The Best Off-Grid Camping Coffee

Since we primarily dry camp, we don’t want to rely on an electric coffee maker for our trailer. And we wanted something that tastes better than the percolator. So instead, this is the process we use to brew great tasting coffee while camping off-grid.

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Step 1: Grind Coffee

Before we leave, we coarsely grind coffee and put it into a canister. We use the Coffee Gator canister and it does a good job at keeping it fresh. We do also have a manual grinder that we keep in the trailer just in case we run out and need to go buy some more beans.

Step 2: Prep the Trailer

While we’re camping, before we go to bed, we make sure the hood vent outside is open. Then we transform the stove area from a counter to a stove by removing any junk that’s been piled up throughout the day. Next, we get our kettle out and put the water in it.

We use the Outwell collapsible kettle and it’s great because it collapses. Before we had it, we just used our percolator to boil water in. In either you only want to fill it a max of about two-thirds full with water so it doesn’t boil over.

Step 3: Boil Water

When we wake up, we turn the fan on above the stove and turn the burner on under the kettle. In our kettle it takes about 12 minutes for the water to boil. I normally set a timer for 12 minutes and lay back down in bed until the water is ready for the coffee.

We turn it off when we start seeing steam come out of the top.

Step 4: Add Coffee to the French Press

We then add our ground coffee to our french press. We like to use the GSI Outdoors French Press. Instead of glass, it’s made with a shatter resistant plastic which makes it much easier to travel with.

Our french press is 30 ounces and for that, we add two and a half scoops, which is 75 milliliters of coffee.

Then we shake the french press gently. Just so the coffee grounds lay flat.

Step 5: Add Water

We then pour the hot water into the french press. We try to pour it evenly on the coffee grounds. To do that, we either pour in a circular motion or twist the cup while we’re pouring it.

Make sure to leave enough space at the top for the lid. Once you’re done pouring the water put the lid on but don’t push down the plunger yet.

Step 6: Wait

Wait 12 minutes for the coffee to brew in the french press.

Step 7: Push the Plunger

After that you’re ready to push the plunger at the top of the french press down. Go as slow as possible. Once it’s at the bottom, rotate the lid so the pour spout is opened. On our french press there’s an arrow to indicate.

Step 8: Pour and Serve

Then, pour the coffee into a cup. Our french press makes two large coffees. Add anything extra you’d like in your coffee and then your coffee is ready to enjoy!