I usually drink one 20oz cup of coffee each morning. I more interested in getting good results out of currently-available ingredients rather than seeking out the best cup of coffee humans can make.

ingredients

I generally use water right out of the fresh tank unless it is excessively-chlorinated or something; in that case I would use Brita-filtered water.

I typically buy whatever coffee is on sale at the store, and have had good results from Chock Full ‘o Nuts, Folger’s, Maxwell House, etc. I shop at discount grocery stores when I find them and sometimes they have out-of-date whole beans for $1/lb or whatever. I grind them up in a $2.99 thrift store Krups grinder and they smell and taste fine. I suspect Whole Bean People are a little picky and not willing to buy beans past their prime.

I use ~26g of coffee per 20oz batch. I think this is something like 22:1, a bit less coffee than optimal. Allegedly-optimal 18:1 would be 33g of coffee. I’ll experiment with this.

brewing

drip

When traveling solo I typicaly use a Melitta pour-over I got on clearance for 50c at a grocery store (win!). I brew directly into the mug.

The dripper works best with #2 cone filters but I use plain basket filters because they are so much cheaper.

Water heated over propane or on electric hotplate if excess power is present or predicted. ~111Wh.

electric drip

I found a 5c Mr. Coffee drip machine at a thrift shop. It’s rated 650w but I measured 550w.

70Wh.

I broke the carafe and a kind soul donated a Yeti mug that fits perfectly. Even has a sloped lid so I can brew into it with the lid on.

perc

When making coffee for myself + a guest I use a Stanley 6-cup camping percolator. It’s well made and I expect many good years of service from it.

The dripper might make better coffee (maybe) but percolating coffee is a better sensory experience. And you also have control over relative strength by varying perc time.

As with the dripper, I don’t use the proper filters (3-1/2” disc-style) but rather just stuff a basket filter down in there. Wetting it a bit with the sprayer helps control unruly basket filter material.

Water heated over propane or on electric hotplate if excess power is present or predicted. ~135Wh because the hotplate is run longer. .

french press

I started out with a french press. Superior coffee IMO but I found cleanup in the small sink to be a PITA. Stanley makes a stainless steel camping french press for those who don’t mind the cleanup duties.

other approaches

I’ve also heard good things about this Stanley camping pour-over but haven’t used it personally.

The aeropress enjoys cult status but I tried one and don’t understand why. I also don’t like proprietary filters.1

cold brewing

For summer

2.5c water
39g coffee (three heaped scoops)

store in fridge overnight

  1. A metal filter is apparently available. Haven’t tried it but had decent luck with gold foil basket filters in the past. ↩