During Hurricane Ike we had an extended period without electricity. I had no access to my morning cup of coffee and I was miserable.
That first morning without electricity, I ransacked the pantry and found some old instant coffee left over from a hotel stay. (Yes, I admit it, I take home those little hotel coffee packets and shampoos that come with the room.) I boiled water in the camp stove, mixed the instant coffee, instant creamer and sugar and drank it. It tasted terrible, but I got my caffeine fix. This may not seem to be a big deal for people who do not need their caffeine in the morning, but it can be tough for us caffeine addicts. This means a major headache that lasts the rest of the day. I decided that next time we have an emergency I am making sure I have my coffee supplies.
Someone might say, why not just give up coffee? I have considered that, and have cut back on my coffee consumption since then. I used to drink around four cups of coffee a day, and have gradually cut down. Now I am down to two cups. My husband who is a tea drinker, says I would have to learn to give it up, but I am not prepared to do so right now. Tea is okay, but it is not what I crave. I know people who like caffeine pills such as No Doz, but those make me jittery, and popping pills is not appealing to me. A big reason I have not given it up is I like my morning ritual of starting my day with a good cup of java. I need a little jumpstart to my mornings and the fresh smell is unbeatable.
If there is another emergency, I want to make sure I can brew my cup of coffee even without electricity.
I started to research about long term coffee storage and brewing without old Mr. Coffee.
The first thing I found out is I would need whole green, unroasted coffee beans. The roasted coffee beans you normally found in the store do not have a long shelf life. Once it is ground, the shelf life is even shorter and the flavor degrades a couple of weeks after opening. Keeping coffee in the refrigerator to increase shelf life is a myth-the refrigerator is the worst place. Freezing does extend shelf life but once you take it out, it is not a good idea to store it back in the freezer as the instability will also degrade the beans. Once opened, you will need to store in a cool, dry place like the pantry, and use as soon as possible. To maximize flavor, grind the beans right before using.
I am partial to Kona coffee and was going to order the green coffee beans from a distributor but it was too expensive. After researching suppliers, I decided to purchase Costa Rican green coffee beans from MREDepot http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/StoreFront. They are packed in cans with oxygen absorbers and can last up to 20 years.
The next thing needed is a way to roast the beans. I read that an ordinary popcorn popper would work, but for our purposes, it must work well over a camp fire or propane stove. I ended up ordering a camp popcorn popper, from Wisemen Trading http://www.wisementrading.com/outdoorcooking/popcorn.htm. If you have any suggestions, please let me know and I will test it.
Even if no emergency happens, I will save money on coffee beans, since buying green coffee beans is cheaper than roasted. An added bonus of having coffee in your emergency supplies is caffeine staves off hunger and helps make you feel more alert when you need to be at your peak. Coffee is also a good barter item should the need arise.
Next, I will be researching about hand crank grinders that are light weight and sturdy. I will post on my progress.
I agree!!!
That is the way to start off the morning!….The next is bacon……..that is the best!!!
As always, on my blog, http://www.everydaysurvivalguy.com, we will expect the worst possible scenario…hand crank grinders are awesome…….but consider flat rocks….we get our coffee really fine just using rocks…..and it really does not take long…..coffee is soft. Try it!
Bacon… yumm.. Flat rocks?! I will have to try that. Thanks!
If flat rocks work, then I would also think a mortar and pestal would work too. They’re not very expensive. I want to get one for herbs and the like. I’m not a coffee drinker but I agree it would be a very good barter item. Keep us posted on your progress!
Also, about the food dehydrators: if you have an Aldi near you, they recently got them too and they’re $19.99.
I’d like a mortar & pestle too, for garlic and stuff, but you’re right, should work on coffee also. Don’t have an Aldi, but maybe the other markets may have one. I will check this weekend. Thanks!
When it comes to brewing it, nothing beats a French press, whether you have electricity or not. I have used a variety of them on my sailboats and on camping trips. You can get compact ones made of unbreakable Lexan or a stainless steel one that is insulated and keeps the coffee hot like a Thermos. The glass ones produce the best tasting coffee though, and last a long time if you’re careful.
Sounds like the French press may beat the percolator for taste. Can’t wait to test it. Thanks!
Several months ago, I realized my Cuisinart coffee maker would be worthless if the grid went down or the power went out in the summer due to too much power drain on the grid due to air conditioners going all day and night. So, I went to the local Starbucks and bought a French Press. I had never used one before. I bought it primarily because I could boil water, and make coffee without issue.
Primarily for backup and to be stored, I use it every day now. It makes a strong cup of coffee, which I like, and is easily cleaned and stored. You cannot boil water in it. I do that in a tea kettle, but I really like the simplicity of it, and I don’t waste half a pot of coffee if I do not drink any more than the full press container.
As for coffee storage, I have not really given that much thought, although I should because the psychological effect alone from that aroma could make the difference between a long day and a good day. 🙂
I had not thought about checking Starbucks for a french press. I will check there first. Thanks!
I gotta go with Scott’s suggestion as well. A French press is the only way to go, they are easy and cheap!
French press all the way! I’d go with lexan or stainless steel. The glass ones break and when they break they break into big, jagged, hunks of glass that can do a real number on your hand if you’re still groggy and in a pre-caffeinated state.
I keep a package of caffeine pills around just in case, but I hope to never need them.
Michael – I think Coleman makes a Stainless Steel one, but the one I bought I had real issues with the screen/press letting the grains of coffee through. It wasn’t terribly expensive, and I bought it primarily for camping and the fact I could boil water in it if I needed to for soup, etc.
I’ve used plastic french presses ever since my little early AM trip to urgent care…
I was going to buy a glass one with plastic encasement, but now I will buy a stainless steel one instead. Don’t want an early morning trip to urgent care, and if I go camping and it breaks, I don’t want to be without my coffee! Thanks for the advice.
Of course, if you REALLY want to go old-school, you get yourself a blue enamel coffee pot, fill it with cold water, throw in a handful of ground coffee, and set it on the coals of the fire. Let it boil for a few minutes, then pour yourself a cup. Let it sit for a minute to cool and for the grounds to settle (don’t be afraid to drink the grounds — they give you a little “kick”) and raise a cup in toast to our pioneer ancestors!
A firefighter who went from northern California to New Orleans to help with Katrina cleanup warned me — during an emergency is a terrible time to go through caffeine withdrawal. I’m okay with instant so that’s what’s in my emergency stash, but I’m enjoying all these creative solutions for the real coffee fans out there!
Margaret Lukens, http://www.preparationnation.wordpress.com
I live in a small house and try to have dual purpose items as much as possible. So, when I started thinking about non electric alternatives I swtiched over to a french press and got rid of my Mr. Coffee. It takes up less space and I figure in an emergency the fewer changes to daily routines the better.
[…] Subscribe to my RSS feedNothing Beats the Smell of Coffee in the Morning! (Part 2)Blogroll […]