Boondocking Coffee in the 400

Jaxie, over the years, we’ve tried just about every way to make coffee known to man.  Thinking about that statement....  Well...we’ve never done the big old pot over a fire like cowboys used to do, and boil the heck out of it.  Also, brother-in-law has a grind and brew maker... never had one of those...
We have pour overs and presses. But a cleverdripper?  That looks like a hybrid between the other two.  I showed your post to my wife, but didn’t say anything...Annnnd since I have powers beyond those of mortal man...  I now know what I’m getting for Christmas...along with a hand grinder.  I’ll have to act surprised.  I’ll let you know my thoughts...

She is on the forums on FB.

Thanks @pthomas745. It has been eons since I've had perc coffee. While I love the flavor of my french press coffee, I'm about done with the sludge in the mug. Clean up would be easier, too!

Don't shoot me, but . . . Cafe Bustelo Instant Espresso. Yum!

@Me_and_My_Dog As instant / robusta bean coffees go that sure is one of the best tasting.

And once you boil your water...put it in a pump thermos....keeps it boiling hot till the next day....or another pot?....

I think I’ve created a “tiny url” link to a darned interesting article about the Moka pot: https://tinyurl.com/yalmc37g

Thanks for the moka pot story, @jgram2! Great to know it's recognized for its beautiful design!

jgram2 said:

I think I’ve created a “tiny url” link to a darned interesting article about the Moka pot: https://tinyurl.com/yalmc37g

This article was GREAT! I have perfected my technique for my "6-cup" Moka pot. The flame height on the stove, the timer and my amount of creamer. I'm hooked! I also have an old 3-cup Moka pot I bought while in Argentina. I was there in 1990's and fell in love with their coffee. I now have a new 3-cup pot and a nice new 6-cup pot. I found the 3-cup to not be enough for me. 

I use the side-arm HandGround coffee grinder and find that 3.5 size grounds are a good size for the Moka pot. The top-arm grinders mess with my disability and are hard for me to use. Any espresso grind, I have to measure out grounds out in grams (about 14g per 6-cup). If I don't measure it, it'll cause the pot to leak because it clogs the filter holes. The 3.5# grind is great in that I can fill the grounds to the top of the filter like it should be. 

Thank you again @jgram2!!

@Ratkity you’ve got me researching and almost ready to pull the trigger on a 6 cup moka pot. Almost. Right now I’m using three 7gr scoops and three cups boiling water in my french press. What would a similar ratio be for the moka pot and what grind size is best? I’m the one in the coffee aisle in the grocery store either grinding it there or buying a bag of ground coffee. I store it in canning jars in the freezer. And yes, half and half is a must! Thanks!

@Homebodyatheart, my grind size to fill the filter is 3.0-3.5 (1 = espresso). French press grind is 6.5.  If you use espresso grind, do NOT fill the Moka filter to the top. Take 2 *loose* 7g scoops that are level. Don't tamp. Tamping the 3.0-3.5 number grind very carefully like @ChanW does is an art. Work on that later. I have some amazing espresso coffee and if I use 20g, I have to have two silicone seals between the bottom and top of the pot LOL. If I don't use 2 seals, it'll leak out of the sides. Note: if you look in the bottom of the Moka pot, there's a line. It's where you fill the water. Do not fill above the pressure valve. On my GE gas stove, medium burner, it's on #6 flame. Yup, that low.

You don't have to keep the top lid down. You need to watch it slowly trickle out at around 9-11 min. If you get the volcano or it spews, the heat is too high. The lower the heat, the best. It takes about 9-11 min. Slower the better. Right at the end you'll see many bubbles. Take it off the heat! Steaming your grinds is cooking them. You'll get a bitter taste. SET A TIMER! I'll sit down and forget how fast 10 min goes when I'm reading.

Ok, I tried it on my jetboil camping stove. ROFL The heat can't be lowered on the 6 cup pot to not have it spew. I can put a spoon over it and take it off the heat and the aluminum continues to heat and push the water through the grinds. It still works! My next experiment is to use the jetboil container and fill it with a little water and put my 3-cup Moka in it. It fits perfectly and the handle is outside (away from heat). Wish me luck!!!!! This is for motorcycle camping, btw. I use the tiny keurig when in the camper. LOL. I'm versatile! When I have time, I should take the HandGround grinder and my New Mexican Pinion Coffee (no nuts, just roasted with them.. smooooooooooth). Then test how high the flame needs to be for the 6 cup. Of course, in a pinch, I can eat 6-8 choc covered roasted Kona beans and that's about the amount of coffee in a 6-cup Moka pot!!! 

@DougH, I ended up in the middle of an argument between two campers about the frozen vs room temp vs time from roast vs best grinder. My head hurt afterwards. 

In the meantime, I keep my favorite beans in an airtight container at room temp and hand grind them right before using (because the grinder is small and I use a Moka pot - my kitchen is tiny). That makes the best flavor for my coffee for me. I guess my taste buds aren't good enough to tell if the beans have been stored in an airtight package in the frig (never tried freezer, too full). I haven't been storing anything in the frig in a long time because the small roaster company is now a medium to big one and I can just get 2 lbs without fear that I'll never see those type roasted beans again!