Good (and easy!) Coffee at Anchor

[TiggerToo]

Yes this is why the Moka pots have been replaced by better thought out solutions which don't ruin the coffee. Unfortunately the physics of those pots requires that the water be boiling to operate.

Coffee is a religion. Or at least, opinions on coffee are. Fortunately, I don't know of anyone killing each other over such opinions. But I have witnessed personal / family fallouts (in Italy, if you are interested).

HOWEVER: I am afraid your post reveals your ignorance. About how the Moka works and its history. Go and look it up; you may be surprised. Sig Bialetti spent a long time researching what are the optimal (in his view) temperatures for an aqueous extraction of "coffee" from roasted, ground coffee grains. And it was not "boiling".

If you want to waste some time having fun, look at the attached paper (particularly Fig 8) - although, I am pretty sure that many Italian kitchens will have witnessed heated (;-)) arguments about the speed at which the Moka coffee should be brewed.

Anyhow: Nespresso coffee is fab, I agree. But it is expensive and requires capsules that are not easy to find in remote anchorages. Plus, the (religious) liturgy of loading a Moka, listening to its Strombolian eruption, are missing.

 

[lustyd]

requires capsules that are not easy to find in remote anchorages

Completely agree that this isn't a solution for long term cruising for this reason. For most of us though, we'd have a stock of capsules which will easily last a week or two. Beyond religeon, coffee is also something of a fetish with people roasting and grinding their beans in a way they feel they developed perfectly. I'm more than happy for people to do what they like in the privacy of their own boats. Just thought it would be useful to show people this fab product

 

[Sandy]

The older I get the less coffee I drink. Instant on passage, my late fathers on top of stove percolator for guests who turn up with cake.

 

[Poignard]

I have begun to drink much more coffee as I have aged. Probably not doing me much good but I have reached an age where enjoyment is becoming more important than what is good for me.

Re cake, I would not like to go sailing without at least one of my wife's Dundee cakes on board.

 

[TiggerToo]

Re cake, I would not like to go sailing without at least one of my wife's Dundee cakes on board.

I hope you are willing to share these delights.

Cake, I mean

 

[Poignard]

I hope you are willing to share these delights.

Cake, I mean

Come aboard and you will be offered a piece (if I haven't scoffed it all first )

 

[TiggerToo]

Come aboard and you will be offered a piece (if I haven't scoffed it all first )

ta very much. I will take up your offer (I'll make a point of tracking you... when afloat)

 

[LittleSister]

Similar to a couple of posts above, I have an insulated (double wall) small stainless cafetière (actually since requisitioned for home use - I must buy another), plus a couple of the insulated mugs with built-in cafetiere plunger (and rough weather non-spill drink-through lids).

When we were visiting France one time, and anticipating being visited by French friends so needing something bigger than my small stainless cafetière (and the large ones are v expensive), we took a large glass cafetière from home, and it survived without a problem, though 'protected' places for storage of something that large and fragile are at a premium on a small boat, so that was returned hame after the trip.

 

[Moodysailor]

I know some coffee officianados who swear by an Aeropress when traveling.

Bought my wife an Aeropress Go for Christmas, she hasn't had coffee from anything else since. She is now a full convert and it will make it's way onto our next boat. I'm glad as she has been a Tassimo drinker for many years and I was struggling to figure out how to incorporate that

I am a tea drinker, but I am reliably informed it makes excellent coffee - and if the internet is anything to go by, some people are very serious with them...

 

[jamie N]

The critical item in coffee, is the freshness of the coffee, which means that it absolutely must be freshly ground; not from a few days/weeks/seasons ago, but right then.
95° water temp, so really just off the boil, wait 30 secs and pour. For me, it's 12gms of beans for a standard cup, poured from a cafetière.
I'm sad to say that I do this every day, and every day my wife renews her view on my place near the 'spectrum', but I reckon that good coffee shouldn't be a rare privilege, though instant coffee should be seen as a punishment.

 

[BobsFolly]

Another vote for the AeroPress here. Was gifted one for the boat, it found its way home and is in daily use. They're reasonably priced (I reckon) , and my coffee shop owner neighbour who knows his onions about these things was full of praise for them. Then its a matter of finding the right coffee to suit your taste!

 

[lustyd]

can someone with experience explain how the AeroPress differs from a caffetiere? It looks like its just an upside down version of that to me, albeit quite neat looking

 

[ryanroberts]

I have a moka & one of those fancy espresso machines the OP does. And a 'hand operated' grinder I attach to the chuck of my drill / driver, does the job sharpish. Same trick used by rednecks to add vast amounts of pepper to BBQ meat.

 

[ianat182]

I worked for several myears in an office where the coffee machine , a Melita, was permanently working all day and sometimes nightly using beans I believe were from Kenya so probably Kenco brand; After three years of this unfair use a small pipe became disconnected and burst. Took it to Tyrrell and Green ,Southampton who replaced F.O.C. having only asked them for it to possibly be returned for repair!!
Travelled quite a lot and always used a Berni Inn in Swindon for a Gaelic coffee; this was Kenco's "Viennese Blend with a Fig Flavouring", can't seem to find it in shops these days though.

ianat182

 

[Moodysailor]

can someone with experience explain how the AeroPress differs from a caffetiere? It looks like its just an upside down version of that to me, albeit quite neat looking

In short - I can't, but there is a YouTube video on all the different types of coffee maker. If we are to believe the internet, apparently we need one of each type ? ?

 

[lustyd]

apparently we need one of each type

I thought that too, but my laziness rules out a whole bunch of them thankfully (grinding is a no, cleaning up is a no, dealing with loose grounds also a no) so I'm just left with instant and pod based systems. Instant is easier than tea but I don't consider it the same drink as coffee, it's a third option to me. Of the pods I've tried Nespresso is the only good coffee. I tried Tassimo but it's so close to a leisure centre vending machine from the '90s I (responsibly) threw it out almost immediately.

 

[Moodysailor]

I thought that too, but my laziness rules out a whole bunch of them thankfully (grinding is a no, cleaning up is a no, dealing with loose grounds also a no) so I'm just left with instant and pod based systems. Instant is easier than tea but I don't consider it the same drink as coffee, it's a third option to me. Of the pods I've tried Nespresso is the only good coffee. I tried Tassimo but it's so close to a leisure centre vending machine from the '90s I (responsibly) threw it out almost immediately.

Loose grounds onboard I'm OK with. The compact size of the aeropress is what really appeals to me.

My wife (who is the coffee drinker) says that Tassimo is good for the 'fancy' coffees, but the aeropress makes much better coffeee generally. We have now bought a milk frothing machine, the Tassimo hasn't been used since so may be going up for sale soon

 

[newtothis]

My two most valuable bits of galley kit are a double-hulled stainless steel cafetiere that is pretty much unbreakable and keeps the coffee hot, and a stainless steel Stanley cocktail shaker. I see no reason for standards to slip just because I'm on board.

 

[wully1]

Coffee.....
1st one up puts the kettle on and while it’s boiling they hand grind the beans - sometimes walking around the deck soaking in the scenery.
Once the kettle has boiled the ground beans go into a mesh reusable coffee filter that fits into a standard filter paper funnel.
The coffee is made straight into an IKEA vacuum jug and shared with lazy bones who’s still in their bunk.
The mesh filter grounds get emptied into the gash bin and the filter is rinsed for re use.
The coffee stays hot in the jug for hours - if for some strange reason it lasts past breakfast time.

Sorry but to our taste Instant coffee is disgusting...

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I'm not allowed coffee any more, but stovetop expresso or aeropress were my tools of choice. One hitherto unmentioned benefit of doing it properly is that the grounds can be dried and burnt to keep wasps away in warm harbours.