Coffee Nomad

Is it true what they say about egg shells? Do they really magically filter out loose coffee grounds?

I have heard from numerous sources that this does in fact work, which means that this would be a handy trick around a campfire in case you didn’t bring any kind of sifter/filter with you (of course you’d also have to bring eggs).  Supposedly egg shells also also “mellow out” the coffee so it’s not so hard on your sensitive little camper tummy.

If you are roughing it and you have no choice but to boil coffee grounds in water, I would recommend straining out the coffee within a few a minute after adding it to the boiling coffee, and only add the grounds after the water comes to a boil.  When you boil coffee grounds for more than a minute (or maybe even 30 seconds) it becomes excessively bitter, like chewing that grainy recycled paper they give to grade school kids — this is why most restaurants (that I have heard of) will serve their Turkish coffee with sugar automatically.

In a camping situation, where you have to boil coffee, in lieu of a strainer you can also use  a standard utensil (such as a spoon) to separate the grounds.

Another option:  Bring a coffee percolator.

Another option:  Bring a French press.  A French press would make a better than average cup of campfire brew (just pour in the boiling water). On the downside: French presses are a hassle to keep clean, they’re fragile, and they’re not a very manly piece of camping gear.  Seriously, would Daniel BOONE use a French press? I think not.

Speaking of Daniel Boone, what if there was a Daniel Boone coffee blend?  It would taste like leather and tree bark and it would double as gun powder in a pinch.