As the weather warms up and the holidays approach, camping is on the minds of many Americans. But what’s on our mind everyday?. Coffee, that’s right. Whether you are old fashioned or into the fancy new age machines, this campfire coffee percolator buyers guide is the perfect start to the perfect morning in the great outdoors.
Complete with camping percolator instructions, you will never need to go another morning without a hot cup of coffee again. After-all, whats a camp site without the aroma of a fresh coffee wafting from tent to tent.
How To Use A Camping Percolator
While there are many ways to make coffee camping, using a percolator is one of the easiest. Not to mention the best tasting. But so many campers are left in the dark when it comes to preparation.
Step 1. (Important) Don’t Forget To Practice At Home!
If it is your first time attempting to make coffee outdoors using an old fashioned coffee pot percolator, its not a bad idea to first follow the instructions at home. No point in wasting a batch of coffee because you burned it, over flowed etc. So try at least one batch on a fire pit or even the stove top before tackling the campfire.
Camping Percolator Instructions – Step By Step
It’s Easy To Make Percolated Coffee On A Campfire
So now you know to practice at home first, lets look at how simple it is to make campfire coffee. Assuming you have a quality percolator designed for campers, lets begin.
Get your campfire going, but don’t have it blazing out of control!. Just a small to medium size fire is acceptable. Without a heat source it’s impossible to follow the instructions. If you have a gas stove/burner that is also fine to use.
Percolators come in different sizes, but typical there is a water gauge on the side of the device. So first ensure the inside is clean, wipe away and built up dust, grime etc. We don’t need extras added to the coffee. Fill up the camping Perc. to the desired amount of cups required with water.
Coffee Grinds
Next comes the all important coffee grinds. If you haven’t yet got a manual camping grinder, I suggest you invest a few bucks into a decent Burr Grinder. This way you can grind the beans to the coarseness that you desire. The GSI model is our choice when it comes to Percolated coffee.
Allow about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per one cup of water. Overtime you can adjust this ratio to best suit your taste buds. But 2:1 is a good starting point.
Put the measured out coffee into the stainless steel (Usually) wire basket and then pop it into the percolator. Depending on the basket, you may or may not need paper filters.
Make sure your campfire is hot, but not with flames raging out of control. Stick the percolator in the fire and wait for it to boil. Once the water has come to boil make sure to move it over to the outer edge where the fire isn’t as hot. This will prevent it from bubbling over and making a nasty mess to clean.
Depending on the model of percolator you re using, you may need a pot holder to reach into the fire so that you can grab the handle without burning yourself. We use the Coghlans Pot Holder.
Let the coffee simmer and percolate on the side of the campfire for about 5 – 15 minutes (Will vary) until ready. Once ready pour yourself a nice freshly brewed cuppa. share if you like, but we won’t mind if you don’t.
The Best Campfire Coffee Percolator Buyers Guide
When buying a percolator for campfire conditions, it has to be heavy duty. No other way around it. A stainless steel double wall model is preferred for heat retention and durability. Avoid old fashioned aluminum pots as they can leave a bad taste in the coffee.
Having a clear glass dome at the top is a good feature to look for. This allows you to peak inside and see the color of the coffee and know when it is ready.
When it comes to the handle, this will be two sided. If you are using a gas burner, then any handle will really do. But a heat retentive silicon or wooden handle would be best. But for other the campfire, go with a metal handle so that it doesn’t melt or catch on fire.
Always buy a campfire percolator with a stainless steel basket, preferably one with a finer mesh filter. This will save you on paper filters and is better for the environment.
We have compiled a list of the best camping coffee percolators for 2024 which feature all the above requirements for outdoor coffee.