My dad was a cook on a warship (Canadian Corvette ... "Hepatica") during WWII. After the war, he never used a coffee percolator or any type of coffee-making apparatus, he just used a saucepan and the coffee grounds. Brought the water to a boil, turned the heat down, waaay down, added the grounds and let it simmer for a while, then turned off the heat, let the grounds settle, and poured it out directly into cups. Used to drive my wife nuts (who always considered herself a coffee aficianado) but to be truthful, it was the best coffee ever, way better than I was getting at home. I'm glad my wife doesn't read the CG stuff.
I dont drink much caffine anymore but when I do I use a french press. Kinda the same idea without the grounds!!! :-) I would be more than happy to drink your dads coffee.
Reminds me of the stories my mom and dad tell about the way coffee used to be made in country homes they lived in or around. Many homes in rural areas had one wood stove to heat the house, and to make coffee they would set a tin coffee pot (not a percolator, just a bare pot with a handle a spout, and maybe a lid). To make coffee is like you described with the saucepan--just boil the water and add grounds, let the grounds settle. The difference is, the way my dad tells it, they didn't empty out old coffee grounds, just added more water and coffee to what was already in there until it got so full of grounds that you couldn't pour a cup without getting grounds in your cup.
He also said you never wash the pot (as if it was desirable to have a seasoned pot).
Well that makes me feel better about only washing my coffee pot out once a week, I must like it seasoned too!!! :biggrin:
I was visiting the western US a few years ago and had a dinner where out hosts made exactly what you describe. It's a traditional way of making coffee on the trail and is called (here anyway) cowboy coffee. It was truly the best cup of coffee I ever had. Maybe the setting had something to do with it, a beautiful afternoon in the mountains. Check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboy_coffee
http://archive.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/34189
I never wash my travel mug. It is a stainless mug from starbucks. I drives my wife crazy I just rinse it with water. I'm on my third mug thanks to her. She will buy me a new one just when I get good and seasoned. That's almost grounds for a divorce.
I do like my coffee the way you explained it that is the way we had it in the field in the Marines.
I love to do mine in a turkish style, boil the water, ad the grounds, boil and let cool 3 times and drink, grounds and all. Its great.
I was in Iraq and the natives make something they call Turkish coffee. It is very finely ground (like dust). They put the coffee directly in the cup and add boiling water, then if I remember correctly they stir it, then let it steep until the coffee solids settle on the bottom of the cup.
Then they drink until they get down to the "mud" at the bottom of the cup. I never tried it though, not that adventurous.
I drink two cups of black coffee every morning. I am going to try this!
Drinking the grounds is not the way at turkish and greek establishments I frequent. For Greek instead of Turkish add sugar to the boil.
Those of you who have watched the Stooges and ever seen Curly or shemp drop egg shells into the coffee pot, that is to 'fine' or precipitate the grounds out of the coffee.
My camping coffee pot is a non perc. Nowadys you can use those pre-paks of coffee and the grounds are not an issue.
My old landlord was Turkish and we always conducted any sort of business over Turkish coffee. He has an authentic ibrik (I think its called) and takes a while on a slow boil to brew and drink. Also, he always put sugar in the pot.
We always waited for the grounds to settle before drinking and it was the best coffee I've ever had. If Twinky drinks the coffee, grounds and all, go for it!
As far as camping, it's the same principle but we always let it boil too fast and it can get bitter and there are too many grounds floating around but who cares - you are drinking coffee on a beautiful morning in the mountains!!
This sounds very interesting. I might just have to try this!
Sounds a little like the way I make coffee while out camping. I agree that there's nothing like coffee made with a little elbow grease.
Try one of these, they make far better coffee than my French Press's: http://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1271471179&sr=8-1
Quotevw77guy - 4/16/2010 9:21 PM
Sounds a little like the way I make coffee while out camping. I agree that there's nothing like coffee made with a little elbow grease.
I've had your coffee and it did taste like elbow grease. :lmao: :lmao:
QuoteBeegerply - 4/16/2010 11:02 PM
Quotevw77guy - 4/16/2010 9:21 PM
Sounds a little like the way I make coffee while out camping. I agree that there's nothing like coffee made with a little elbow grease.
I've had your coffee and it did taste like elbow grease. :lmao: :lmao:
Elbow grease ain't bad compared to the coffee packets included in the MRE's I enjoyed when I was camping our for Uncle Sam. The coffee came in little packets in the accessory kit. Unfortunately, some accessory kits also had little packets of dehydrated ketchup. Sometimes a person got them mixed up early in the morning. Nasty!
My grandfather used the bare grounds method and his coffee was great. I do it myself once in awhile just for fun.
QuoteHot Stuff x - 2/20/2009 10:36 PM
Reminds me of the stories my mom and dad tell about the way coffee used to be made in country homes they lived in or around. Many homes in rural areas had one wood stove to heat the house, and to make coffee they would set a tin coffee pot (not a percolator, just a bare pot with a handle a spout, and maybe a lid). To make coffee is like you described with the saucepan--just boil the water and add grounds, let the grounds settle. The difference is, the way my dad tells it, they didn't empty out old coffee grounds, just added more water and coffee to what was already in there until it got so full of grounds that you couldn't pour a cup without getting grounds in your cup.
He also said you never wash the pot (as if it was desirable to have a seasoned pot).
I LOVE my coffee in the mornings, but my wife and her family are quite the tea people (we have at least one pot ever evening). Anyways, we received a wedding gift that was a tea pot passed down through the family. This sucker is old.......and has NEVER been cleaned. Talk about seasoned. You look in that thing and it's pretty disgusting, however, basically every time we make tea for someone else in that pot they almost always say that it's the best tea they've ever had. And we don't use special or fancy tea. Says a lot about the pot.
Very nice! I read this forum last night and couldn't wait to try this in the morning! It was the best cup of coffee I ever had! And that's how I started my morning with a nice brewed cup o' joe, and a Rocky Patel Connecticut cigar, man what a way to start off the day! :dancing:
That sounds really cool. I'll have to try that.
QuoteBesstR - 2/21/2009 11:09 AM
I never wash my travel mug. It is a stainless mug from starbucks. I drives my wife crazy I just rinse it with water. I'm on my third mug thanks to her. She will buy me a new one just when I get good and seasoned. That's almost grounds for a divorce.
I do like my coffee the way you explained it that is the way we had it in the field in the Marines.
I am very much the same way. When I finally wash my cup because the crud looks to thick, the coffee does not taste as good.
I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but this discussion intrigues me.
I am now looking into how to make Turkish coffee. If I can find an ibrik, or whatever the pot is called, I will try and make a batch.
QuoteJackal - 8/10/2010 2:18 PM
I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but this discussion intrigues me.
I am now looking into how to make Turkish coffee. If I can find an ibrik, or whatever the pot is called, I will try and make a batch.
Jason - If you want it to REALLY taste good, you have to brew it and drink it while wearing your fez with the gorilla on it! :biggrin:
QuoteBrlesq - 8/10/2010 11:32 AM
QuoteJackal - 8/10/2010 2:18 PM
I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but this discussion intrigues me.
I am now looking into how to make Turkish coffee. If I can find an ibrik, or whatever the pot is called, I will try and make a batch.
Jason - If you want it to REALLY taste good, you have to brew it and drink it while wearing your fez with the gorilla on it! :biggrin:
"No, I'm never gonna do it without the Fez on, Oh no"
QuoteBesstR - 2/21/2009 12:09 PM
I never wash my travel mug. It is a stainless mug from starbucks. I drives my wife crazy I just rinse it with water. I'm on my third mug thanks to her. She will buy me a new one just when I get good and seasoned. That's almost grounds for a divorce.
I do like my coffee the way you explained it that is the way we had it in the field in the Marines.
That's almost grounds for a divorce. :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
you made a joke there I don't know if anyone else caught it !!
Isn't this similar to what they call cowboy coffee? My dad wasn't a big coffee man so he never really bothered with it.
I've made it this way too, but after brewing up the coffee, I've been known to pour it into a different pot while straining it through a cloth. Generally I just make it in my drip maker at home though, but I keep a percolator in the cabinet for a back up and one in the tool box of my pickup along with my camp stove, so that I'm never unable to make coffee, no matter where I am.
QuoteAlphairon - 4/17/2010 3:35 AM
QuoteBeegerply - 4/16/2010 11:02 PM
Quotevw77guy - 4/16/2010 9:21 PM
Sounds a little like the way I make coffee while out camping. I agree that there's nothing like coffee made with a little elbow grease.
I've had your coffee and it did taste like elbow grease. :lmao: :lmao:
Elbow grease ain't bad compared to the coffee packets included in the MRE's I enjoyed when I was camping our for Uncle Sam. The coffee came in little packets in the accessory kit. Unfortunately, some accessory kits also had little packets of dehydrated ketchup. Sometimes a person got them mixed up early in the morning. Nasty!
My grandfather used the bare grounds method and his coffee was great. I do it myself once in awhile just for fun.
MRE coffee is a foul concoction. I do love it though because it could kill the taste of some of the "meals" I always got stuck with the Chicken Ala King MRE which ALWAYS has bones it. If I couldn't trade it away, well I knew the coffee would cover up the taste. It made me want to puke slightly less than the meal. Could have been worse. They could have tried to give us that nasty ass chickory.
I don't know...A good New Orleans style Cafe Au Lait (milk slightly scalded, not steamed) made from a good coffee/chicory blend is pretty damned hard to beat. :dancing:
I'll have to try doing coffe this way. As for the coffee in the MREs, there are things in my life I am just trying to forget.
Quoteconsti - 8/12/2010 10:09 PM Isn't this similar to what they call cowboy coffee? My dad wasn't a big coffee man so he never really bothered with it.
I think it is similar, but cowboys usually had a large capacity porcelain/graniteware type pot. I just read a book on Cowboy Cooking and they talked about how sometimes greenhorns would get assigned to help out "cooky." at the chuckwagon. The cook traditionally treated this hired hand as just a touch above pond scum to begin with. The greenhorn would stupidly think he was doing something right hoping to gain favor with cooky and he'd go and clean out the coffee pot! invoking rage not only from cooky, but from all the cowboys as well! One anecdote said the cook was chasing the greenhorn around with a club, intending to beat him for messing up the years of "seasoning" on the pot.