Nothing is better while watching the sunrise at the campsite than doing so with a fresh cup of Campfire Coffee in your hands. There is just something about brewing coffee in the outdoors. It seems to smell a little better, taste a little smoother and cool down to just the right temperature. It truly is one of the greatest luxuries while at the campsite.

Below is a list of 10 different ways you can brew your own cup of joe while in the outdoors. Some of these are a little more labor intensive than others. Some involve simply putting the pot on the fire and others are a bit more labor intensive. There are a ton of options.





When choosing which method of brewing coffee will best suit your needs, keep in mind the weight, how much water will be available, what you have to pack out and most importantly, what you’re packing in. Enjoy!

1. Cowboy Coffee Pot

Sometimes the best way to brew coffee is just like the old timers used to. To use the cowboy style coffee pot to brew campfire coffee, simply fill pot with water, dump your coffee grounds in and place over campfire. Let water and coffee come to a rolling boil then remove. Coffee will settle on its on, but to speed up the process, add a little cold water or a green stick or CLEAN egg shells. These will all help the grounds settle almost immediately. This method makes for one outstanding cup of coffee!

2. Percolator

Another old method you might want to try to brew campfire coffee is the Percolator. The Percolator is much like the above method, with the difference of placing the coffee in an actual basket instead of just dumping the grounds in with the water. Once the water starts to boil it will rise up the small pipe, hit the percolator bulb then drip through the coffee in the basket. Allow the Percolator to brew for 5-7 minutes or longer, (The longer it percolates the stronger your coffee will be) then remove and enjoy. The advantage to using the Percolator to brew campfire coffee is that you don’t have to worry about the grounds and you also have less of a chance of burning the coffee….a little easier to clean up as well.

(Sidenote: I used to use an electric Percolator as my daily method of brewing coffee. It truly does produce a great cup of coffee…..well worth the extra wait. I would still be using it today if the electric coil hadn’t gone out.)

3. French Press

True coffee aficionados will tell you the best way to brew coffee is with a french press. The french press is also a great option when you decide to brew campfire coffee. To use the french press, simply boil your water, pour boiling water into the french press and add coffee, allow to brew to desired strength then press the plunger down pushing all the grounds to the bottom. Using the french press is great if you are going to have to use the boiling water for more than one purpose. This allows you to use your boiling pot and not dirty it up with grounds.

4. Coleman Coffee Maker

To me, this method is truly a modern marvel. Sometimes when you want to brew campfire coffee, it’s easier to stick with the comforts of home. This method works in the exact same way your coffee pot at home works. The big difference with this model is that you must have a 2 burner campstove for this to work. Just set it like you would your coffee pot at home, turn your stove on and let it do it’s job. Easy, quick and convenient. Only disadvantage to this would be if you are camping in a great distance. This coffee maker along with the campstove can pack on some serious weight. Plus you will definitely need to pack out your used filters.

5. Flip N’ Drip

This is a great option when you want to brew campfire coffee but you are packing in quite a distance. to use this method simply add coffee to the middle section, add boiling water to the bottom section and flip. the coffee will brew down into the single serve cup. Be sure to have plenty of water ready though if more than just you are going….it only brews one cup at a time.

6. Aeropress Coffee Maker

Can’t go without you shot of espresso in the mornings? No worries there is even a way to brew campfire espresso. This works in much the same way the french press does. Add water and coffee to the top section and push The exception would be that instead of just pushing down the grounds to the bottom and then pouring your coffee, this method uses air to actually push the brewed coffee through the microstrainer into your cup. This allows for a super quick (about 1 minute), super strong shot of espresso (grounds free I might add) . Use this method if you need a real pick me up in the mornings!

7. Single Cup Drip

Lightweight and simple. Great for backpacking in and still being able to brew campfire coffee. Add coffee into the filter at top, SLOWLY pour hot water over the top and there you have it! One simple but tasty cup of joe at a time.

8. Just the filter

Again, simple and light weight method to brew campfire coffee. Simply fill the filter with your ground coffee of choice, add hot water to you mug and wait for the magic to happen. This is one of the simplest methods out there to brew your coffee. In fact, you might actually have more difficulties finding the perfect campsite than you will using this method.







9. Instant Coffee

Always a good backup. All you need is water. The water doesn’t even have to be that hot, just wet. Pour in a spoon full, stir and enjoy. This should be a backup method to brew your campfire coffee because you will loose a little bit of enjoyment with this method. The smell of brewing campfire coffee is just too good to miss out on!

10. Coffee Candy

In a pinch, these will work. Not really, but hey…..at least they taste like coffee!

What is your favorite way to brew campfire coffee? What do you enjoy most about the campfire coffee experience? The aroma, the taste, the sunrise? Let me know in the comments below.