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One Fresh Cup coffee brewing

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Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 33 total)
Dale Wambaugh BPL Member
PostedDec 5, 2008 at 9:12 pm

I came across this product on http://www.minimus.biz/ while searching instant coffee products. One Fresh Cup is marketed by KMJ International of Long Beach, California. See their web site at http://www.onefreshcup.com/product.asp.

So you get a foil bag about 4" square and 1/4" thick that weighs 0.4oz/10g. Inside is what looks like a large teabag with ground coffee inside and a die-cut card stock gizmo on each side that hooks over the edge of your coffee cup. You open the perforated top edge of of the bag, place the holders on oposite sides of your cup and pour hot water over the grounds.

I'm not big on the waste generated, but it should be biodegradeable other than the outer packaging. It makes a real cup of coffee using compact and light means and it would make a good coffee system for overnight or three-day trips. Looks like a clever solution to me.

I've used the little #2 Melita filters and filter holder that sits on a mug. It has the same problem in having to pack out a soggy filter with grounds in it and the holder does take up a little room. I wonder of I could make my own filter holder from a cut up file folder? It shoulder take more that a little scissor work and a few staples. More later….. :)

Ken Thompson BPL Member
PostedDec 5, 2008 at 10:04 pm

I tried these a few years back and had problems with the packaging being uncooperative in that the filter section would come apart when opening the cone up. Lost 1 in 5 or 4 maybe. And too small amount of coffee. I want something that will make a 20 oz cup of coffee. I am thinking of making a cone of nanoseeum netting, though the Montbell fabric filter cone looks O.K. as well.

PostedDec 6, 2008 at 7:55 am

They work OK but not fantastic.

Now onto making a DIY filter here is an idea: you can take cone filters, add the ground coffee for one cup (to your cups size of course!) then sew the top closed with cotton thread. Cut off the top excess and you have a "coffee bag". Then toss it in like a tea bag when you make coffee. Due to it being a filter and cotton it is biodegradable later. As for soggy filters, that is easy – park them on a rock for an hour or so, pressing out any extra water first with your fingers. Tea bags and coffee filters dry out fast!

victoria maki BPL Member
PostedDec 6, 2008 at 8:15 am

i found the folgers single coffee bags are an ok alternative to bringing coffee and a filter. you have to leave them sit in the water long enough to get the flavor. i have a titanium mug to which i sewed a cozy and found gladware 4 oz. containers have a cover(used upside down) that fits perfectly over my mug. on the top of the cover i superglued a piece of foil type bubble wrap. keeps the coffee hot for quite some time. the only minus is the foil type wrap that the coffee comes in. you could remove the foil prior to your trip and just put the bags into a ziplock, but i think they would get stale if it is a long trip. i squeeze out all the liquid into my mug and lay them on a rock to dry. if no time to do that, just hang them from your pack until dry.

Joe Clement BPL Member
PostedDec 6, 2008 at 9:08 am

I'm with Victoria. The Folger's packs are just too easy, and I've gotten too lazy. I still use the DeLonghi Magnifica at home though.

Rick Dreher BPL Member
PostedDec 6, 2008 at 9:21 am

Must have my joe; must have my joe; must have….

I've tried most every method and gizmo available, and for now have settled on either Java Juice (a bit more tart of a roast than I prefer, but otherwise quite good) and the MSR Mugmate (takes a lot of coffee, but no waste other than the grinds themselves).

I await the next bit of technology.

PostedDec 6, 2008 at 5:23 pm

I just pour very hot water over the coffee of my choice ground 1 notch coarser than espresso(more surface area exposed to the hot water without the grounds going colloidal), cover and let sit for ~3-5 minutes(depending on the altitude), stir to settle the grounds, and enjoy. Aaaaahhh. I can smell it now, the indescribably delightful aroma of Yemen Mocha Sanani filling my nostrils as the sun rises above the Kaweah Peaks Ridge. Thus begins another crummy day in paradise. Sort the coffee equivalent of toilet paperless backpacking.

Roger Caffin BPL Member
PostedDec 6, 2008 at 5:43 pm

Hi Rick

> I await the next bit of technology.
Behold:
Coffee Filter

Fine stainless steel mesh, spot-welded together into a filter which just fits neatly over a standard (lightweight) fairly air-tight face cream jar. Coffee is carried in the jar of course. A hook on the side of the filter hangs over the edge of the cup.

Cheers

victoria maki BPL Member
PostedDec 7, 2008 at 4:07 am

so i have to ask. joe, what is delonghi magnifica? coffee brand or brewing method. never heard of it. also, you guys that take grounds. do you pack them out? i would love a real cup of coffee, but am planning a 4 week hike on the john muir next summer and packing out grounds seems like a pain…easier to pack out a neat little package of folgers. i just ordered java juice for the mornings that i'm going to have to get up at 3 to get over the passes in a timely manner. don't like the idea of cold coffee, but will save time by not having to heat water plus i won't get a caffine withdrawl headache. yes, i am addicted to my 2 cups in the morning…..

PostedDec 7, 2008 at 8:21 am

Slight thread drift here, but I'm a self-admitted Seattle coffee snob and about the lightest, easiest and bestest tasting coffee I've found for the trail is Medaglia D'Oro Instant Espresso Coffee: http://www.foodlocker.com/1-00002.html

Nothing to pack out and it has a FANTASTIC flavor!

victoria maki BPL Member
PostedDec 7, 2008 at 8:40 am

thank you steve. i am constantly looking for an instant that tastes good instead of the folgers bags, which like i said are an ok alternative to fresh. i will give your brand a try…

PostedDec 7, 2008 at 9:01 am

I don't know how much it weighs but I have an old Aluminum 9-cup coffee pot that I have been carrying for over 20 years. It perculates as good now as when it was new. I have just never seen a reason to fix something that ain't broke…
On our Boy Scout troop outings, I am the only one that drinks coffee (LDS troop) and my family, with the exception of my Boy Scout son only go car camping so I have a 2nd coffee pot for just hot water when they are with me.
I am the type of person that can (and will) drink a pot of coffee and go straight to bed. After setting up camp I love to nurse a pot all night long while sitting around the campfire (or camp stove if a fire isn't permitted or advisable).

PostedDec 8, 2008 at 7:38 am

I meant to add that there are some really good instant Asian coffees available now too. I’m actually drinking one right now – I didn’t feel like making an entire pot of coffee and these are good enough that I’ll happily drink them when not on the trail.

Some of our favorites are up on Packit Gourmet but if you have a good local Asian store you can probably find them there too. Asian seems to be the way to go with instant coffee – better than Folgers any day!

PostedDec 8, 2008 at 10:30 am

For what Sarah of Packit says – yes, by all means Asian instants are awesome. My favorite is 3 in 1 Inna brand from Thailand. Good stuff.

What Steve, HD, mentions? I use the instant espresso at home all the time for cooking and my morning frappes I make. Soooo good! I also mooch off of Steve as well on trips ;-)

Sam Haraldson BPL Member
PostedDec 8, 2008 at 12:40 pm

At the summer Outdoor Retailer expo I found an interesting product from GSI that was in the prototype stage. I was very interested in it as it was basically a drip coffee system that weighed less than some similar designs. Also it is made of fabric rather than metal so it can be compacted or space.

GSI Coffee Drip

PostedDec 8, 2008 at 1:08 pm

That looks a good deal like MontBells O.D. Compact Dripper 4. It weighs 0.18 ounces and makes 4-7 cups of coffee. It's made of fabric with a collapsible metal rim. I've used mine as a particle filter for my Steripen.

dripper 4

dripper

PostedDec 8, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Chad,
Do the support sticks come with that? The Montbell site is severely lacking in details.

I'm currently using the MSR coffee filter that sits in the cup. I don't use the lid that came with it (foil instead) so it weighs 0.6 oz. Not bad but yours has it beat!

PostedDec 8, 2008 at 4:17 pm

It will be out for buying come January when GSI starts shipping them give or take.
The mug is part of their new line as well.

te – wa BPL Member
PostedDec 8, 2008 at 4:21 pm

that montbell brewer looks nice. a lighter alternative to the MSR mugmate which is .98oz (gasp!)
how you would support it w/out the sticks is a mystery.

what do you guys think of nylon stockings (panty hose material)?
this thread got me to thinking of a way to cut the foot end of a pair of nylons cut about 8" long and then spread it over a Heineken pot and then hold the works in place with a "live strong" style bracelet.
the water is then brought to near boiling and poured over your coffee 'sock'. Nylon is not going to melt is it?

PostedDec 9, 2008 at 5:34 am

Well supporting the Montbell OD is rather easy . . . just use twigs, or a couple of extra tent stakes.

PostedDec 16, 2008 at 9:50 am

You can make your own concentrated coffee with a technique called cold brewing. You end up with a 1:3 concentration of coffee. Not ideal for long treks but great for a 2-3 day hike. The advantages of this are, no soggy grounds to deal with, no soggy filter, all you do is heat water and add concentrate. I have never tried the Java Juice but it is the same concept. Another advantage is that you can store all of your concentrate in one container. If anyone is interested I can post the recipe. I can say the taste is way better that instant coffee, and a couple grades better than the coffee/tea bags.

te – wa BPL Member
PostedDec 16, 2008 at 10:13 am

here's one version:

Cold-brewed coffee concentrate

[at-home preparation]

formula:
x oz coffee (any amount, limited by the size of your brewing container)
x * 2.75 oz water
yield predictor: x * 1.15 = number of ounces of coffee concentrate (weight or fluid ounces–concentrate is similar in density to water).

example:
8 oz coffee
22 oz water (8 * 2.75)
approximate yield: 9 oz concentrate (8 * 1.15)

Directions: Grind coffee to medium-fine consistency and place in sealable container. Measure water and add slowly, being sure to moisten all the grounds. Seal the container and allow to brew (NOT on a burner – just let it steep in its own juice) for about 24 hours. After the first few hours, pat the side of the container or shake to allow the floating grounds to mix with the liquid. Thereafter, shake occasionally.

Separate grounds by draining through a drip coffee filter (just drain into the carafe). Drain all the grounds, extracting as much liquid concentrate as possible.

Store coffee concentrate in airtight container in refrigerator until ready to use.

[on-trail preparation]

For each cup, add 10-12 ounces boiling water to 1.00 fluid ounce of coffee concentrate. Add sugar and/or creamer as desired.

I have not tried this yet, these instructions were given to me by a respected friend. If there is an easier/better method please, do tell!

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 33 total)
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