Campfire Coffee + Mocha

Courtesy of Julius Schorzman.

A few weeks ago, I realized my coffee press was cracked.  It faithfully served me delicious cups of coffee for two years.  I tried making coffee in it anyway, but it leaked immensely.  So sad!  K's father told me how to make coffee around a campfire, and I tried it at home.  It worked like a charm.  I made a huge, soup pot full of coffee and we (K, his parents and I), enjoyed chilled glasses of coffee with milk and brown sugar, with a side of freshly baked banana bread and butter.  YUM!

I ordered a new press, but have been using the campfire method for a few weeks now.  I love it!  It is ridiculously easy to make coffee this way.  I almost feel that coffee makers are unnecessary purchases.  On top of it being a money saver, I was doubly happy because now, when I go camping, I can still have my coffee without bringing anything but a pot.  Sweet!  I really hope you try it. 

The recipes here serve 2 cups (8 oz. each) of coffee.

Campfire Coffee 

Fill a pot with 2 cups of cold, clean water and heat on high.  Grind 2 tablespoons of coffee beans.  This yields about 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds.  Just after the water boils, turn the heat off and stir in the coffee grounds.  Aromatic oils in coffee are released right before boiling temperature, while bitter acids are released after boiling temperature (212°F).  Let it sit for five minutes.  This allows the coffee to steep as well as the grounds to settle.  Before you pour, check to see if the grounds have settled by scooping the surface of the coffee with a spoon.  No grounds in the spoon?  You're good to go.  Pour the coffee, leaving the grounds in the pot, and enjoy!

The quality of the coffee is dependent on a few factors.  The better the two main ingredients - water and coffee - the better the coffee.  If you can, use cold, filtered water for your coffee.  Or, if you're from Seattle, feel free to drink straight from the tap.  (The water is that good.)

Fun fact: did you know that coffee is actually a fruit juice?  Coffee "beans" are seeds from the coffee plant.

Mocha (or Chocolate Coffee, as I like to call it)

Put the coffee in a pot and turn the stove to low-medium heat.  Then, simply add cocoa powder, milk or cream, and sugar to the coffee.  Stir to incorporate all the ingredients.  I don't put measurements because all of this is to taste, varying on your taste buds, how chocolately, creamy or sweet you want your mocha, and the potency of the products you use.  Here are my preferences:

Cocoa powder:  I like to use Ghirardelli's Premium Hot Cocoa Double Chocolate.  I use 2 tablespoons of cocoa per cup of coffee.  It is sinfully delicious and chocolatey. 

Milk or cream:  I eyeball the milk until the coffee is the right color (I like a light brown).

Sugar:  I prefer brown sugar or honey in my coffee as opposed to refined white sugar.  I put about 1.5 tablespoons of brown sugar or honey per cup of coffee.

Hurray for coffee!