Coffee: How old is too old? Coffie pot & maker review

[cubemonkey]

Norm and I had INSTANT coffee on the trip north with Averisera. Oh my god. How gross is that!

I thought the French presses worked well. We only have glass ones at home. I didn't know they made them in Lexan. I'm going to look at those for the boat. We also need a nice thermos. Does anyone have a recommendation on a good non-glass insulated thermos?

Mostly we have tea, which really burns through the alcohol fuel. Has anybody any opinions on brewing pots of tea and keeping that warm? Maybe you would just boil the water and keep that in a thermos. I haven't thought this problem through as you can see.

-elizabeth

[oded kishony]

These unique containers are designed to extract the maximum amount of heat from any fuel. While these containers are expensive, if they work as advertised they would save a lot of fuel and time.

http://www.garrettwade.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=106256&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=12375&iSubCat=12381&iProductID=106256

[AdriftAtSea]

Nissan and Zozurushi both make excellent stainless steel vacuum containers.  You can see some at this link. LINK

[CapnK]

Elizabeth -

I can second the all-stainless Nissan recommendation. You can get an easy 8-10 hours of hot beverage using them. I also have a cheaper all-stainless version from WalMart, but haven't done any comparisons, though I would expect them to be about the same in performance.

Oded - Those Kettles look intriguing. I d/l'ed the instructional PDF, and all it basically said was "Don't have the cork in while heating water." lol :) It is interesting to see similarities between these Kettles, and my small gimballed stove (a Forespar IIRC), which heats small amounts of food/beverage very quickly.

[Lynx]

I had originally bought one of the whistling tea pots. I did not like it and wanted something else. I found Cabela's Stainless Steel Cool Touch Coffee Pots. I have been using it every day for 7 months. Great product.
Cabela's Stainless Steel Cool Touch Coffee Pots
I bought the 6 cup but should have bought the 9. The handle does not get hot unless you leave it on the stove over the burner. I do not use it for coffee but to boil water as I like tea and other hot drinks.

Coffee maker - MSR MugMate Coffee/Tea Filter - I have been using this 2 times a day for 7 months and still works like new. Gives me a hot cup of coffee every time and FRESH. Just add to my cup what I want. Put in the filter, add the coffee grounds, pour hot water over, remove right away and a hot and good cup of coffee. I have a wide cup and would like the ears to be wider.
http://www.rei.com/product/726094

[Soundbounder]

I just use a french press that I bought at a camping store.
It makes good coffee, is easy to clean, and stores easily.

[CharlieJ]

A french press is most definitely the ticket. We use one at home also. When Laura got it and made the first pot of coffee, she unplugged the Mr Coffee, and hauled it to the garbage can.

We use individual cup french presses on the boat- makes a double cup each time. Stays nice and hot that way ;D

[jotruk]

I have a peculator that I use on the boat, this can be very fuel consuming (alcohol) but it sure makes a good cup of coffee. I also have a French press that I got at Worst Marine works great so far.

[Captain Smollett]

I've found in the last two weeks that the press works great for cold-brew as well.

As Kurt noted earlier, coffee sure tastes 'different' by this method.  It took me a few cups to realize that it's BETTER (ie, less bitter).

Definitely worth a try ...

[Joe Pyrat]

LOL, interesting thread.  I have three coffee makers and a grinder aboard.  Two stove top latte-cappuccino-espresso makers/steamers and a French press like Faith's.  I also have about six different kinds of coffee and installed a water purification system so I have good water for making coffee.  Coffee, along with rum, is one of life's great pleasures.  Here's my latest coffee acquisition.

[dnice]

I've found in the last two weeks that the press works great for cold-brew as well.

As Kurt noted earlier, coffee sure tastes 'different' by this method.  It took me a few cups to realize that it's BETTER (ie, less bitter).

Definitely worth a try ...

I had never heard of cold brewing until I read this thread the other day. So I did some quick research and it sounded interesting. I tried it for the first time today, and I am officially hooked :)

I had to get creative to filter it, so now I am looking into the french presses and that mugmate filter looks pretty promising...
I also found these vietnamese single cup cold brew filter mugs

Oh what fun :) I prefer hot liquids in the mornings, but for coffee any other time, I'm gonna be cold brewing from now on, its wonderful! thanks!

[edit] Here is the "recipe" I used, pretty simple, I like the idea of making it concentrated, then just adding water to taste, it turned out perfect.

[Soundbounder]

......I'd use a French press but haven't picked up a stainless steel one yet, and don't trust myself with the glass one on board.

  I had the same concern... I bought this one (Lexan) from REI.

  I have been happy with it.

Thats what I have! I bought it at REI or Campmoor.
I am very happy with it.

[CharlieJ]

We had a Lexan one like that. Worked really well for about two and a half years- then the bottom cracked and it began leaking all over.

Just watch it, so it doesn't make a mess for you ;D

[Cpt2Be]

Has anyone ever used one of these or anything similar? If so how well does it work? Just trying to keep AH as low as possible and  also stay uncluttered in a small cabin & espresso is defiantly a luxury I need.

Something like this

http://www.buzzmug.com/coffee/product-reviews/espresso-outside-the-gsi-outdoors-espresso-maker/comment-page-1/

[s/v Faith]

Joe Pyrat does;



;D

Espresso would be nice, does anyone else use one?  Is it worth the effort?  How hard is it to keep clean?

;)

  How does it taste 3 days later....  :P

[Amgine]

I started with that exact espresso maker. Unfortunately, it has an overload valve that is a single-use type, and yes I tend to tamp my coffee charge. Supposedly the valves are replaceable, but I too went with a Bernoulli (sp?) stovetop espresso like Joe Pyrat's. Mine isn't the cadillac version like his, but it makes a mighty fine espresso of a morning, even on the alcohol stove.

The problem is actually heating/frothing the milk for a latté. So far I've been heating the milk first in a saucepan, or just pouring it cold (depending how bleary I am of the morning.) Or having it Americano-style after heating water for my partner's morning tea before making my espresso.

Of course, whingeing about my espresso drink while anchored a bazillion miles from everywhere in a deserted anchorage while watching the sun rise behind the mountains is the best way to drink it.

[Oldrig]

We're mostly tea drinkers, and we heat our water with a Forespar swing-stove, which heats it rapidly. Creme Brulee's swing stove uses the old-style butane/propane canisters with no valve on top. You can still find them at REI, but they're getting scarce--and you should treat them with the same respect you'd treat a live hand grenade.

Like Dan, we use a Nissan stainless-steel thermos. In fact, even before the morning brew, we boil enough water to fill a stainless thermos. This gives us hot water for washing all day long--and is usually warm the next morning, too.

--Joe

[Leroy - Gulf 29]

I suppose sheepherder coffee is out of the question.  You know add a scoop of coffee to the old grounds, fill the can with water, boil it, drink it, and repeat until no more grounds fit into the can.  A friend of mine used to do that at a camp.  One time, the group was around the campfire making coffee, and when filling the cups a mouse came tumbling out.  Probably easier to strain than mold  ;D

[LooseMoose]

We have a French Press (glass) that has been with us through three boats... Bought in 82 when we were building Loose Moose 1 it sailed to Finland and down to Spain across the Bay of Biscay...Aboard Loose Moose 2 it spent a year on the European canals did a circumnavigation of the Med, Spent a year exploring the coast of Africa and crossed to the Caribbean where we lost Loose Moose 2 but the French press survived...Its been making coffee since on So It Goes!

Anyway the point is don't get too hung up on unbreakable and plastic...

Bob
http://boatbits.blogspot.com/
http://fishingundersail.blogspot.com/
http://islandgourmand.blogspot.com/

[CharlieJ]

We also use a French press-a stainless steel one bought at Starbucks. Laura loves it. Makes 4 cups