How to Use a Camping Coffee Percolator

The truth is that a cup of coffee tastes extremely good over a campfire or when you wake up to a chilly morning after a night under the stars. But coffee is not just coffee; you need a quality cup of Joe when at the campsite. In fact, you need it to jumpstart your day. And nothing can beat coffee made with a percolator when you are out camping in the woods or on the shores of a lake.

So how does one go about making that perfect cup of Joe when camping? Easy, follow these simple 5 steps.

Step #1: Starting Your Campfire

Before preparing coffee with your camping coffee percolator, you need to get a fire going first. Allow the flames to die down to red glowing wood coals.  This is because brewing with a percolator is easiest when it is resting directly on the red-hot coals.

You have several options on how to set the coffee percolator. You can hang it over the fire with tall frames, place it on top of the fire pit grate, or even set it near the hot coals. If you opt to place the percolator over a campfire, ensure it is stable enough and that you are in a position from where you can keep an eye on the proceedings.

If a portable gas burner is your choice, ensure the flame is turned high enough to effectively heat the percolator’s bottom. If using a portable electric burner, its best to use high heat.

Step #2: Fill Your Coffee Percolator

Of course, you can use filtered water for the best outcomes but any clean water will do perfectly. Depending on your specific percolator, there’s a mark that shows you how high the water should be or use the bottom of the percolator spout as your guide.

There are several good percolators that you can use when camping, but a good choice is Coleman’s Camping Percolator. This is designed as a standard electric percolator yet it doesn’t require electricity and can be used over a campfire.

Step #3: Choosing & Preparing the Percolator

The coffee percolator’s material design is crucial as it determines how smooth the coffee will taste. Go for a design created from sturdy material that is solid and heavy in build. Such a percolator will be able to sustain the extreme heat coming from a campfire.

Scoop your choice coffee beans into the percolator’s brewing basket. Then insert the basket into the percolator’s upper area. In your quest to have a stronger favor, avoid filling the mixture basket way too high. Once you have ensured that you have a perfect balance, place the lid on your percolator.

Here are some less known ways to flavor your coffee.

Step #4: Brewing

For a perfect coffee brew, keep an eye on the percolator. While the coffee ingredients are brewing, it’s important that you turn off the heat at the perfect time if you are going to get a rich, smooth, and deeply aromatic coffee. The simple trick when brewing coffee over your campfire is to ensure the heat is kept as low as possible. You can control the intensity of the fire using water or by removing some burning wood at brief intervals.

Ensuring that you get a good cup of coffee without a scorched or burnt aftertaste will require some balancing and practice. If, for example, you are using a quality candy-hued enamel models made by GSI, the trick to that awesome coffee is to keep an eye on the percolator’s translucent dome.

Step #5: Serving

For best outcomes, after removing the percolator from the fire, allow it to simmer for a few minutes before serving. As you serve into the cup, re-strain with a strainer. This helps to filter any residual mixes. Some of the more modern percolators also come with an additional filter.

If you follow the above simple steps, your campsite will be rich with the aroma of sweet smelling coffee. With a camping percolator, you are assured of a quality cup of coffee on the go anytime!

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