Perfect Camping Coffee

D.E.Bishop wrote:
...
I do have a serious question, however, who determined that 190 degrees is the perfect temperature for brewing coffee and what objective testing methodology was used?

Actually the temperature depends on the type of coffe, type of brewing, and how you like your coffee. If you're doing espresso then you'll want a higher temperature: closer to 210 degrees. Also French Press coffee will need to have boiling water, 212 degrees, to properly get the most from your French Press. It needs to be hotter because it cools down pretty quickly.

Mostly 190-200 degrees has been arrived at by trial and error. It's what tends to get the most flavor out of the beans without cause excess acidity.

jplante4 wrote:

tatest wrote:
People get caught up in coffee making tech, forgetting how the beverage was prepared for hundreds of years.

Would make a great movie. The Starbuck's generation goes camping.

Starbuck generation?

Drank cowboy coffee for years.
Drank percolated coffee for years.
Drip coffee, Moka Pot, etc.
Experimented until we found what worked best for us.

Cowboys traditionally herded cattle when they drank their Arbuckle coffee.... Do you only prepare the beef you eat one way?:)

D.E.Bishop wrote:
I do have a serious question, however, who determined that 190 degrees is the perfect temperature for brewing coffee and what objective testing methodology was used?

It depends on the brewing method. Too cold, and you don't extract the flavor. Too hot (i.e. boiling) and you actually burn the coffee.

With this thread and a few others thrown in, my early morning chuckles are guaranteed. There are almost as many perfect ways to brew coffee as there are models of RVs. Some enterprising Senior Member should organize an International Symposium on making the perfect cup of coffee. Of course there would have to be several of them held, one for percolators with and without the pump and basket, of course that would require it include with and without the use of electric pots, one for the TRUE(someone mentioned that sometime in the past) FRENCH PRESS, one with hand ground beans, one with electric ground beans, one on temperature...

I do have a serious question, however, who determined that 190 degrees is the perfect temperature for brewing coffee and what objective testing methodology was used?

jplante4 wrote:

tatest wrote:
People get caught up in coffee making tech, forgetting how the beverage was prepared for hundreds of years.

Would make a great movie. The Starbuck's generation goes camping.

LOL! It's been done:
IFHT Films - "My First Time Camping" - YouTube

tatest wrote:
People get caught up in coffee making tech, forgetting how the beverage was prepared for hundreds of years.

Would make a great movie. The Starbuck's generation goes camping.

When camping, we just use a cowboy pot over the campfire.

In a RV, your options expand. I would use a filter system with water heated on the propane stove or campfire, because that takes less time than a percolator.

People get caught up in coffee making tech, forgetting how the beverage was prepared for hundreds of years.

Veebyes wrote:
Sheesh doesn't anyone use a simple stovetop perculator anymore?

We did for 16 years of boondocking. It makes awesome coffee!! All these other gadgets require heating water and putzing with the device. Put everything in a perculator and enjoy!

SAR Tracker wrote:

Me too.. this.

Okie,
I was on a dinner cruise last fall on Lake Tahoe near my house, and I ran into Kent Rollins and his lovely wife. He is a gentleman and a great chuck wagon cook. I have been cooking with Dutch Ovens for 40 years and making "cowboy coffee" the whole time. A percolator works fine, just throw away everything but the pot and the lid.