Truck Camper Magazine surveys the readership through a question of the week.  Recently, they asked “How do you make coffee on the road?”  The number one traveling coffee solution turned out to be the Old School Percolator.

This got me to thinking that I needed to branch out from Folgers Coffee Singles.  Coffee Singles are used the same way tea bags are used.  I’ve been using these coffee bags to make coffee on the road since I started RVing.  When we had shore power, I would use the microwave to nuke water to boiling and then seep my coffee tea bag.

In our truck camper, we traded a microwave oven for more storage knowing that food preparation would have to be old school.  No more 2 minute water boiling in the microwave oven.

I’ve been drinking coffee since I was a small child.  Almost always, someone else made the coffee.   Eventually I learned how to make drip coffee.   Drip coffee in the truck camper is a no go.  No counter space for frivolous appliances.

During my coffee formative years in the fifties, sixties and seventies, my parents, aunts, uncles and grand parents percolated their coffee.  I had never learned how to percolate coffee.

At Target, I stumbled on to a 6 cup stainless steel percolator that looks just like this one on Amazon – GSI Glacier Stainless Coffee Perk Cup, 6 Cup.

Time To Learn

How hard could percolating coffee be?  Enough people do it well that it can’t be that complicated.  Can it?

Filled the pot with water to the 4 cup mark.  Put two teaspoons of my Folgers Classic Roast Coffee in the coffee basket.  Set the percolator on the stove and lit it up.

The directions said to pay attention to the color of the coffee as it hits the top glass thing.  When the liquid hitting the viewing port looks like coffee, it is coffee.

The coffee tasted a bit burnt.  Not in a good way like Starbucks either.  There were grounds (not a lot) in my cup and at the bottom of the coffee pot.  I drank it anyway.  I’m hooked on caffeine.

Cleaning Up

Several hours after making and drinking my coffee, I decided to clean up and ready the percolator for tomorrow.  There was coffee residue on the basket and basket cover that required scrubbing to get it off.

Note To Self
Clean out the percolator immediately after use to avoid dried on coffee scum.

Second Try

On my next try, I used more coffee (4 teaspoons instead of 2) and turned off the burner as soon as the liquid in the glass view port was a tiny bit brown.   The coffee was passable and I hope to be able to recreate it in the future.

Hope to see you on the road ahead.

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