For coffee enthusiasts, a great cup of coffee consists of more than just the coffee itself. The ritual of brewing coffee from scratch and the nutty aroma that comes with it is all part of the magic. Campers understand this more than anyone else.
A well-brewed cup of coffee is essential to a camping morning routine. It awakens your senses and gives you the energy you need for an active day at camp.
In this article, we’ll show you how to make the best cup of coffee while camping, but first, why drink coffee while camping?
The Science Behind Drinking Coffee While Camping
To begin, coffee contains antioxidants, which help to fight against inflammation. A camper can get the antioxidants they need in a single meal by drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee.
In addition, coffee helps to prevent dehydration in cold weather. After a long day of exciting camping activities, coffee is the best option to keep your body hydrated.
Coffee may also help to ease muscle soreness and pain by stimulating the release of dopamine, which acts as a natural painkiller. Lastly, coffee stimulates your brain’s production of dopamine, a chemical that improves focus and concentration.
What are the best ways to make coffee?
The best ways to make your favourite coffee drinks are as follows:
Instant Coffee
Instant coffee is famous among campers because it is lightweight, compact, and simple to prepare. Coffee brands have evolved, producing various instant coffees with incredible flavours.
If you’ve given up on instant coffee because of a bad experience, these new instant coffees will convince you otherwise.
Instant coffee is a good choice when camping because no particular technique is needed to brew a cup, and the likelihood of making a mistake is minimal.
Coffee in a Bag
Making coffee bags takes only a few minutes and requires minor clean-up. It is a preferred option for campers who want something better than instant coffee, but don’t want to spend time using a coffee maker. Before new coffee-in-a-bag options were developed, coffee lovers had only Folgers to choose from.
However, new brands have produced coffee bags with more potent and varied flavours. With the new coffee-in-a-bag options, campers who need coffee don’t have to sacrifice taste in exchange for a quick cup.
French Press
A French press is a good choice if you want coffee with a fuller, richer flavour. It is easy to use, reduces waste while camping, and brews a smooth cup of coffee without filters. To brew coffee this way, start by adding your coffee grounds to the French press.
Next, use your camp stove to boil some water; then, pour it over the coffee grounds. You may steep the coffee grounds for 3 to 4 minutes. After that, press the plunger to separate the coffee grounds from the coffee.
Portable Espresso
Espresso makers provide a dependable, portable, and small solution to brew your highly concentrated espresso.
Here, all you need to do is pour your espresso grounds into the maker, set it on your camping stove, and let it boil. With the hot water boiling the ground coffee at an average pressure of 7 to 10 bars, you will get a very concentrated shot of coffee.
After boiling, pour your coffee into your camping mug and enjoy your freshly brewed espresso. To produce an extremely powerful espresso shot, use a top-notch camping espresso machine.
AeroPress
Using an AeroPress is one of the finest ways to prepare coffee when camping because of its quick brew time, simple clean-up, and compact size.
To make coffee with the AeroPress, put the back of the base on top of the plunger and insert it slightly. Then, add your coffee grounds into the base, drizzle the hot water to degas, fill the compartment, and wait.
In this way, the AeroPress functions like a French press. Attach the filter to the top, place your cup upside down on top of the filter, and then carefully flip the AeroPress and mug over. The AeroPress is small and lightweight, so it is ideally suited for travel.
Pour-Over Method
The pour-over technique makes the best-tasting drip coffee for camping. For this approach, you slowly pour hot water over a filter filled with pre-ground coffee and then allow it to drip into your mug. Pour-over coffee also comes in a small, lightweight package, making it convenient to carry.
This technique is best for serious coffee drinkers, especially those who plan to grind their beans while camping. With this technique, you get a lot of flavour out of the coffee. However, this method takes time, so it’s ideally suited for 1-2 people.
Percolator
For campers who love coffee, the percolator method is a go-to technique because it can brew a lot of coffee at once. To make a cup, add water to the percolator cup, add coffee grounds to the filter, and cover the pot with a lid. After that, boil the water on the camp stove for 6 to 10 minutes.
Boiling water drips onto the coffee grounds after bubbling up through the pipe. After the coffee has been brewed, take the percolator out and wait a few minutes before drinking it. The percolator brews a flavourful cup of coffee, is simple to use, and is easier to bring along on a camping trip.
Bad Coffee Isn’t Always an Option
The fact that you’re camping doesn’t mean you have to tolerate bad coffee. These brewing methods discussed above will satisfy your demands, whether you wish to bring a small travel press for a solitary backpacking trip or a full-sized percolator for a group automobile camping excursion.
