Single cup coffee makers

4:00 PM and dinner time? Do you actually make time for tea? North American coffee time is 24/7 I belive.
MDP
Mike & Denita

 

Tea time is any time hence our CI name rosy lee cockney rhyming slang for cup of tea.

 

I have been shopping for a kettle for heating up water for dishes and wash cloths ect. Best thing that fit my need was a coffee pot percolator type. We make our coffee in french press mugs but I thought as long as we are heating up the water for coffee lets try to "perk" it. I don't see how it would make a good cup since the water has to boil for it to work. Does anybody use a stove top percolator and are there tips to using one?
MDP
Mike & Denita

 

I use a vintage stove top peculator to heat water, then make coffee in a french press.

Tried making coffee in the peculator, but didn't like the grounds that dripped past the filter into the coffee.

 

Hi,

We were thinking about a stove top percolator too, but I think we might go with the french press mugs. May buy those mugs now to be sure we like using them & like the coffee. What brand or source for french press mugs does everyone recommend?

Best,
Diane

 

I used to use a stove top percolator all the time. My tips would be, don't boil too fast or the coffee basket can't drain fast enough and fills with water and the coffee grounds float out. Use a glass or stainless steel percolator as aluminum gives the coffee a tinny flavor.

 

Still love my Bialetti and we got the 6 cup version for when Mick travels with me. It has been great!

 

I think to use a percolator nowadays you would probably have to grind your own coffee beans because most of the coffee sold now is kind of a fine grind better suited to drip brewers. Also if you pour it slowly out of the percolator the grounds should settle to the bottom instead of going into your cup. Now that I've said all that, I use my percolator to boil water to make coffee in my aeropress.

 

You are right. The already ground coffee is too fine for a percolator. I haven't tried my aeropress yet. I need to get it out of the camper and practice with it so I know how hot to make the water etc. I suppose if the water is too hot it will crack the plastic especially if it is a cold morning.

 

pnutbuttrptty - you will be fine with your aeropress. It's not as complicated as some make it out to be. Yes, I am certain that there is an optimal temp for coffee brewing, but I've used boiling water before and the coffee is just fine. Take it off before it boils and it will be even better, they say.

One "trick" I use with the aeropress when camping (I also use one in my kitchen, when making just a cup or two): use the aeropress to make a coffee "concentrate" (just use twice as much - or 3X - - coffee beans as you normally would). Then, put some of that concentrate into your coffee cup and add hot water. If I simply follow the aeropress standard approach, my coffee isn't as hot as I like when camping (usually).

All the aeropress is is a faster process than just pouring through a filter. And it's not really that much faster. Pouring over a filter is a pretty good approach, when you want to go minimalist, IMO. All the aeropress does is force the water through the filter faster than it would flow when not pushed/pressurized.

 

that sounds like a good trick to make concentrate and then add water. I think I will bring it in and try it out.

 

I love my morning coffee and I take my Aeropress with me on every outing. In fact, if we're roughing it in hotels, the Aeropress goes with us. I'm the coffee drinker, Joan drinks tea and she takes her tea "works" with her as well. It really is difficult to get a good cup of tea here in the US, especially in hotels and most restaurants.

Morning in the galley always includes:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4vIPTgCB1hcN1Z2bTZrX2wzLXc/edit?usp=docslist_api

It takes a little practice to figure out how to make coffee the way you like it, but IMHO, the Aeropress is the best way to make coffee because there are so many variables you can adjust to suit you (water temp, type of beans, type of grind, amount of coffee, press method vs. inversion brew method to increase brew time for those who like it really strong, strong espresso, Cafe Americano, etc.). My son brings a small hand crank grinder so his coffee is as freshly ground as possible...

When at home we add the grounds to the compost pile which goes into our veggie and flower gardens.

Eric - the coffee junkie

 

Eric,

After reading your post on the Aeropress, Michael and I started watching You Tube videos, and we're sold and ready to buy one! Sounds like the coffee is unbeatable! Thanks for the heads up!

Diane

 

Glad to help Diane and it's good you checked it out on You Tube.

One thing regarding storing the AeroPress, either keep the plunger and tube stored completely disconnected as two pieces OR store the two pieces with the plunger pushed all the way down so that the rubber stopper is not compressed inside the tube. The screen won't fit on the bottom with the plunger pushed all the way down. This will make sense once you have an AeroPress in your hands.

Either way prevents the rubber stopper from being compressed for long periods of time which will make the stopper loose it's seal inside the tube. The stopper will loose it's shape when compressed over time. If this happens, you can purchase parts directly from the manufacturer (a voice of experience talking here).

Bon Appétit!
Eric

 

Revisiting the K-cup/Keuring thread, we ended up getting one of these manual K-cup coffee makers. I drink decaf, he drinks regular so the cups just make more sense than lugging 2 lbs of coffee. I found this on Amazon and it works well. It's not as large as the electric Keurig maker, which doesn't work when it's cold anyway (see my previous reply).
Amazon.com: Manual Coffee Brewer for K-Cups. Brew Coffee Anywhere, Where You Have Hot Water!: Kitchen & Dining

 

There’s a more recent rambling thread that mentions canopies, coffee, and probably some other subjects that begin with “c”. And “t”.

Totem Teardrop Tales

I *love* the Aeropress for single-cupping. For coffee storage, I use a glass-topped mason-style jar with a silicone seal, it holds about 3/4 lb. of coffee, and occupies a hallowed space in the galley

 

Powerdocking or boondocking these always make the best coffee. The french press is double walled for insulation and keep your brew at the perfect temperature. Coffee grinder is adjustable for espresso or regular grind. Nothing inorganic to discard. IMHO the perfect solution for limited spaces and entertaining the most discriminating of coffee drinkers.

 

Glad to get that recc on a travel grinder - thanks RShep!

There's not a huge difference between the quality of coffee coming out of an aeropress and a french press. The aero allows a finer grind, and less sludge. On the other hand, the grinds in the bottom of a cup of french press are quite tasty... an aero basically *is* a 1-2 cup french press, but with a paper filter element instead of the screen.

 

a nitpick: I use a metal filter with my Aeropress. (I haven't compared to see whether the coffee is better using a metal vs a paper filter, but I like having one less thing to throw away.)

-Al

 

Check out how the JavaPresse grinder fits perfectly with the AeroPress. Camping efficiency.