Stop Making Bad Camping Coffee - I Test 5 Popular Methods! 

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The stanley pour over can make multiple cups at a time when paired with any stanley thermos. The stanley thermos will keep coffee hot 18 hours, so you can make enough for all your camping friends and serve immediately as soon as they are ready for their cup. Or carry all the coffee you like to drink throughout the day hot and ready

I have used a percolator for 13 yrs for camping. Take some practice to get it right. Also you can use the percolator pot as a cook pot,less stuff to pack. You also should get a percolator with the clear bubble on top to see how the coffee is coming along. Should only take about 5-6 minutes to make a pot.

The key to a percolator is to get it to a rolling boil then turn it down slightly. Let it cook for 4 minutes maybe 5 to take the bitterness out. Perfect cup of coffee

Great video Casey, You might want to consider the grind vs method factor. Not using the correct grind for a particular brewing method will result in coffee that can range from weak to bitter. It really makes a huge difference. Grind Brewing Method COARSE - French Press - Vacuum coffee pots MEDIUM - Drip coffee makers with flat bottom filters - Percolators FINE - Drip coffee makers with cone shaped filters - Espresso moka pots - Espresso machines Tom Sandwich Coffee Roasters

I second the Aeropress. Especially for the ease of use and cleaning.

Re. the Moka Pot, millions of Italians can't be wrong! I'm not sure you can really describe it as Espresso though; perhaps mid-way between espresso and percolator. One factor I take into account when vehicle or backpacking-based camping is disposal of the grounds and ease of washing the dishes. When vehicle based I use a simple pour-over system with disposable filter papers. That way the grounds and paper filter just go into the trash bag, with minimal clearing up required. I let the coffee drip into a simple insulated jug which gives me around three mugs. I also have a hand-cranked grinder and take beans with me. I enjoy the zen-like process of grinding the beans, boiling the water and pouring over the grounds when I first wake up on camp!

Little $5 plastic Mellita-style filter holder that sits on top of your mug, a 10-cent #4 paper coffee filter and pour the hot water over the grounds. Simple cleanup, no mess (just burn the paper filter in the campfire that night), *great* coffee and minimal storage space needed. A win all the way around. P.S. Two pedantic corrections: It's percOlator not percUlator, and "grounds," not "grinds." That little vein in my neck starting twitching at perculator . Just a suggestion, too, coffee should never be made with boiling water. 180-190°F is ideal so you don't scorch it.

Baileys makes any coffee taste good. The crappier the coffee just add more baileys

Good video. Feel like the moka pot definitely needed some more time on the heat. Usually take it off or.lower heat once it becomes audibly bubbling, not when it starts flowing. I use one everyday and thoroughly enjoy!

Let the coffee bloom in the bottom of the press. I had a feeling I'd pick up a trick in this video. Now the next time I'm out in the wild I'll look at somebody with that one-eyed squint and say"you got to let the coffee bloom, everybody knows that."

Great video. I've tried almost every one of these methods as I tried to balance taste/effort/time/cleanup when making coffee. My favorite for 'car camping', with only myself drinking coffee, is the mocha pot brew with hot water added to make a really nice Americana. I find it to be super quick and easy to clean up from. However, when I'm camping with other coffee drinkers, I use the percolator with a drip coffee filter and brewing over medium low heat for about 11 minutes after percolating actually steadily begins .

Excellent comparison. Over the years I've tried all the systems you demonstrate. The only system you missed is the Aero Press. I used to use a single shot portable expresso pump, but they would always break. Now I gave away all my small French presses, and almost exclusively use the Aero Press for travel. For friends that want a traditional cup of coffee I use my large one quart French Press. The Aero Press makes a shot something a little closer to an expresso shot, with the easiest cleanup.

Great review. I didn't know about coffee blooming. Thanks for the tip!

I frequently use french press(mine is also stainless double wall) and moka pot, though there is something about a percolator when camping that takes me back to family camping/ fishing trips when I was a kid.

We use the Stanley French Press. Works well, makes quite a bit, boil your water in it, and easy to clean.

I've tried them all and like the simple Moka Pot the best. Fill it with water and I get get a strong cup of coffee in a couple of minutes. It's very easy to clean, just invert the grounds basket and shake or tap out. Wipe the filter out and inside the upper pot with a paper towel. Done. I use the same one at home and sometimes a french press just for variation. Good tip on the 'blooming'. I do like the Aeropress too that my GF has.

The never-ending pursuit for the perfect cup! Have previously gone with cowboy coffee (sludge), percolator (lost the little plastic top in the Squamish River!), Aeropress with metal filter (really good, but usually want > 10oz), GSI Coffee Rocket (pour over), Stanley french press but have most recently settled on the BruTrek OVRLNDR. Bru Stop actually works, and it's easy to clean.

Pour over. You can use it on just about any Stanley or other container. I use mine on a 1.1 liter Stanley. Just keep pouring the water in slowly just as you would do at home with your Chemex. Thermos bottle keeps it nice and hot for hours. I use mine on my fishing boat. I bring 1.1 liters of boiling water in a second Stanley. The 1.1 liter will keep the water around 200f for quite a long time. Excellent video.

The Stanley pour over you can simply add more grinds and pour it into a Stanley thermos, so you have more capacity and when you’re camping, it also keeps the coffee hot

Aeropress!!!

Just to diverge a little, I have tried all of these and finally my weapon of choice now is the Aeropress. Relatively small, so simple to use and clean and the coffee just tastes better.

Great review of these! Looking into buying the Stanley and this review and comparison is what I am making my decision on. So going to buy it now! Thank you!

I love my Stanley pour over. The only complaint I have is the amount of grinds that make it into the cup. I grind my own beans course ground and it still makes it through the filter

You can speed up the Moka pot by using hot water in the bottom before putting it on the heat. People say it doesn't heat up your beans so much but I didn't notice any flavor difference just less time. Mine didn't say to take it off the heat when it starts percolating up but I'll definitely try that. I like it best for Vietnamese style coffee.

French Press coffee makers are a PITA to clean out . . . all the grounds are compressed into the bottom of the container and doesn't lend itself well to just dumping out . . . grounds just get stuck and require more rinsing, plus if the coffee isn't ground properly, grinds remain in your final cup of coffee. Pour-overs, if the grounds are contained in a paper filter are easier to clean up and make good coffee. For cleaning, the Percolator is better than the the French Press as the grounds are contained in the metal basket that can be easily removed from the carafe, plus, if you get the courseness of the grind correct, can make an excellent cup of coffee. K-cup coffee, while convenient for one person, just doesn't have the flavor of the others . . . just a minor step up from instant coffee, IMO.

Very thorough video. Thank you!

Great job reviewing these options. Very helpful.

Thanks, Casey, this was a fun video. I agree with your two choices. They are simple, quick and taste great. I need to pick up the double walled French press though, ours is glass. While I’m not necessarily concerned with it breaking, it cools off way too fast.

I think if you used more grinds in the percolator you might have been happier with it. It is my go to when camping with a group for the ability to make a larger amount of coffee and having it piping hot on a cold morning

I was in the boy scouts in the early 60s. My dad was "temporary scout master" for 17 years. We had a basic coffee pot that you put water in brought it to a boil, removed it from the fire added about 3/4 of a pound of coffee and let it set on the coals for a few minutes. Your basic cowoy coffee.

BruTrek with a removable bottom. LOVE it!!

The Moka Pot is unrivaled. A $15 moka pot will make an as good of a cup as a $15,000 espresso machine.

Thank you for making this video! Great comparison and very helpful. You brought many additional points that I didn't consider yet. At home I use moka pot and an espresso machine most of the time. From time to time a combination of a French press and a stainless steel filter ( after the French press coffee is done, I pour the filtered coffee over the filter - I really do not like grounds in my coffee :D ) I love the coffee all 3 methods produce. The only downside - I stopped drinking coffee outside, as it's seldom as good as at home.

Love the French press.. Easy in easy out. And more usable I guess ..

After using all but the Nespresso I found that my Coleman stove was likely the reason why I couldn't get a good cup of coffee. There simply wasn't enough heat.. My girlfriend bought me a jetboil and I have not looked back. Coffee is ready in less than 2 mins and tastes even better than what I make at home.

All you need is a pot, water and coffee!

The video I needed

I use the GSI Outdoors Java Drip for coffee. Collapses and closes up to keep clean. Filters with it for easy clean up. The other I use is Wacaco Picopresso for espresso which works very well. The Aeropress Go works well too. I heat up coffee with a small alcohol stove using the yellow HEET containers for fuel which you can make your own with a tuna can.

GREAT VIDEO COMPARISONS. Not gonna lie, I was rooting for the STANLEY Pour-Over. I'm a huge STANLEY fan. Love that set. Also love the STANLEY Boil-N-Brew French Press. Both are GoTo choices. That STANLEY Pour-Over is a great piece of kit for a pocket brew-up. The STANLEY Boil-N-Brew is great for packaging and day tripping and campfire brew-up. Your French Press needs the use of a separate kettle since it is Double Walled, not campfire friendly as they can explode from heat build-up.

Good shoot out Casey, using all the above for close to 60 years all i use at home or camping/ traveling is a single burner gas stove and a Stainless steel moka pot, 1 full mug at a time

Great video bro. Ive been using the French press but i might try that pour over

The Stanley Adventure French Press stainless steel 32 oz is the best and all in one, boil, brew, pour.

I like to perk about 15 to 20 minutes. For a shorter perking time I add another scoop "for the pot." I love the way the house smells when coffee is perked. My absolute favorite percolator is my antique glass Pyrex with a glass stem and basket with the only metal parts being the top screen and bottom screen. Nothing makes a better cup. 2nd best is my antique Corning Ware "recalled" electric percolator. My daughter nicked a hole in the side; I had to search tons of antique stores to find a replacement. For a 6 cup pot I use an old "Chock Full O Nuts" coffee scoop and add three heaping scoops of med. grind freshly ground beans. I'm also more partial to a medium roast. True Mocha Java is my favorite.

I love aeropress, camping or not. Its easy to use, and easy to clean. I have an immersion heater ($15 US on amazon) that I use with my jetboil sumo, and it takes about 20 minutes at 250W to boil 1.8L, compared to about 9 or so minutes with the butane stove. That's enough for instant oatmeal or coffee for everyone.

This is awesome! About 6 months ago I was actually trying to find what would work best for me and I went through some of this same testing. Some people are definitely going to find this handy! As for me, I found the Moka Pot to work out best for my needs currently. Your right though, sometimes breaking out the stove is a bit cumbersome. Maybe one day I’ll just start cold brewing and have it on standby….

There are many more options for "Camp Coffee". My morning coffee is a ritual and it needs to be a great cup for me to start my day off right! I spent too many years drinking terrible camp coffee (Percolator) My preferred Camp Coffee is Pour Over method using the GSI Java Mill (fresh ground coffee) and the Collapsable GSI Java Drip. I boil my water using a MSR Rocket Stove and MSR Kettle. The key is the let the Bloom for 45sec and have the right grind for 2-3 min extraction. I also use a Wacaco Espresso Press… but that is more an evening thing for me! These are compact system that make great coffee. I hear the Areopress also make a great cup of coffee!

I'm familiar with the Moka pot, so two observations: first, it is NOT an espresso machine; second, you took it off the heat too soon. Others have commented on you less than optimal percolator method. One general observation: you have never mentioned the grind size of the coffee, e.g. fine or coarse. Each brewing method requires different grind sizes for the optimal result.

Love this video. Regular dude trying to find a good cup of coffee in a way majority of people would like. I will say through my experience if I want a single cup and have or want to take the time to take to make one, the Aero press is the way to go. But I have a family and a lot of times need to make coffee for a few people, in this case for me it's the percolator. I say get a better one (stainless with a bubble on top) and give it some more tries. It doubles as a hot water pot too. Something about the sound of the perc in the camper in the morning or outside (while I'm getting my gear on or starting a fire). Also, I can just pour it right into my thermos while its fresh and super-hot and I'm good to go fishing/hunting/dip netting, whatever I'm doing if I don't want to bring the aero press and make a cup. Usually pour it in the thermos anyways and we pour our cups from there throughout the morning. Get that thermos in there and now your kids got another thing to really remember the trips from with the percolator. :) Another thing about the percolator is I can't tell you how many times we've tossed it right back on the heat to heat up another cup if you don't have it in a thermos. I say give it some time and tries and you'll be happy with it.

FYI the Stanley fellow on the video showing the pour over said you can make a whole thermos worth in one go. But can't pour it all at once for the water. But can do it he says. I'm going to test that but for how good that tasted and being able to make a bunch like the percolator then seems like a good option for camp by putting it direct into a thermos.

Best camp coffee is the Starbucks Via Instant. Pure coffee added to hot water dissolves instantly without much drama. Perfect, quick, nothing to clean, easy to pack a bunch. On the Appalachian trail, they are like gold that you can trade for and are the number one choice.

You can get a cheap, collapsible silicone pour over cone and paper filters. Hand-held ceramic grinder or pre-grind. Hot water via camp stove. Good coffee, easy clean up, LNT. And you can use whatever whole beans you like. Thanks!

Aeropress wins hands downs. The travel comes with cup and all. Makes coffee shop level coffee

Great video and really appreciate sharing this video

Awesome!

Remember, you also get a larger Moka Pot (18 cup = 4x americano mugs) to make for say 4x people coffee. Agree with your conclusion. In this scenario Moka Pot will make best tasting coffee. I pre heat water before hand for moka . Experts agree it even result in a better tasting moka pot otherwise you can get a too bitter taste.

If u have a power supply the kettle would be the best one, you could use it for much more things.

Cold brew your coffee in the French press overnight the pour it off and heat it up. Great cup of coffee

I like the one with the pods …. Because I don’t do much over nighting it Red and black one the espresso #Coffee

you tested bloom, then brew vs brew. for me - complications of the brewing eliminates espresso, nespresso machine. to improve perc - possibly start a perc, take it off heat, wait for bloom, return to perc for 4+ minutes. But the combo of straightforward brew, easy cleanup and good taste leaves french press in #1. in any case, i can tolerate sludge in the bottom of my cup and strong or bitter taste but hate fumbling with cleanup of the perc system at camp

Fortunately my wife and I like plain black coffee. Nothing fancy. We don’t do espresso or other fancy coffee drinks. We use a inexpensive electric drip coffee maker when we have electricity, purchased at Walmart for less than $20. When we don’t have power, we use the Stanley all in one brew and boil French press. both make good coffee. Unlike most French presses you can heat the water right in the Stanley. Very convenient. That’s all we need.

He should have included the Vietnamese Stainless Steel Pour Over Coffee maker, which is less bulky, and lighter than the Stanley Pour Over maker.

Since I make French Press every morning, that’s my vote. 😋 Also a very easy one to do while camping (just a bit more effort than instant) That French press grind was… so, so wrong. You need a much coarser grind, that stuff came out looking like sludge and I can tell it tasted like it. 😂

I have a couple French press units now , one is for 2 small cups at a time and I recently got a Stanley 32oz one for when I go out with my daughter and son in law . I don't find cleanup to be a huge deal especially the big one , I can use just a half sheet paper towel and wipe it virtually clean with one swipe and dispose of it over my camp trash can , then rinse , let dry and put it away . I really like the coffee from both of them , even though from what I have read it is not the best from a health standpoint but then again what is . At 64 I don't really care what's good or bad for me anymore so I'm going to have to go with what I like most .

There's nothing weak about Nespresso unless of course you tried to make a whole mug of coffee from 1 capsule.

Really enjoyed your video Casey. Who knew you were such a coffee connoisseur... lol. I have a french press and a percolator... think I'll try the pour over next (or maybe an aeropress mentioned below). Always looking forward to another video!

Amazon has what looks like this same pot but another makers name makes 1 liter of coffee for lil under $30 US, if you have a group Stanley makes a 48 oz French press for about $55 US and is a good carafe to keep coffee hot longer

I watched a video where they used pre-boiled water in Moka Pot. The theory was that the coffee grounds didn’t sit in the heat while the water warmed, and thus less likely to burn the coffee grounds. Of course that adds a step… and you already said the Moka Pot was the best tasting. Nice video!

I use Starbucks via Italian roast instant coffee, good and super easy.

Try using a coarser grind with the French press adjusting to taste.

Casey, very interesting video. As we are newbees (or wannabees) we enjoy videos like this to help us make decisions regarding gear. You should together with Brad from TRAILRECON, and with the crew from EPIC FAMILY ROADTRIP to do a field coffee taste-off !! Don't throw away the percolator. have a contest and give it to one of your subscribers. Make sure you autographic it. You may be able to take a tax write-off as well.

Hi , the best coffee taste for me is the coffee filter the pour over thx for your video !

MSR coffe filter was cheap light and make good coffe too when backpacking / simplicity was often bether so as soon everyones have a cup and a filter we just have to boil wather

I highly endorse the Stanley pour over - so simple, easy and good quality brew

Hey Casey, I found the Stanley pour over top piece only on Amazon for $32 cad. 👍

Black rifle coffee has lots of drippers, kettles and presses

Did anyone mention cowboy coffee? I guess not. I’ve done espresso, french press, percolator, drip coffee and I still make cowboy coffee my preference even at home. Good review of all different types. Thanks.

On the nespresso, do you run a no-pod water only cleaning round after each use? Otherwise the taste starts to get tainted by the residue from past brews. Nespresso definitely isn’t the same as a dedicated espresso machine but not too bad if you keep it clean. You can also recycle the pods. Biggest downside from my view is the $0.70 (US) per pod cost.

What makes the best cup-o-joe? So much relies on individual taste. Do you prefer light, medium, or dark roast? Cream? Sugar? Something else? I think your testing method while trying to be fair, use the exact ratio of coffee to water in all the devices, created sort of a one size fits all limit. And you know people,, one size definitely don't fit all.. The Moka pot didn't follow that parameter, you fill the filter to the top, and surprise you rated it the best tasting. I've used 4 of the 5 devices and they all can make a tastty cup. I haven't used the netpresxo (sp?). But my experience is they all have their own sweet spot for what makes the best cup. I like a full bodied cup, others call it strong. I tend to use a bit more grounds than most when brewIng with the Stanley, or my French press. The Moka I fill the filter. My 30 year old aluminum percolator I fill the basket about 2/3 with grounds. Yeah it is the clunkiest to use but for some reason watching the sun rise thru tall pines in camp it makes some pretty darn tasty java. And you display true coffee junkie behavior. A true believer never has just one method to brew a cup. Thanks for making the video, I enjoyed it. Now I'm gonna finish my coffee which I brewed with the Stanlet por thru this morning.

I'm surprised you didn't test the Stanley coffee press/travel mug

Tried everything over the years, I keep coming back to a perculator.

Aeropress is the best. Inexpensive, small, easy to use and clean, healthiest and great tasting Caffè Americano.

I accidentally purchased ground coffee instead of whole bean because the shelf was not properly stocked and i wasnt paying attention but just tried it in my french press and discovered the plunger wouldn't move because of how fine the ground was so from now on i always check before buying

You should use an opaque container (not plastic) for your grounded coffee to keep it fresh longer.

Of course, when you are talking about making coffee for several people, you run into the conundrum regarding a wide variety of personal taste. Peet’s and Starbucks use the European standard of two tablespoons of coffee per 5 ounce cup (and the latter is key: five, not eight, ounces). And, obviously, the type of coffee as well as the coarseness of grind hugely impacts the result. Regarding overlanding or camping, I think another consideration is how you are going to clean the coffee makers that have residual grounds, since that requires a fair amount of water and also poses the problem of how to pack out the waste. French press coffee can be delicious, and I have a few of the camp style makers, but, as others have commented, I think the Aeropress system (which is similar to a French press) makes the most sense. It creates a compressed disk or puck of grounds that you can easily pop into a plastic bag or other container for later disposal, and you can make repeated cups of coffee as fast as you can heat the water. Also, the system is tiny, packing down into a mug size container, including the supply of filter disks. By the way, Miranda from REI made a pretty hilarious video about camp coffee making devices and methods.

I use daily the french press, then sometime the moka pot 50% milk 50% coffee.

What water temperature do you use

Literally used enough coffee to make an entire pot through every single one lol.

I have the Italian aluminum set as your mocha one. It rocks. I call it crack coffee!!! Lol hours of energy.

French press has my vote every time.

French press. We use it at home, camping, overlanding alone or not. We use the GSI one outside.

I switched to an Aeropress for camp life except for the few times I just make cowboy coffee

Nespresso, Keurig, and generic coffee makers all put hot water through lots of plastic...no thanks. Also, you should make sure moka pots are stainless steel, and not aluminum. Stanley pour over also has plastic piece on the filter

What is the power source you’ve used when taking your Nespresso on the road? I’m looking at the Jackery and the Blueletti.

To fancy for me, I just do the instant coffee, I'm not overly picky. Lol

I think Brad @Trail Recon will fight you about the Percolator. He likes that as a favorite. You’ll have to try some of his I guess to see if it’s different his has a clear bubble in the lid to watch.

Pyrex for the win!

jet boil is the absolute best

Go for the Aeropress

You are supposed to get the water boiling first before you add the perculator inside parts with the coffee etc, then you will for sure not burn your coffee on the Coleman