Cowboy Coffee is a way to make a cup of coffee without a coffee maker! It’s the easiest way to brew coffee on the go.
Would you like to prepare coffee without special tools? Attempt Cowboy coffee! This primitive method of brewing a cup of coffee doesn’t require a coffee maker: just boiling water and coffee grounds. It’s ideal for hiking or camping, or when you’re away from home and there’s no coffee-making equipment in sight. Here’s how!
What is cowboy coffee?
Cowboy coffee is the traditional name for coffee brewed over an open fire, probably deriving from the way cowboys made things on the trail. It is an ideal method for making coffee when camping, hiking or backpacking. You can also brew it while traveling and don’t have access to coffee brewing tools! All you need is the following:
- 3 tablespoons of ground coffeemedium-coarse grind
- 1 pinch of salt
- Boiling water
- Sieve or other filter method (see below)
How to make cowboy coffee
Cowboy coffee is incredibly easy to make, but there are a few specifics you need to be aware of! Here’s what you need to know about this process:
- boil water Use any method you have access to: campfire or oven!
- Let the coffee grounds bloom: Place coffee and salt in a small saucepan, glass, or coffee mug. Add enough boiling water to wet the soil and leave for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, fill the mug with boiling water and stir.
- Prepare coffee: wait 4 minutes
- Filter reasons: Here comes the hard part! We recommend using a strainer to filter the coffee into a cup. If you don’t have a strainer, pour a little cold water over the hot coffee, causing the coffee grounds to sink to the bottom.
Try it and you will be surprised! It’s a good cup of coffee.
filter methods
The traditional way of straining cowboy coffee is to pour a little cold water directly over the hot coffee. But we didn’t find it effective! Here are our test notes of these methods:
- Pouring cold water over it works…but gives a crunchy sip. This trick should make it possible to avoid using a coffee filter, but ensure that the coffee grounds sink to the bottom. We tried this, but the sip was still very crisp. But don’t hesitate to try this trick! You can also wait a few minutes for the coffee grounds to settle on the floor before drinking.
- Filtering the coffee is the best method. Filter it straight into a mug! But you may not always have a colander handy.
- A clean sock works too! OK, if you’re camping and don’t have anything suitable… you can try a clean sock! Keep in mind that coffee will stain, so use a dark-colored sock if you have one. (You might have to relegate it to coffee socks afterwards!)
And that’s it: How to make cowboy coffee! Let us know how you get on with this recipe in the comments…did it work for you?
More coffee drinks and methods
Do you like a good cup of coffee? We also! Here are some other coffee brewing methods that we make regularly:
The description
Cowboy Coffee is a way to make a cup of coffee without a coffee maker! It’s the easiest way to brew coffee on the go.
- 3 tablespoons ground coffee (medium-coarse ground)
- 1 a pinch of salt (optional but recommended to reduce bitterness)
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) boiling water
- Boil the water (over a campfire or stove).
- Place the coffee and salt in a small saucepan, glass, or coffee mug (if not straining, see step 2). Add enough boiling water to wet the soil and leave for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds, fill the mug with boiling water and stir.
- wait 4 minutes
- Strain the coffee grounds: If you don’t have a strainer, pour some cold water over the hot coffee, causing the coffee grounds to sink to the bottom*. But it works best with a sieve (or a clean sock!): Use it to strain the coffee into a cup. Taste immediately.
Remarks
*In our experience, the cold water trick doesn’t work effectively: you end up with a crispy gulp!
- Category: drink
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: Coffee
- Diet: vegan
