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It is no secret that we are obsessed with coffee over here at Northology Co. Chad and I love nothing more than slowly waking up on a leisurely morning at camp with a good cup and a great view. Our coffee making process has evolved a bit over the years, and so has our choice of brew brands.
WHAT TO BREW
After years of buying a certain brand of coffee from Seattle (you know, that one,) we went through a few different brands in our search for a more mild, less acidic and less bitter coffee. We have been drinking Got Your Six Coffee Co’s Mustang for a while now, and we love it. It is smooth and bold, but mild. And fun fact- their Mustang that we love is the same as the Northology-labled Boreal Brew on their website.
Percolator on the beach
HOW TO BREW
Brewing coffee at home is a bit of a different process than at home. Here are the methods we used and how this has evolved might surprise you.
- Percolator– the stainless steel or aluminum percolator is typically more durable than other methods and is a great way to make coffee for a large group. I find that I can sometimes taste the aluminum though.
- Pour–over– according to Barnie’s Coffee & Tea co, “Coffee enthusiasts tend to prefer this method because it allows them to control the taste, texture, temperature and strength of the brew.” We have used a small, collapsible pour-over but you can get more sturdy ones like the Stanley Classic Perfect Brew Pour-over. This method is great because cleanup is a breeze (just pitch the filter and grounds) and is convenient when camping solo or just want an afternoon cup.
- French Press– “Because there is no paper filter used with a french press, more of the oils inside the coffee bean make it into the brew. The oils are what gives the coffee its taste,” says FranklyGoodCoffee.com. This is a zero-waste setup (no pods or paper filters to dispose of) but cleaning a french press is kind of a pain. The grind size is also important to consider when using a french press- too fine and it will clog the filter, too coarse and the flavor will not be extracted. We love our Stanley Adventure All-in-one Boil & Brew French Press, it is sturdy and trouble free after many years of use.
French press at a riverside campsite
CONCLUSION – The method you choose will depend on your needs and there are many more ways to brew than mentioned here. Our personal progression started with the percolator, then to the pour-over, then the french press and lately we have been using our percolator more often than the other methods. Why? I think we are drinking and sharing more coffee and it just makes sense.
And here is a hack for extreme coffee-lovers who are annoyed at having to make coffee before having any coffee- (Chad, I am totally looking at you) -stash a few cans of esspresso in the cooler (from that brand in Seattle, you know, that one) to get you going before the first cup is done brewing.
