Coffee is an important survival item! Well, for some it is, for others, maybe not. But even without electricity, we can still enjoy a piping hot cup of coffee!
BEAN STORAGE
Coffee beans last up to three years if stored properly, so even if you don’t care much for a cup of Joe, those beans could come in handy for bartering! Keep your coffee beans in a dark, dry, and cool location. To preserve their fresh roasted flavor for as long as possible, store them in an opaque, air-tight container. You’ll want to avoid clear canisters which will allow light to compromise the taste of your coffee. Make sure you’ve got a manual grinder on hand so you will be able to grind up those beans!
“Green” Beans – Green coffee beans are unroasted coffee beans. It could be better to stock up on these and learn to roast them yourself because they will last longer. This way, you can roast the beans as you need them. The roasting is a simple process, but practice makes perfect. Put the beans in a frying pan or a pot that you’ve heated up over a fire. This can be difficult to master, as the beans should be roasted evenly, but practice now to hone this vital skill before the SHTF so you can be prepared.
No Electricity Brewing – PERCOLATOR
There are many “off the grid” coffee makers, and those who often camp know a percolator can be invaluable. A percolator allows coffee to be made right over the campfire. The Yosemite percolator is an excellent choice, and it’s a bit heftier than the granite-colored ones we tend to think of from years past. Steer clear of vintage glass percolators simply because they just aren’t as practical, and the glass in much more breakable.
There are some fancy percolators on the market now, but a simple percolator will get the job done just fine.
FRENCH PRESS
A French press could be another excellent cord-free option and great if you don’t mind cold coffee, and you could always heat it up afterward if you prefer it to be hot! Consider a French press that has three stainless steel screens as its filter. This helps to eliminate the risk of cracking and reduce the effects of acid. Another great thing about a French Press is that there’s no moving parts or gaskets to wear out over the long term, thus ensuring you will have coffee for as long as you have beans. The French press also doesn’t ever have to touch fire directly, so you don’t have to worry about messing it up over a campfire. And, because the ground beans you would use are coarser, so they are much easier to crank out by hand.
Hopefully, this will help you stay caffeinated and add your much-loved coffee to your prepper storage. I have got several pounds of green beans on hand and ready to go just in case!
This is a guest post by Mac Slavo of sthfplan.com.