Very Important question - COFFEE!

[BernieD]

I like to grind whole beans just before brewing (usually Sumatra or Ruwandan dark roast from Costco costing costing about $4.50/lb which last about 2 weeks at 6 cups each morning). The grinder uses negligible amount of power, the non-electronic (no clock) Gevalia coffeemaker drips into a thermal pot and doesn't use too much power.

Usually overnite we try and leave enough amps in our batteries so that I have enough in the morning (I try for about 40% discharge tops) to make coffee off the inverter if it is too early for the generator (6 or 7 AM).

The taste and freshness of my home brew is very important to me and I nearly always make mine rather than drink what is provided at rallies for breakfast.

 

[camr]

Keurig all the way. We have a Keurig machine at our business, one at home, and one in the TT. Coffee is ready in less than a minute. Makes tea and hot chocolate as well. Also can give a cup of hot water by not putting a pod in the machine. One caution, though. We use bottled water in the machine to avoid mineral buildup. Different campgrounds can have varying degrees of water hardness and mineral content.

 

[Conquest aka Robert]

I brew before moving but have a cup that plugs into 12 volt and keeps the coffee hotter than Mcdonalds.

 

[alleycat]

I agree with JT, we have a Keurig Mini, run it off the inverter and nothing to clean up. Put in a cup of water, shut the lid and hit the switch and your done.

 

[Tony_Alberta]

I quite like luke warm coffee.  I'll make a quart in the morning and leave it in the French press for an hour or two cooling as I drink it.

 

[NY_Dutch]

If you're trying to keep or get your cholesterol numbers down, you may want to put that French press away and stick to drip coffee makers using paper filters:

"Coffee And Cholesterol "

 

[Tony_Alberta]

Thanks.  Interesting tidbit about coffee and cholesterol.  I had no idea.  My cholesterol is just fine.  That said when I'm doing boondocking I was going to switch to filters anyhow so I didn't have to waste water on cleaning the grounds out of the French press.  Maybe I'll just do switch a bit sooner and keep my eye open for a coffee drip system.  And maybe something that goes directly into a thermos jug of some sort to keep it warmer longer.

 

[JoAnn]

Our morning coffee is a must for both of use (especially me  )  We brew before we go.  We have a Contoure 10 cup space saver.  However, we didn't mount this.  It sits on the counter behind the angled sink. (I set it on a piece of the rubber shelf liner and it hasn't moved)  I chose this one so I don't need to unplug and pull it out to fill from the top.  It has the water tank that comes out from the front to fill.  It also has an insulated carafe.  I usually make 2 pots prior to leaving in the morning.  One goes in our large cups and the rest into another insulated carafe.  The 2nd pot stays in the Contoure insulated carafe.  So then we're set for the day.  Usually I have a couple of cups left over.  It works well to put this leftover in a plastic container in the refrigerator to heat up at another time or put in the freezer to save for use at a later date. 

PS  I don't recommend mounting this pot as it has vents at the top which a LOT of moisture comes out of.
JoAnn

 

[Just Lou]

I'm a heavy coffee drinker, but certainly not a coffee connoisseur.  That's not to say I don't appreciate a GOOD cup of coffee when I taste one, I just don't require it.  My criteria for a cup of coffee is that it must be a few shades darker than the brewing water that I started with and the taste should be somewhere between chicory and sassafras tea.  It must, however, be scalding HOT.

In the coach, I use a cheap Proctor & Gamble  Silex drip that cost 12 pretax dollars.  It has NO electronics.  It doesn't even have an indicator light.  A portion of the ON-OFF switch is simply painted red so I know when it's on or off.

This "pot" had already survived two tag sale offerings @ fifty cents before I pressed it back into service in the coach.  It has been sitting on the shelf (seen in the attached photo) for six years and 27,000 miles without incident.  We travel with it plugged into the inverter in all stages of coffee preparation and it has never spilled or fallen from it's perch.

 

[Larry N.]

In the coach, I use a cheap Proctor & Gamble drip that cost 12 pretax dollars.

Would that be Proctor-Silex?  ??? 

 

[NY_Dutch]

Heck, sometimes you get more than what you pay for. My $12 on sale Mr. Coffee machine has the same features as your Proctor Silex, PLUS an indicator light on the switch!  ;D

 

[BobNSam]

Heck, sometimes you get more than what you pay for. My $12 on sale Mr. Coffee machine has the same features as your Proctor Silex, PLUS an indicator light on the switch!  ;D

The only reason for a light on your coffee pot is to find it in the dark.
If it is dark, you are up to early.

Bob
I use fresh ground every AM and drink two 20oz cups french roast to start my heartday. I find that coffee maker type/brand/method makes little difference if coffee is freshly made in a clean maker. DW actually helps even though she is a tea drinker.
Did you know that you can actually OD on caffeine? That is why I limit myself nowadays.

 

[Just Lou]

Would that be Proctor-Silex?  ???

Picky, picky, picky...   Of course it is Proctor Silex :-[ :-[

 

[NY_Dutch]

;D

The only reason for a light on your coffee pot is to find it in the dark.
If it is dark, you are up to early.

Bob
I use fresh ground every AM and drink two 20oz cups french roast to start my heartday. I find that coffee maker type/brand/method makes little difference if coffee is freshly made in a clean maker. DW actually helps even though she is a tea drinker.
Did you know that you can actually OD on caffeine? That is why I limit myself nowadays.

Ahh! I'll keep that in mind... If I need the light on the switch, I'll go back to bed!

We drink Folger's "1/2 Caff" blend to cut down on the caffeine. We used to mix our own half & half blend, but this tastes just as good to us, without the hassle. With all the things that coffee has been found to reduce the risk of, Parkinson's, gallstones, some breast cancers, heart disease, and recently, prostate cancer, I was surprised to see that in those studies that specified, there was virtually no difference in the effects of decaffeinated coffee versus regular coffee.

After all the years of being told too much coffee wasn't good for us, and now it seems it is, can crisp bacon, charred steaks, and cigarettes be far behind?  ;D

 

[AndyinLexington]

One caution, though. We use bottled water in the machine to avoid mineral buildup. Different campgrounds can have varying degrees of water hardness and mineral content.

You may want to consider distilled water.  Lots of the bottled "drinking water" has minerals in it.  Not as much as the tap water, but it could be a factor over time.

 

[Ned]

Much bottled water is just tap water repackaged and overpriced.

 

[JayT]

I filter and I'm happy, I save money.

Jay T

 

[catblaster]

Porky ..you're squeezing all the good out of that on!! my cardiologist was commenting about a study where rats were put on a low cholesterol diet and meds but were allowed to have all the fats they wanted..result is they died from blocked arteries. Now I stay away from statens completely besides they tried to kill me a few years back with the meds. Now I know why the first cup tastes so good...coffee oils. yum

 

[Captain Ron]

Well, I'm a coffee geek and a home roaster, so having the ability to make good coffee on the road is important to me.  My travel kit included a Mini-Ibis electric kettle, a Zassenhaus brass hand grinder and an AeroPress.  When we're without power I just use the stove to heat the water.

 

[Tony_Alberta]

Well, I'm a coffee geek and a home roaster,

What would you recommend for a good home roaster?  What are good forums to ask such questions?  I'm not a coffee geek but would like to do some of the basics.  I picked up a small home roaster with a timer but it didn't have a temperature control.  It seemed to me that it made more of a dark roast than I prefer.    It also set off the smoke alarm so I never got back into it.

I once purchased a pound of roasted-that-day beans from somewhere in South America that had an exquisite taste.  Full of rich flavours.  It was like having a decent wine compared to koolaid (or those despised coolers).    So I'd like to get back in to all that.