I've come to realize that for many of us a great cup of coffee is probably the most important thing we consider when packing.  After watching Isaac grenade his Starbuck's french press at Lake Wenatchee I started looking around for alternatives. 

So far I've found 3 alternatives and tried 2 of them:

1.  The  Jet Boil French Press works great and doesn't require a separate french press.  If you don't mind cleaning up the messy ground it makes a good option.  If you want to drink out of the cozy, you might consider buying a second one.

2.  Coffee pods.  I have a single cup coffee maker at home, and so I have a lot of coffee pods lying around.  A coffee pod is essentially a tea bag, but with coffee in it instead.  On the Tripod Flats / Naches Wagon Trail trip I tied using these to make coffee.  It was very easy, pretty good coffee, and was incredibly easy to clean up.

3.  Today I found out that Snow Peak has a Titanium french press.  I immediately thought of Isaac grenading his starbuck's french press and realized that this one would solve that problem permanately.  Besides, if there aren't any rocks to stack under his wheels he can just put the french press under there.

With the weather getting cold, what's your favorite way to make a hot Cup of Joe on the trail?

--Craig

I don't like coffee, but saw this a while ago.  not sure how well it works

You know, that Snow Peak french press, a few solid fuel tabs, and a spork would be enough for a complete mess kit. It's essentially the same as my jet boil. Limits you to coffee and freeze dried food, but that is often times enough.

The pods worked well because I could drink the coffee out of the Jetboil cozy w/o getting a mouthful of grounds. With the french press, you usually have to pour the coffee into a second mug.

that TItanium setup looks like the hot ticket!  I'm sure some part of it could also double as a hitch receiver pin.
   

truth be known, I carry a second hitch pin since I couldn't find the keys to my locking one too.

http://www.amazon.com/Frieling-Stainless-Steel-35-Ounce-French-Press/dp/B00009ADDS/sr=11-1/qid=1162845553/ref=sr_11_1/103-9559429-3797462

In my never ending quest for the perfect cup of coffee, I continually have looked for new ways to skin the cat. On the whipsaw trail run, I brought an old glass Bodum French press along with. While it makes great coffee, I was concerned about the durability of a glass container bouncing around, so I did a little searching and bought the above press.

My criteria are as follows:

1. ability to make a good cup of coffee with no compromise to quality
2. durability
3. compact
4. simple to use

Weight isn't a concern for me, so the backpacking style titanium presses and Jet boils didn't seem to offer any benefits vs the Frieling.

In order to make the "perfect" cup of coffee all of the factors need to be optimized: water, coffee beans, roasting, grinding and brewing. My next step in the process is to be able to source a manual coffee grinder that I can use on the trail. Zassenhaus makes some awesome manual grinders that would be perfect for an outdoor setting. http://www.zassenhaus.com/html/kaffee.html. Unfortunately, Zassenhaus is having production issues and there aren't any new ones on the market. That leaves Ebay or other secondary sources for the grinders. Since the decent used ones go for around $80, I'm in wait and see mode right now.

Roasting coffee beans is something that I've thought about doing, but haven't done much research so I'll have to use roasted beans.

So at least at this point I use some decent spring water, decent coffee beans that I grind at home, and use the Frieling press on the trail.

I received one of these as a wedding gift:
http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48017268&parent_category_rn=4500495&vcat=REI_SEARCH



It makes a great cup of coffee, not REAL compact, but easy as heck to use (provided you have propane stove)

Dan

Mike,

Try an RV shop, or the RV section at GI Joes, etc for a DC powered coffee grinder.  I've tried an inverter but it is always tripping it's fuse.

--Craig

Craig, I'll give it a look. The reason I'm looking into the manual grinders is that they are a burr grinder that *supposedly* yield more consistent grinds than electric burr grinders. Who knows?

that last comment officially puts you off the deep end

Peter, I think anyone that owns a Land Rover is officially off the deep end. I don't think anyone on this board would be considered rational.

when it comes to coffee, Dan's example is rational. It's free, it works. You, my friend, are off the deep end comparing methods of grinding.

I think a french press and a manual grinder is a very sane way to get a cup of coffee in the woods. It certainly doesn't take up any more space than the 12 cup drip coffee maker, is just as reliable, and probably tastes better. I find it interesting that Peter likes that you carry reidel stemware in the woods but since he doesn't drink coffee doesn't understand the same obsession here.

For those of you who don't know, Reidel makes wine glasses for each type of wine that are designed to bring out each wines unique characteristics. At Whipsaw, however they were posers since they were using the wrong glass for red wine. ;-)

--C

Peter, I never said that there was anything wrong with Dan's idea. It is a perfectly rational choice. I choose to go a different route in making coffee outdoors.

Craig, you are correct regarding the stemware. My glasses have a generic chardonnay type bowl, but they are adequate for red wines as well. Its definitely not a poser choice by any means. The reason I use the smaller glasses is that I can fit 4 of them into my 1400 Pelican, whereas I could only fit 2 Bordeaux glasses. My logic was that it is more important to share with a few friends than have the perfect glass. Another issue is that my choice in wines changes depending on weather, food choices, etc. I typically bring wines including but not limited to: French Bordeaux, California / WA Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chianti Classico, Barolo, Riesling, and Chardonnay. It would unfeasible to optimize a glass for every wine varietal I drink. I think that its ok to drink a red wine in a smaller bowl glass, but drinking a white in a large bowl glass will end up diluting the delicate taste of a white.

My mom drinks Coors out of a wine glass........

craig, you're missreading me. With wine, you open the bottle and pour it into something. paper cup, throat, doesn't matter. I don't obsess about it (although I did think of going the same route once until I saw the cost and thought against i). With this coffee thing, I offically put Mike over the edge at figuring out which grinder grinds the coffee the best and is suitable for a trail. If I drank coffee, it'd probably be organic folgers, something that I just drank like hot chocolate. Normally we drink wine out of an enamel mug and like it just fine. After the first glass, I don't care about much anymore.

I still wouldn't mind using a pellican case to transport the wine since broken glass isn't good.

By drinking Folgers, you would be officially excluded from any discussion titled "Best cup of joe?".

Why is $70 too much for a Pelican to store your wine glasses? When it is considered in terms of the cost of a few bottles of wine, it isn't that expensive.

lol.. I'm just having too fun giving you a hard time.  I own Reidel stemware as well, and *fully* appreciated seeing it on the trail.  In all honesty, I don't particularly care what others decide to drink their wine in, or what they decide to make their coffee in as long as everyone is pleasant.  I do care about my own decisions and I personally think the french press and manual coffee grinder setup sounds reliable and tasty which is why I started the thread.  :-)

--Craig

Peter,

No wonder you don't like coffee. :p

Given your passion for research and thoughtful consideration before making most purchases, I'd think you'd fully appreciate Mike's attention to detail in making the "Perfect Cup of Joe". It's obviously something he enjoys. Even if he is off the deep end he definately has company here.

I'm making my own nav system.
You research trash carrying solutions (including a Pelican as an option)
Dan is making his own suspension components
Mike is making the perfect cup of coffee
etc.

That's what makes it interesting here. :-D

--Craig

All in all, mike still went off the deep end. :-)