was close to my Grandfather's home would deliver a case of fresh beer regularly.

Beer was considered better for you... and safer than drinking the local well water. The house was built around the time of Napoleon. Anything modern was added over time. Natural Gas, yes. Water, no. The young family members were offered a small glass of beer at the dinner table. True...

Nancy enjoys her coffee black. Nothing added. She thought I was a Coffee wuss, ruining great dark coffee adding sugar and milk. Slowly I was converted to Black Strong Coffee. I then began to 'taste and smell' coffee brewing that was a positive camping experience.

Camping... OTG Style... we purchased a Bodum French Press. Find a good Coffee at Costco, grind the Beans to a Coarse Grind. Discover the amount of ground coffee to add to boiling water off the propane cook top... let is Simmer for 4 or more minutes... I like to stir it a couple times.

Hot Water into an insulated stainless coffee pot. Shake the Pressed Coffee concentrate out of the coffee grounds... and it is a thick concentrated, possible good paint for a house? This is poured into the hot water in the stainless insulated coffee pot.

After a few experimental failures, you will find success. What you find 'perfect' may be too weak, or too strong for others.

The Goldilocks Coffee Test. I am tempted to ‘reuse the used coffee grounds’ but I get caught every time. One day… we will find out. Neanderthals are sneakier than Human Beans.

Nancy has good eyes and knows I am up to 'no good'.

No electricity needed when OTGBD. Water, Coffee Grounds and Propane burner. Make it as hot as you like. On a cool morning sitting outside in a lawn chair after breakfast next to the Airstream... it is ahhhhhfully good.

[LNBright]

The wife and I both drink a lot of coffee. She's still a cream and sugar gal; I've cut out the sugar, but I still dribble a touch of half-n-half in...

We have an old Coleman stove-top drip coffeemaker that we keep stored under the sink, pull it out and put on the stovetop and let it do its thing. She's gotten tired of how long it takes, tho'... it works fine when OTG and using propane, but I she's been hinting that we need an electric drip for when we're somewhere plugged in...

We start w/ fresh grounds first thing in the morning. Then, if we need to brew a second pot, we add a scoop to the first.

JFG. It's a local coffee brand, out of Knoxville. It's what most good diners use throughout the southeast.

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

.. Water, Coffee Grounds and Propane burner. Make it as hot as you like.

Neither Neanderthals nor Human Beans can make it any Hotter than 100-C…. try as you might….

We use this Academy 9-cup percolator on the propane cooktop:
https://www.academy.com/p/gsi-outdoo...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

[ASWinos]

We have a Chemex 6-cup glass pour-over and use our propane stove to heat water in a Stagg pour-over kettle. My SO and I each have one large cup and the rest goes in a small thermos for the road if we are puling out, or for when I just want more.

[malligator]

Kettle on the propane stove to pour over a V60 directly into our Yeti 20oz travel mugs. Zero electricity, small footprint, and decent enough.

[Bunker]

I like my hand grinder. Good wake up workout. Aero press also makes me work for my coffee one cup at a time. Makes a great cup and fits in the backpack well for those on trail coffees. Sometime I cheat and heat the water in the microwave, but really the tea kettle is just as fast.

[Dennis C]

I use a hand grinder and an AeroPress. I heat the water in a teapot on the gas stove. The AeroPress is inexpensive, easy to use, lightweight, and it requires no electricity. In addition to all those benefits, it makes the best tasting cup of coffee or espresso that I’ve ever had.

[SpinWhite]

When I was in the Navy I tried to drink the mess deck coffee. It was so strong that my belly hurt. Now camping with a french press and a small amount of grounds, instant milk and hazelnut and my belly is happy.

[waltb]

I use a Clever, great coffee!

[B17drvr]

https://youtu.be/7UAoT21eqXI

[kaylorsan]

[QUOTE=Boxite;2679558]Neither Neanderthals nor Human Beans can make it any Hotter than 100-C…. try as you might….

Nah, you just need to put it under a little pressure. At work, we get water temps of 285C (550F). The problem arises tho when you try to use it..

[Ray Eklund]

If you wanted to warm up cold sandwiches back in the early 1970's, do as we did, traveling as a young Neanderthal with Human Beans the same age.

You could heat food on the 383 Cubic Inch Plymouth ENGINE, while driving.

Can of Pork and Beans, eaten out of a can... hot off the stove? Nope. We had Engine Heat when traveling.

Cold Pork and Beans at camp... is a bit tough, but when you need energy, go for it.

Do not let Engine Heat go to waste. We did not drink Coffee then... but in Western Kansas... you could eat cold McDonalds double cheeseburgers in Aluminum Foil heated to hot. A bit... soggy... but Sterile.

Reuse the Aluminum Foil... as needed. None of us gained any weight. All done on a weekend.

Fries... did not work out. Once cold, not good at all.

No, none of us became sick. Fossil hunting in Gove County, Kansas for Reptiles and Shark Teeth in the chalk beds.

Hungry? Lets for for a short drive, lift the hood... and bring your own spoon and fork.

[coerector]

French press.

[Sjugar]

I was told at a ripe young age “if you want a cup of cream and sugar, don’t ask for coffee”. 45 years later that is still how I drink -and prefer - coffee, which is the greatest beverage on Earth.

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by SpinWhite

When I was in the Navy I tried to drink the mess deck coffee. It was so strong that my belly hurt. Now camping with a french press and a small amount of grounds, instant milk and hazelnut and my belly is happy.

And since you’re a former sailor I will assume you take pride in NEVER rinsing your mug when finished….what I understand to be almost an absolute rule in the Navy, to let that mug build up years of residue in it?

[malligator]

Originally Posted by SpinWhite

When I was in the Navy I tried to drink the mess deck coffee. It was so strong that my belly hurt. Now camping with a french press and a small amount of grounds, instant milk and hazelnut and my belly is happy.

It was strong when fresh brewed. After hours of sitting on the burner it was as if brewed from charcoal and brimstone. Still...at 2am on the midwatch after being up for 72 hours it tasted like heaven.

[malligator]

Originally Posted by pcskier

And since you’re a former sailor I will assume you take pride in NEVER rinsing your mug when finished….what I understand to be almost an absolute rule in the Navy, to let that mug build up years of residue in it?

Yup. My lifer mug has been grossing out civilians for...ohhh...34 years now.

[Ray Eklund]

The Army in 1969 provided the 'brown coffee cups' that looked like sawdust glued together. Had a small crack on the top edge. Was used prior to my using it...

Still have this coffee cup, since 1969. I have my Coffee every morning at home or while camping with the same cup.

Hot coffee sterilizes the cup. It has a dark protective area in the cup. Every few years I take fine sandpaper and sand the interior back to the original brown color.

My name sticker fell off decades ago, but my wife won't touch it. Do not wash. This is Patina.

[Boxite]

Ray, I remember a “Hints from Heloise” recipe that included a ‘56 Fairlane on Route 66 with a tin-foil-wrapped turkey, dressing, and yams. Mom wanted to try it on our annual trip from Houston to Carlsbad…but Dad put a stop to it… Told Mom ours was a ‘54 Ford Mainliner and it wouldn’t work.

[Airhead59]

Melitta Manual Pour-Over Coffee Brewer & 60-oz Insulated Stainless Steel Carafe. That's what gets us going in the morning.