How to use a real coffee percolator.

Trying to get in one last camping trip this season,  and because it's gonna be cold, I'm packing the campfire percolator pot.  Some people say these ruin coffee,  Others say it's the best coffee made.  I say it's easier than packing the stove, french press, grinder, etc...  plus it is the ONLY way to make safe coffee from "questionable" water sources.  It's why it was highly popular with our grandparents and in the wild west.

First,  ignore everything you read out there on the internet,  all of those people are dead wrong.  Looking at temperatures, etc...  This is not how you use these,  this type of coffee pot boils the ever living heck out of your coffee.   It will look different, taste different, and burn the snout out of your mouth if you drink it right away out of the pot.  At the turn of the last century, this is how it was made and it was left on the campfire for 10 or so minutes and then set to the side in a cooler but still hot spot.

Step 1- grind.  You are not going to buy the proper coffee for this pot, you need to grind your own and do a very coarse grind.  Look at the holes in the bottom of the basket,  your grinds need to be larger than those holes.   Not all of it will stay in the basket, you will get some in the bottom of the pot for that last cup swill to be extra special.  I also recommend against using ANY flavored or foo-foo coffee, this brewing method will strip out all of those flavors completely. Get a good medium or mild roast, if you want to really endure what Grand-dad and Great Grand-dad endured,  get a "bold" roast and be ready to swear like a sailor.

Step 2 - prep the pot.   you need to really make 5-7 or more cups in these for them to work right.  A standard old world coffee cup or coffee mug was actually close to 1 cup of water.  Today we drink out of high society venti tapered side drinking devices designed to funnel the aromas...  If that is all you have, get out a measuring cup for the water, if you are lucky your pot has a line showing different cup levels.   Now get that grind and put in the basket 1 heaping tablespoon of coffee grinds per cup of water.  and add another tablespoon "for the pot"  Believe me, it makes a difference to "waste" that last tablespoon.  carefully assemble the parts, putting the spreader on top of the basket and place it in the pot carefully.

Step 3 -  Boil the hades out of it.   This is where 90% of the internet is flat out wrong.  They say start on low, and watch this or that...  No.   Turn it on high and try to launch that thing to the moon,  you need to get it boiling to get the whole process started,  once you can see it is percolating, then turn the heat down.   How much depends on how cold it is outside and how the pot acts.    Over a campfire you don't have a "turn it down" option so just let her rip for 5 minutes.   If you are lucky you have a glass bulb on the top so you can see it percolating.  If you have one of the older ones just pop the lid once in a while to make sure it's still spitting water and coffee up the tube in the middle.

Step 4 - take it off the heat and let it sit,  This coffee is a LOT hotter than the stuff out of your modern coffee maker.  let it sit a bit or pour a cup and let that sit if you want to drink it faster.  You will notice it looks very different,  more cloudy.  This is actually how coffee is supposed to look unlike the over filtered stuff we drink today.

You will notice it tastes different.  it's because you boiled it and technically over extracted.  Some people love this flavor, others find it vile.   I find it's a lot better than the instant stuff and on a cold morning over a campfire.....  It's the best coffee in the world.