I finally tried Via on my last trip and was underwhelmed, especially at the price. I am going back to my Instant Italian Espresso (Ferraro brand), really not too bad.

Ditto on Via products. It is still instant, but light years ahead of the rest of the instant products.

Real coffee? A #2 Melita cone and filter that sits on top of my insulated mug and the resulting brew is the same as what I drink at home. This is fine for overnights and shorter multi-days. Cleanup is simply hauling the grounds and filters out with the rest of your garbage.

Cleaning screen type filters is a pain. Do you haul the wet grounds out or dispose of them in the backcountry?

Just noticed at Outdoor Daily that today (9/10/10) the special is two french press mugs for $29,99. If you roll that way, not a bad deal.

http://www.outdoordaily.com/

Scott

This last trip we dried out the grounds over the fire after using them before disposing, really cut down on weight and yuck factor.

One , I do not see any consideration of the relative weight of your various methods , so you might as well take fresh eggs for breakfast , they are good for at least 5 days ( do not keep too warm or to long or you might have to have fresh chicklet for dinner ). Point is that eggshells will sink grounds in cowboy coffee almost instantly . Also i think that if you double up on the VIA you will find that it is the very best hit for the gram . Lastly , comparing brewing methods to cafes in europe or any where else is totally bogus because here we do not have access to the same coffee .

I now use Starbucks VIA packets and other brands like Taster's Choice have begun to make their coffee in the small packets.

I have also used the tea bag style coffee in years past. One AT thru hiker was so impressed (and coffee starved) that after sampling one of my Folger's tea bag coffees he made a detour to a nearby town to buy them. He caught up with us a day later - natch - and the next morning was happily brewing his Java.

At home I grind my coffee every morning. Now I fine grind my coffee before a backpack trip & put it in tea bags I get at a Whole Paycheck store. (Whole Foods) :)

Edited by Danepacker on 09/11/2010 13:04:32 MDT.

The wife and I have 14 oz mugs and split 3 via packets. It is good enough for us. The taste is fine enough to drink black (usually we don't)

The weight is tiny, we don't have to worry about creamer, and it is very, very easy.

I think via is the best answer. YMMV

Ditto Starbucks Via Instant coffee packs. No extra equipment required, no messy coffee grounds to deal with, and a pretty darn good cup of joe.

Cowboy coffee is so "in tune" with the UL approach. No gadgets, no special pots, no mess. I recently saw it finished with a shot of cold water to help settle the grounds (i.e. cold water increases the density of the grounds causing them to sink). While it seemed to work well in a large 12-cup pot, I have haven't seen it done in a cup. I'm on board with scattering grounds to the soil when appropriate.

+1

Great article! I really appreciate the thoroughness. Must go out and try the "Turkish Cowboy". My Bosnian coffee grinder needs exercise.

Is a good cup of coffee in one hand and a microbrew in the other.

I just had that experience over the weekend....

One thing that affects coffee quality tremendously is the time since roasting and the time since grinding. Try to find a microroaster in your area and try to get it the day before you leave, whole bean coffee keeps its intense aroma and flavor up to a week, maybe two, after roasting. Grind it in the field if you can, but keep in mind that once you grind it, the quality is dropping by the minute, especially if it's ground finely...

I roast my own. Can't get any fresher than that!

Kyocera CM45 Coffee Grinder


Adjustable ceramic burrs. Holds about 35 grams of beans.
About 2.25"x6", with a removable handle. 8.25 ounces

When I hike without a stove, I add chocolate covered espresso beans to my trail mix in the morning.

Greg,
That Kyocera is on my wedding registry. I hear it's one of the better hand grinders you can get. At home I've used what I thought at the time were nice electric burr grinders (~$65) but they're always messy, loud, and produce an uneven grind. I've always been disappointed. Do you have the Kyocera? Comments on it?

Travis,
I have had one for about 9 months. I grind for 2 or maybe 3 AeroPress cups a day. It is consistent when grinding the same roast. Change the roast and you will have to change the grind setting. (No real surprise there.)

I grind frequently so I don't clean it very often, but when I do, it is an easy task. Just don't drop the ceramic parts.

It is pretty quiet, but certainly not silent. I can carry on a quiet conversation.

The handle has a pentagonal hole that fits over a post. It is opening up. I just have to pay a little more attention while I grind to keep it in place.

It is a PITA when you have 6 people over for dinner and they all want coffee.

It is a satisfying morning ritual for one or two.

Edited by greg23 on 09/13/2010 17:29:02 MDT.

Thanks Greg--yes, the (quieter) morning ritual is what I'm more interested in.

Not to bug you, but I've also looked at that AeroPress before. Care to comment on that as well? :)

Travis,
I sent a PM to avoid even more drift here.

Aeropress rules !!

http://www.amazon.com/Aerobie-80R08-AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso/dp/B000GXZ2GS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1284494556&sr=8-1

now if they would just come out with a lightweight trail version............