Make Coffee Using a Cloth Bag Filter


Ever had "camp coffee"? Sure, if you let it sit long enough, most of the grounds go to the bottom; but that last sip is disgusting. Or you can add the ground coffee to the boiling water on the stove; you'll see the results of that in youth hostels all over the world. This method uses a small cloth bag for a filter, keeping the grounds out of your mouth, cups, and cookware—and makes for near-zero cleanup.

Steps

  1. Fill your coffee cup about 3/4 full with water, and pour it into a cooking pot or pan. Place the pot on high heat.
  2. Fill your cloth filter bag with enough ground roasted coffee for one cup.
  3. Place the bag into the coffee cup, opening it at the top as best you can.
  4. When the water has boiled long enough to kill any harmful microorganisms, pour it into the filter bag. You might need to hold the bag open with one hand, or with chopsticks (to protect your fingers!).
  5. Let it sit for a minute or more, to allow the coffee to brew.
  6. Slowly lift the bag out of the cup, letting the coffee drain into the cup as you do. You can speed up the process by squeegeeing the bag with chopsticks, forcing the coffee out the bottom.
  7. Place the still-wet bag into a second coffee cup, if available, or hang it from a tree branch to dry.
  8. Enjoy a hot cup of grounds-free coffee!
  9. Later, when the bag is dry, dump the coffee grounds into a garden, or search WikiHow for other uses.
  10. Finished.

Tips

  • You can also use a cloth bandana - which you'll probably have if you're camping. Call it "cowboy coffee". Yum.
  • It really probably doesn't matter too much if the hot water goes into the top of the bag or not; it still goes into it through the cloth. You're just more likely to get fuller flavor if the flow of the water is directly over the ground coffee.

Warnings

  • If the bag is allowed to stay wet for too long, it may get moldy. If that happens, throw it away; the convenience isn't worth the danger of mycotoxins (fungal toxins) harming your immune system.
  • The cloth bag may have bleaches, inks, and other chemicals that may leach out into the coffee. It may be wise to throw away the first cup or two, or steep the bag in boiling water before the first use.
  • Some research indicates that filtering coffee through paper is a good way to get out the lipid-rich factor that increases serum cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease.[1] A cloth filter may not work as well, or at all, for that purpose.

Things You'll Need

  • Small cloth bag; some coffees sold, like Rodríguez, an Oaxacan export coffee, come with this as an outer wrapper. In a pinch, a clean handkerchief or bandana will work fine.
  • Ground roasted coffee
  • Coffee cup
  • Cooking pot or pan
  • Second coffee cup (optional, comes in handy)
  • Chopsticks (optional, they help to squeeze out coffee)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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