1/2 oz coffee gizmo at REI

The basic idea is OK, but the capacity for coffee or tea is too small.. Makes a small 6-8 oz cup of weak not so good coffee. I have tried with different grinds . I would say don't bother

I thought about those…briefly.Now I just take Java Juice.

Hey wait a minute…I thought I was changing my avatar? I hope I didn't spoil anyone's meal with that!

Only recommended if you like Midwest-style tan coffee. It won't make a real cuppa joe, and takes long enough that the water cools considerably in the process.

I used it a few times but don't care much for it. I prefer cowboy.

I've been wondering if our old friend the empty beer can might be 'pressed' into service (excuse the pun, I'm new here) with a replacement parts plunger/filter from one of the cafetierre makers.

Bodum do a filter assembly at 70mm. Beer cans are around 2 5/8", which is a few mm smaller.
I wonder how much that spiral spring round the edge would squeeze up…

I use almost 2 tablespoons full of Folgers per cup — and the above gadget is just half the size! No wonder folks say the brew is weak.

I hope Jeanette Whitlock will have the courtesy of editing her post above and removing the huge photo that slows down the entire thread! Thanks in advance.

I use almost 2 tablespoons full of Folgers per cup — and the above gadget is just half the size!

I suppose you could double the weight and cram two into the cup. Still won't extract flavor like a press does through…

Sorry folks,its my wife's login but I use this site as you can see,I'm so computer illiterate,I don't know how to remove it.
Patrick

click the little icon with the pencil in it at the bottom of the post and edit out the image reference maybe?

the best method I've found is to make a concentrate prior to the trip and carry that. No messy grounds, and you can have hot coffee in the morning and/or iced coffee from a cold mountain stream in the afternoon.
We start with fresh, organic Costa Rican whole beans, ground fine, then use an Aero-press coffee maker (inexpensive and indestructible) to make an espresso-like concentrate, then just take that along instead of all the other crap. Each person can add as little or as much additonal water as they prefer.
Works great and the end result is so great (no bitterness AT ALL) that we make it this way at home also.

Hard to beat Java Juice. Weighs more than coffee bags or powdered but flavor is 10X better IMHO.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/java_juice_coffee_extract.html

I have to disagree … Java juice is not that great and fairly expensive. I switched to Folgers singles and while they are not quite as good, they are much cheaper … a friend of mine takes the aeropress and ground coffee, not sure if I want to add that much weight …
S.

"a friend of mine takes the aeropress and ground coffee, not sure if I want to add that much weight …"

That's why you make the concentrate at home and take that!!
Aaarggghhh!!

Part of the reason I went for the slightly heavier Jet Boil stove for many hikes was for the coffee press (0.3oz). Just before a hike I roast, then course grind my favorite coffee (Yemen Mokha Sana'ani), place 26gms in each mini zip lock bag, then use one bag for each "pot" of coffee on the trail. If the water is good, it's as good as I make daily at home.

Another great option for coffee snobs is both Cowboy Coffee and Turkish Coffee. For Cowboy Coffee use the desired amount of semi-fine grind coffee in your cook pot. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Take it off the heat and let it settle. When the grounds are fully saturated they will settle to the bottom. Pour, drink, and enjoy!

Try Turkish style coffee for smaller amounts, which you can make right in your cup. Get the finest grind possible. Place a spoonful in your cup. Pour in hot water, stir, and let it sit. The fine grounds will saturate and settle quickly. Drink and enjoy. Just skip the last few gulps.

The trick to both methods is using finely ground coffee. The finer the grind the faster the grounds will saturate and settle.

These are both ultra-light coffee options since they require no extra equipment.

I second the vote for cowboy or turkish coffee, the only downside to these (compared to say java juice) is that you still have the grounds to deal with, and turkish style coffee doesn't work if you add milk/milk powder (or so I'm told by some wimps that insist their coffee needs more than just good quality coffee grounds and hot water). The plus side is very light and very good coffee (as good as the beans you use).

"Ralphs" instant Coffee crystals are great. Just boil water, no coffee grounds or Folgers little bags to carry out. I love my Coffee and used to carry a little percolator for the last 30 years, I now can save the weight with the instant Coffee. As always try it at home first to see if you like it.

I've tried one and have to agree with the comments above that it makes weak coffee. Plus, it's messy. I've tried a lot of coffee gizmos and have gone back to instant. Not the best taste but light, compact, and convenient. The fact that everything tastes better on the trial mitigates the less-than-Starbucks quality.

I find instants are the way to go. After years of "research," I've settled in Nescafe Taster's Choice instant coffees, either "100% Columbian" (most expensive) or "Gourmet Roast" (more reasonable). These rival a good brewed coffee (especially when miles from nowhere), but have no mess and are easy to pack.

I simply use empty tea bags and fill these with 2TBL of medium or coarse ground beans. I fold the empty section down multiple times and stuff it into my cup, pour the hot water in, and let it sit for about 4-5 minutes. Voila. The refuse is neatly contained and it's a perfect cup-of-joe; on par with my French Press at home. I tried the instant stuff and, frankly, I'd never touch it again.

I've been buying these online, at that size it can easily hold 2-4TBL of coffee grounds, the smaller size is more trouble to fold and keep contained:

http://www.sunburstbottle.com/s.nl/it.A/id.14/.f

(I found the site while purchasing aluminum bottles to make gramweenie and white box stoves)

Initially, I took a zip lock with an appx. amount of coffee grounds and filled the empty tea bags at the camp site. But this last weekend I quickly pre-prepared the coffee bags before heading out, storing those in a zip lock.

Ha, ha. Simon, I use the Nescafe one too!

You really need to trim your nose hair before giving us this much of a close up.

Well I tried an Aero-press at home. It does eliminate the bitterness, and I find I miss that! So I guess Aero-press is not for me. I am posting it on Gear Swap in case anyone else wants it.

Re: The little coffee gizmo that doesn't hold enough. If you can make cowboy coffee but you don't like the grounds in the bottom of your cup (especially if you use milk powder), there's that little MSR filter. REI.com says it weighs an ounce but that would be with the little cap which you don't need to bring. This is the filter that's featured in Mike's article about making coffee. (Well I thought it was a BPL article but now I'm not finding it in a site search.) Don't "drip" the water through coffee in the filter–this takes forever and your coffee gets cold. Make cowboy coffee in the pot (you don't have to keep it on the fire after stirring the coffee in) and then pour it through the filter into your cup.

And you can be to the drive through espresso shack before you know it :-D

Oh, you mean the rest of the country doesn't have espresso huts all the way up the mountain passes on the state highways?

Hehheh!!