Coffee making underway

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
IMG_1269.JPG

I have a gas range and use this. Makes good strong coffee.
 
Keurig makes awful coffee. Far too watered down for my liking. And I've tried at least a dozen different bean variations. They're all weak, but the Kauai dark roast was barely passable.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H29LR9K

I've taken the advice of another member here and we're going to put a superautomatic Gaggia Anima machine on the boat this season. My only concern is the 'drip tray' underneath it is a bit shallow. Normally on a home counter you could ignore that tray for a few days, as it's only used as a catch for the cleaning process. On the boat we'll probably have to empty it more often. Not sure how well the boiler part would take to operating under tossing conditions though.
 
Doesn't Keurig have a cup that you can fill with your own grind?
 
psneeld said:
Doesn't Keurig have a cup that you can fill with your own grind?
Click to expand...
Most pod schemes do. Trouble is you can't get much in one of them, they don't pressurize it and you don't get much flavor extracted as a result. That and if you're going to go through the hassle of stuffing a pod you might as well just use an Aeropress and get actually decent extraction.
 
On our sailboat while cruising it was a glass French Press (with a couple of spare glasses on board as we would break one a year or so). Now with the MY and tons of Amps on board it's a Keurig.
~A
 
psneeld said:
Doesn't Keurig have a cup that you can fill with your own grind?
Click to expand...
Yes, they do & I have used it successfully! My Keurig also has a button you push if you want stronger coffee.:blush:
 
For those who like the convenience of Keurig but find the coffee weak or inconsistent, look at Nespresso. The machines are compact and elegant, the coffee pods are extremely consistent, and the extraction process pressurized. The pods are a bit more expensive and only available via mail order.

https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/order/machines/original/essenza-mini-d30-lime-green

There are two different sizes of pods. The original (above) makes an espresso sized cup. The Vertuo size is more of a strong American style coffee.

https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/order/machines/vertuo/vertuo-next-cherry-red

Nespresso is the "Apple" of the coffee world. They closely control production of the machines and the coffee pods. And the designs are incredible elegant. It does call a price premium.

Peter
 
Kuerig is nice, and we have a small one on the boat, but I only use the reusable cups. All that plastic for a single cup of coffee disgusts me so much that I can't drink it with out a sense of nausea inducing guilt. Especially when I pull up to an uninhabited Bahamian island and find, literally, a thousand pounds of plastic trash on the beach.


I've seen some compostable pods, but have not tried them yet.


Our son uses an aeropress, I think that is our next purchase.
 
Dougcole said:
Kuerig is nice, and we have a small one on the boat, but I only use the reusable cups. All that plastic for a single cup of coffee disgusts me so much that I can't drink it with out a sense of nausea inducing guilt.
Click to expand...


[emoji1303] definitely use re-fillable cups. We had some NASA training last week. Green-discussions. Every year we use enough Kcups to circle the Earth. Near-zero recycling also.
 
Dougcole said:
Kuerig is nice, and we have a small one on the boat, but I only use the reusable cups. All that plastic for a single cup of coffee disgusts me so much that I can't drink it with out a sense of nausea inducing guilt. Especially when I pull up to an uninhabited Bahamian island and find, literally, a thousand pounds of plastic trash on the beach.


I've seen some compostable pods, but have not tried them yet.


Our son uses an aeropress, I think that is our next purchase.
Click to expand...
Pre-covid, I traveled a lot and arrived late and still got up early. Coffee in the cupboard or fridge was invariably stale and undrinkable. So I went with keurig as it has a long shelf life .

Like yourself, when I figured out how much waste I was generating, I sought an alternative and found aeropress. 10oz vacuum bagged Cuban coffee (Bustelo or Pilon in 10 Oz bricks) that also has an indefinite shelf life. Coffee is better, cheaper, and much less waste than keurig.

BTW - nespresso recycles their pods for free. They send a recycle envelope that is prepaid return postage. Holds about 50 pods.
 
Last edited:
coffee pot

My wife bought a Bonavita. It has no glass, and the pot is actually an insulated thermos. So, after the pot of coffee is made, the machine shuts off and all you have to do is put the lid on. It keeps the coffee hot for a good solid day. Here in the tropics, we let the coffee cool down and stow the pot in the fridge overnight to have a chilled cup in the hot mornings.

~Lucky Chucky
mv Ho'okipa
S4326
 
mvweebles said:
... when I figured out how much waste I was generating, I sought an alternative and found aeropress. 10oz vacuum bagged Cuban coffee (Bustelo or Pilon in 10 Oz bricks) that also has an indefinite shelf life. Coffee is better, cheaper, and much less waste than keurig.

BTW - nespresso recycles their pods for free. They send a recycle envelope that is prepaid return postage. Holds about 50 pods.
Click to expand...
Takes lots of energy to smelt aluminum, good on Nespresso for recycling efforts but they are just one of many pod makers. It can be avoided by grinding beans as needed, you don`t need a big burr grinder, a small spice/herb grinder does well.
 
I like not generating a lot of plastic waste.

I like my coffee rich and relatively strong (not burnt), but I admit I am not a coffee connoisseur. Thankfully I never got into the super expensive cups of coffee nor do I have to have gourmet coffee and processes. A percolator pot on the stove works great or a drip coffee maker into an insulated pot both work for us when underway or first thing before we get going. A rather high degree of the gourmet coffee to me tastes over roasted (burnt) or just has an unpleasant over-abundance of intense flavors.

But a good rich cup off coffee is great.
 
Zoar said:
I like not generating a lot of plastic waste.

I like my coffee rich and relatively strong (not burnt), but I admit I am not a coffee connoisseur. Thankfully I never got into the super expensive cups of coffee nor do I have to have gourmet coffee and processes. A percolator pot on the stove works great or a drip coffee maker into an insulated pot both work for us when underway or first thing before we get going. A rather high degree of the gourmet coffee to me tastes over roasted (burnt) or just has an unpleasant over-abundance of intense flavors.

But a good rich cup off coffee is great.
Click to expand...


The gourmet coffee thing is interesting. I found once I started drinking better coffee, I stopped adding stuff to it. Then, interestingly enough, my tolerance for crappy coffee increased. On the boat, I just stick with the drip machine for simplicity. I save the fancier methods for the house where storage space, fragile items, etc. isn't a concern.
 
rslifkin said:
The gourmet coffee thing is interesting. I found once I started drinking better coffee, I stopped adding stuff to it. Then, interestingly enough, my tolerance for crappy coffee increased. On the boat, I just stick with the drip machine for simplicity. I save the fancier methods for the house where storage space, fragile items, etc. isn't a concern.
Click to expand...

I agree and indeed I drink my coffee black, yes.

Two kinds of coffee I do not like: weak coffee and Starbucks/burnt coffee bean taste.
 
Zoar said:
I agree and indeed I drink my coffee black, yes.

Two kinds of coffee I do not like: weak coffee and Starbucks/burnt coffee bean taste.
Click to expand...


Absolutely agreed. Weak coffee is just unpleasant, and I'm also not a fan of dark roasts. Light or medium for me, as I like to taste the beans, not just the roasting process.
 
"Folgers Coffee Singles"

One more option:
For years I've been using Folgers Coffee Singles... as my wife does not drink coffee. First one is caffeinated, 2+ ones are decaf typically. Black. Works with microwave OR with boiling water in the kettle on the propane stove.
 
French press, a stainless one. ...and boat toast!
 
Strong coffee and burnt tasting coffee are, to me, two very distinct and different things. I can make thousands of pots of strong coffee and NEVER ever make coffee that tastes burnt and nasty.
 
We have a Bunn My Cafe. It stays put in the roughest water, it’s small and can handle loose or kcups. We’ve had ours for 8 years now.
 
Zoar said:
Strong coffee and burnt tasting coffee are, to me, two very distinct and different things. I can make thousands of pots of strong coffee and NEVER ever make coffee that tastes burnt and nasty.
Click to expand...


Yup. There are multiple things that can give an unpleasant taste, but "strong" isn't one of them. Over-extraction will do it (caused by water too hot, grind too fine, not enough coffee relative to water, water poured too slowly). So will under-extraction (basically the opposite causes). And overly dark roasts can have a bit of a burnt taste to them no matter what you do (Starbucks).
 
rslifkin said:
Yup. There are multiple things that can give an unpleasant taste, but "strong" isn't one of them. Over-extraction will do it (caused by water too hot, grind too fine, not enough coffee relative to water, water poured too slowly). So will under-extraction (basically the opposite causes). And overly dark roasts can have a bit of a burnt taste to them no matter what you do (Starbucks).
Click to expand...

I think you're being too kind when you say "a bit of a burnt taste..." :). I would prefer sucking on a twice burnt twig than drink coffee from most of the overpriced cafe's patronned by the self ascribed coffee connoisseurs, ie snobs. :)
 
Last edited:
markbarendt said:
My go to coffee maker for a while has been an Areopress, works great at home and at anchor. Underway I'm worried about trying to pour boiling water.

What's your preferences on coffee makers that are workable when the boat is rocking and pitching and the autopilot is adjusting course and all that jazz?
Click to expand...

When anchored or travelling in calm waters I tend use a Moka pot like the one below. I will add preheated water so the coffee is not overheated too long. With preheated water it brews in a couple of minutes. I then add hot water to it in the cup to make an Americano.

When underway and boat is moving I will use my trusty Areopress with water heated in an electric tea kettle. I first pour the boiling water briefly into the cup in order to heat the cup and cool down the water a bit for a better, sweeter coffee. I then pour the water from the cup to inside of the Areopress plunger and then to the Areopress cylinder placed over the now empty cup.

The coffee stays hot in the cup for longer because the water pre-heated the cup and the coffee is sweeter because it has been brewed closer to the ideal temperature of around 200º F, well below the 220º of boiling water.

I try to use either Illy- or Malongo-brand coffee, usually bought ground but sometimes I grind the beans myself. The pre-ground stuff is finer ground than what I can achieve with my a hand-mill.
 

Attachments

  • Moka.jpg
    Moka.jpg
    45.9 KB · Views: 38
Last edited:
K Cups

I never saw myself as a k cup person but they have proven quite convienient.We have a coffee make with a resevoir so under way the only liquid you have to handle is the coffee in your cup. The whole operation is equally covienient at dock when I stop by for a quick boat welfare check -- no filters, no loose coffee, and no wet grounds -- just a hot cup of coffee and one golf ball sized item for the trash.
 
wkearney99 said:
Keurig makes awful coffee. Far too watered down for my liking. And I've tried at least a dozen different bean variations. They're all weak, but the Kauai dark roast was barely passable.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H29LR9K

I've taken the advice of another member here and we're going to put a superautomatic Gaggia Anima machine on the boat this season. My only concern is the 'drip tray' underneath it is a bit shallow. Normally on a home counter you could ignore that tray for a few days, as it's only used as a catch for the cleaning process. On the boat we'll probably have to empty it more often. Not sure how well the boiler part would take to operating under tossing conditions though.
Click to expand...

I have a Nespresso Virtuline at home that I programmed for my favorite large capsule to run less water so it is stronger. Then I grind my beans and re-pack my used capsules with my own home roasted coffee. I use the "My-Cap" system that uses a very thin filter disc over the coffee then a plastic disc with the requisite holes over that. You must use the Nespresso capsules because there is a bar code on them that must be read by the machine.

On the boat use a Mr. Coffee when we what a larger volume to put in a thermos with no problems underway. I also have a small KRUPS expresso machine aboard that I use for a one off or maybe a two off capuccino or latte. We carry a French press but really don't use it much. Too much to clean all the time.
 
RobbGrrr said:
French press, a stainless one. ...and boat toast!
Click to expand...

We have a stainless double insulated French press at home. I usually make that for my wife so I can fill her thermos when she goes off to work. It stays nice and hot all day that way. There is also a cup left over for me to have while my home espresso machine heats up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

NWboater2
reverse polarity light on, only when inverting?
Replies
5
Views
689
Bmarler
B
HeadedToTexas
Utility budget for coffee?
2 3
Replies
88
Views
8K
Insequent
Insequent
mvweebles
"Solar Generator" initial impressions.
Replies
27
Views
2K
mvweebles
mvweebles
mikehar
Need help with a custom solar mount design
Replies
11
Views
1K
Mambo42
Mambo42
jointcustody
Help! Sea Trial Findings- hard decision to make
Replies
15
Views
3K
ksanders
ksanders

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom