How to Make Coffee Over a Campfire (Without Ruining It)
Campfire coffee has a reputation for being terrible. Grounds in your cup, burnt flavor, lukewarm by the time you drink it. That reputation is earned — but it's not inevitable. Here's how to make genuinely good coffee over a campfire.
Method 1: Cowboy Coffee. The oldest method. Bring water to a boil in a pot, remove from heat, add coarsely ground coffee (1 tbsp per 6 oz), stir, wait 4 minutes, pour slowly. The key: let it rest off the heat before adding grounds — boiling water scorches coffee. Pour slowly to leave grounds behind. Add a splash of cold water to help grounds settle.
Method 2: Percolator. Set it on the coals, not the flame. Medium-coarse grind. Watch the color through the glass knob. Pull it at 7–10 minutes. Don't let it boil aggressively.
Method 3: Aeropress or pour-over with a camp kettle. Heat water in a kettle, let it cool 45 seconds off the fire, brew normally. This gives you the most control and the best cup. The Aeropress is nearly indestructible and weighs almost nothing — it's the best camp brew tool for quality.
The universal rules: coarse grind, water off the boil, don't rush it, pour carefully.
Campfire coffee doesn't have to be bad. It just requires the same attention you'd give it at home.
Foxhole Dark Roast was made for the campfire. → foxholecoffeeco.com