Coffee...Without a Coffeemaker.

[QuadShotz]

Well, this morning evil thrust it's dark heart of terror upon me.

My Coffee Machine kicked the bucket. :shocked:

I ground the beans, filled tank with water, all the usual eh?

Turned it on, lights came on, all seemed well. Went back to the computer. Then I realized I couldn't hear anything..normally it'll make some noises within seconds. Waited awhile...nada.

Lights were on, but no yummy Joy Juice was coming home. Aiieeeee!

So, after much fiddling I freaked and thought of how I could possibly make coffee now..OKOK, I could have made espresso..but I didn't want that.

So, I thought about old camping trips and such..and rigged this thing up using the same full coffee filter, a mesh strainer, and hot water. I couldn't use the real basket because it's one of those pause types..it has to be IN the machine to allow dripping.

http://www.darkgrid.com/images/photos/S6301014.JPG

Took a bit of work..but it worked just great. Yay!

Disaster and mania averted. :)

-QS

[AlabamaJack]

you can always make "River" coffee. When I was little (about 5 or 6 years old), my grandfather would take me to the river for a Friday and/or Saturday night of trot line fishing for catfish with his brother and my second cousins...the way they made coffee was pretty simple...they took an old #10 tin can of some kind...filled it with river water, dumped the grounds in and set it on the fire to boil....waited about 10 minutes and poured cups of this black syrupy looking stuff...STRAIGHT, no sugar, no creamer...my relatives were REAL men back in those days...

[QuadShotz]

Yeah, back camping in the 70's we just used the good 'ol perculator on the campfire. Good stuff.

I haven't even seen one of those in a long time though..might have to pick one of for times like this..or power outages..o0 (gas stove, so would work)

[fineexampl]

i feel your pain.

invest in a super fine strainer or a teabrew basket. grounds in, coffee in, let it sit, remove the basket or pour into the strainer. voila! Or a french press is okay too, and easier to find probably.

[fineexampl]

Yeah, back camping in the 70's we just used the good 'ol perculator on the campfire. Good stuff.

I haven't even seen one of those in a long time though..might have to pick one of for times like this..or power outages..o0 (gas stove, so would work)Starbucks sells them for $25 or you can get a cheap one at most supermarkets in the kitchen isle.

[QuadShotz]

Starbucks...Teh Deevil!
Heck, 3 lbs of French Roast beans only costs me liek $8 where I get 'em.

I'll just check at thift store when I go to get another coffee maker. :)
This last one lasted about 10 years, and it was used when I got it. So I don't feel too bad about its demise.

(I'm both poor AND thrifty..heheh)

-QS

[AlabamaJack]

I have started grinding my coffee beans in the same grinder I use for my dried chilis...way good...spicy coffee first thing in the morning...got to have my capsaicin/caffeine fix first thing in the mornings...

[pepperfever]

If all else fails I have the old campfire coffeepot, put the grounds in and set it on the fire...works on the stove too. Nice to have in case of need. But the convenience of a coffeemaker is great. They just don't seem to last as long as they used to, programmed so you have to replace them more often.

Jackie

[RedwoodIsland]

you can always make "River" coffee. An old #10 tin can of some kind...filled it with river water, dumped the grounds in and set it on the fire to boil....waited about 10 minutes and poured cups of this black syrupy looking stuff...STRAIGHT, no sugar, no creamer...my relatives were REAL men back in those days...

Camping I have made this boiled coffee, but filtered most of the grounds out with a dirty sock. Mmmmm coffee and laundry at the same time :)

Ever tried cold brew coffee?

[lostmind]

black syrupy coffee is the best type!

I've made my coffee in a pot on the stove and just poured it out. Of course, most day's I do use my french press :)

....sometimes with starbucks beans...

[QuadShotz]

Oh, just an update.

I was gonna just pitch it, but figured after I'd let it sit for a couple days I'd give it one more go first...now it's working again..lol

It must have gotten wet, a short or something, IDK.

Funky old thing...just won't die..fortunatly. :)

[ring sting]

This is the Swiss Gold single cup coffee filter. Place it on top of the cup, add coffee grounds and voila! excellent coffee every time.
http://www.coffeecompany.com.au/product_images/SwGoldCoffeeFilter400.gif
And in use:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzCagKGt2Fg


The problem being for you north americans is that in my opinion, generally the only available coffee is the crappiest coffee ever, with no real flavour or body**. My wife's friends who come out to visit usually by choice go home with a couple of kilos of the good stuff, and vow NEVER to drink at Tim's, 2nd Cup or Star's butts again.


**The exception to this in my travels has been Alaska.

[stillmanz]

This is the stuff we use in the shop
http://www.zentvelds.com.au/

it is honestly they best coffee I have ever tasted, pesticide free and there chocolate coffee beans are fantastic.
I drink far too much coffee lol
I usually only drink at the shop as we have a great little San Marino single bar espresso machine.
When I drink it at home I use one of those stove top italian espresso thingies.

[Chiliac]

I'm not a friend of filtered coffee anyway. I just put a spoon of coffee in my mug fill up with hot water, wait for a few mins and drink it.

[ring sting]

Go Chiliac! I would find that a bit gritty ...

Vittoria is the stock std in my house, but when I can get it, Cafe Rex from Costa Rica is really good. Just don't get over there often tho'.

[Chiliac]

It's only gritty at first, after a few mins it's all on the bottom of the mug, so no problem!

[QuadShotz]

I only grind real beans...fresh everyday...usually dark roast liek Italian or French sort. I don't do store canned shit coffee. It's oxidized all to hell in days.

Yes, there's real coffee here. :)

[ring sting]

OK, OK, OK.....

I did get a good coffee in Seattle. And I've got a lot of baaaaad coffee here too.

I agree about canned stuff, most ground beans here are vacuum packed, but the same happens -- lose flavour quickly.

RS

[GrumpyBear]

i run on coffee and sugar... and yet i don't put sugar in my coffee...
i've got one of those single cup things that's essentially what you've rigged up here, it came free with some terrible coffee... i also have one of those vietnemese coffee apparatuses which i picked up at a garage sale for a dollar, very useful even without the condensed milk.
my nurse friend went to honduras for some aid thing and brought me back some beans, that was gooood coffee. it's gone now and i'm sad.


Vittoria is the stock std in my house.

we get that here...

[Sickmont]

my nurse friend went to honduras for some aid thing and brought me back some beans, that was gooood coffee. it's gone now and i'm sad.


Maybe you should've asked for some seeds as well so you could grow your own coffee.

[andres]

OK OK OK... I am really scared at what I read in this thread. I work in the coffee business in all its phases. My family has grown coffee in Antigua for generations now. Let's just say I know quite a bit about coffee.

First... the BEST way to make coffee is using a french press. Basically just use 7-8 grams of coarsely ground coffee for every 4 ounces of water. Pour water heated almost to boiling (Never, ever boil coffee) into coffee, let it sit for 3-4 minutes and strain.

North americans do get great coffees, as do Europeans and Asians. The coffee you buy at Caribous, Pete´s, Starbucks, etc is very good. I know beacuse we sell it to them. Guatemala produces some of the best coffees in the world. Thankfully I get to drink it every day.

I have had the chance to drink coffee from every part of the world and every country has its own distinct characteristics.

Well... it's not such a bad thing that your coffee machine broke down. Just think that it is a chance to drink really delicious coffee and not overextracted, burnt coffee.

[NatGreenMeds]

An old, tried and proven method of making coffee without the frills is to first boil your water. When camping or using water you're not sure of, that will clean it so it's safe. Then after waiting for 2 minutes for the water temperature to drop a little, add the coffee to the pan (never aluminum, it adds a nasty flavor to coffee), add some rinsed crushed egg shells which will make the grounds all sink rapidly to the bottom and let it steep for 5 minutes.

GENTY pour off coffee. The grounds will almost all stay on the bottom and only nice fresh non-boiled coffee will fill your cup.

The egg shells change no taste. They only make the grounds sink to the bottom.

[andres]

Or just pour water onto the coffee. It is always best to remove the coffee grinds as soon as extraction is complete. That will prevent overbitterness in the coffee.

[GrumpyBear]

OK OK OK... I am really scared at what I read in this thread.

you wanna hear something truly frightening, my mum will only drink tasters choice instant coffee. when i say 'only' i mean she brings a little jar of it in her purse with her whereever she goes... she insists it's the only good coffee...

actually she will drink other coffees as long as there's whiskey in it... come to think of it, i've seen her drink hot chocolate with whiskey in it (mum doesn't like chocolate...)