A lightweight coffee maker that didn't make it.

[Wise Old Owl]

Napoletana Classica coffee maker 21097the smallest one is a lightweight Aluminum 9 ounces and it makes coffee at two cups. The first test I got the inside part backwards and got scalded. After I reset the device it makes two cups and still spills some hot water, the plastic handles can melt, and we found the pour-er to be very tiny...and slow. The design is interesting but my take is that at $40 its a pass.

[HikerMom58]

Thanks for lettin us know about the FAIL on this one....

[SunnyWalker]

Hey, Wise Old Owl, I found a book on Amazon.com title is "Making Great Cowboy Coffee: A Guide to Brewing Cowboy Coffee at Home and on the Campfire", by Jack McCoy. After reading this I am going to drink up my instant that I bought for the trail, and then use this method. All one needs is your cooking pot. The author sure does a good job explaining how to do make excellent coffee. One thing surprised me, one does not boil the coffee! I tried it at home and wala! Yummmmmmmmm. Take care.

[Wise Old Owl]

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Great-Cowboy-Coffee-Campfire/dp/0984496300/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365995839&sr=8-1&keywords=Making+Great+Cowboy+Coffee%3A+A+Guide+to+ Brewing+Cowboy+Coffee+at+Home+and+on+the+Campfire


OK there is the link...


Hey it in a real world you would leave the pots at home and use this for boil and cup.. I know someone can take a drill and fix the pour but its made in Italy and the devalued dollar adds to the issues.

[Sailing_Faith]

Hey, Wise Old Owl, I found a book on Amazon.com title is "Making Great Cowboy Coffee: A Guide to Brewing Cowboy Coffee at Home and on the Campfire", by Jack McCoy. After reading this I am going to drink up amy instant that I bought for the trail, and then use this method. All one needs is your cooking pot. The author sure does a good job explaining how to do make excellent coffee. One thing surprised me, one does not boil the coffee! I tried it at home and wala! Yummmmmmmmm. Take care.

c
Can you share the "Cliff notes" version?

i can not imagine an entire book about. Cooking coffee grounds... :)

[Wise Old Owl]

Well I am sure he will weigh in...The Amazon sample was pure American Indian... dung and grinding was involved ... no disrespect to the PCT.... I am sure grinding happens everywhere... Good Night Folks...

[Mountain Mike]

Cliff note version
Heat water ( bring to boil & take off heat. Never want to boil coffee as it releases acids that are bitter)
Add coffee & let seep about 5 minutes.
Tap the side of pot/cup a few times to settle the grounds & maybe add a few drops of cold water.
Drink & enjoy!

[Hikes in Rain]

Strain if desired.

[MuddyWaters]

I am under the impression you need a finer grind coffee to make cowboy coffee. The idea is that the grounds sink.
The large grounds for drip coffee float, doesnt work well.

[treesloth]

My 'lightweight coffee maker' is a piece of sieve from a dollar-store strainer. Or, one of those sieve-things that you can use as a strainer for sinks. Doesn't matter, as long as the metal strands are of a tighter weave. It weighs a gram or two.

Should be concaved already, if not, bend one into it; then cut it so it's a bit wider than the rim of your cup. There are two distinct methods that I've tried out in the field:

1.) Steep: boil your water. Kill heat source, add grinds to water, cover, and steep for 2-3 minutes. Pour through the strainer into cup. This is where the tight weave of the screen comes in handy. Most grinds will filter out, some may make it through. You may not want to smile at anyone until you've rinsed your mouth out with water. Or, maybe you might.
2.) Pour-over: Put screen on top of your cup. Line with a small coffee filter, a piece of paper towel/napkin, or even mountain money. Put a small pile of ground coffee in there. Pour near-boiled water sloooooowly over the grinds with as small of a stream of water as possible. Optional: Make some snotty comments to others about the high quality of your fine campfire coffee - like the backcountry barista you are!

This screen also is part of my water pre-filtration system, so it gets some double-use.

[SunnyWalker]

OK, I am back, sorry to make you wait to have the world's best cup of coffee you ever had. Here is Jack McCoy's method as outlined in his book I mentioned, "Making Great Cowboy Coffee: A Guide to Brewing Cowboy Coffee at Home and on the Campfire". Now, I am sure, giving the "cliff note" version and this would assume you are not grinding your coffee beans(out on the trail). This is somewhat changed from McCoy's book for the hiking environment and I will number the steps for your enjoyment:
1) Use finely ground coffee as finer grounds sink more readily, you may not need a strainer. In addition McCoy says that the finer grind adds "more body to the coffee and improves the extraction-the overall flavor and mouth feel", 2) Bring four cups of drinking water to a boil, 3) Remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 1 minute to cool. 4) Gently stir in coffee grounds (1/2 cup of your coffee). Let the coffee steep for three minutes, 5) Now slowly stir the floating coffee grounds to free them from the surface and to wash them reminder off the sides of the pot. End by stirring faster for about 5 seconds "to improve the extraction of coffee flavors, 6) McCoy then says to wait 30 seconds for the coffee grounds to sink and then serve. OK, that's it. I did this at home and did not use a strainer but of course I was doing as he said-a fine grind. Let me say the best cup of coffee I ever had was cowboy coffee made over a fire beside a creek in Oregon next to a cabin deep in the woods my friend Bruce had. There was no running water nor electricity. This was back in Brucey's hippe type days. He knew how to make it and as we sat next to the fire with the creek next to us we enjoyed some close fellowship with one another and nature. It was a great start to a great day. I remember leaving there and hitchiking over to Denver,CO during the next few days and then back to the West coast down into California and then back up north. Great trip.

[Wise Old Owl]

Ok I get it.. why not hike with #1 filters anyway? And filter back to a second UL cup?

[RF_ace]

Msr mug mate is like 1 oz and does a decent job with tea leaves as well