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Coffee Without Electricity

tomahawk6

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Saw this gadget in this week's Army Times and it would be a great addition to anyone's kit. Its a french press that fits in the standard nalgene water bottle. Your water bottle is now a coffee or tea maker !

http://press-bot.com/

Freedom of the press
Now, you can brew good joe in your Nalgene bottle

By Matthew Cox
Staff writer


There’s no such thing as “bad” coffee when the suck-factor is high.

I’ve relished lukewarm, muddy joe made from the instant coffee in Meals, Ready-to-Eat. Not the Taster’s Choice brand, but the old-school dried swill the military issued when MREs came in the dark-brown pouch.

But for my money, coffee made in a French press is the best — it’s always hotter than automatic-drip brew and you don’t need filters or electricity.


But unless you’re in the French army, these simple little coffee contraptions aren’t what you’d consider deployment-worthy gear.

Until now.

The Press-Bot, by Venture Design Works, is a French press designed to fit inside a wide-mouth, 32-ounce Nalgene bottle.

Made of nearly shatterproof Lexan plastic, Nalgene bottles can handle hot and cold beverages, or keep things dry and protected — angel-hair pasta, small electronic gadgets or whatever fits through the bottle’s mouth.

Add the Press-Bot, which retails for $18, and your Nalgene becomes an ingeniously simple coffee maker that’s rugged enough for field use. Don’t have a Nalgene bottle yet? You can get one direct from Press-Bot or Nalgene (www.nalgene-outdoor.com), as well as from most outdoor outfitters.

To fit inside the Nalgene bottle, the Press-Bot is cleverly designed — the screen is hinged, folding in half to squeeze through the bottle mouth. Once it’s inside, you screw a locking collar onto the screen to keep it rigid.

The top of the Press-Bot then screws onto the threaded top of the Nalgene bottle.

Once you get the hang of folding the press screen inside the bottle to remove it, it’s as easy to use as any French press.

Just spoon your favorite ground coffee (or tea, if that’s your thing) into the bottom of the Nalgene — about six tablespoons of Starbucks Verona works for me — insert the Press-Bot and fill with hot water. The directions say to use “hot,” not boiling, water, but it’s only a safety warning. Neither the press nor the bottle will melt in boiling water.

Let the coffee steep about five minutes — more if you prefer strong brew. Depress the plunger, then pour from the built-in spout — or screw the Nalgene’s lid onto the top of the Press-Bot and you have coffee to go.

The Nalgene bottle doesn’t retain odors if you clean it properly — but it does take soap, water and a little scrubbing to keep the coffee smell from lingering.

The Press-Bot weighs about 2 ounces and the Nalgene bottle is about 4½ ounces. Not bad for a little luxury.

For more information or to order, check out www.press-bot.com.
 
Cool!
I like it!
much better than gulping down/munching on freezedried coffee crystals
 
Wicked!

A couple years ago I picked up a french press made of good old Lexan at MEC.. It's been on all my camping trips ever since and has served me well...
 
Good idea, but I find these too bulky...
What I discovered my last few years in the army were Maxwell House's individual 'coffee bags'. It's a large tea-bag, but has coffee inside. Add boiling water, let it brew for a minute, and it's pretty damn good coffee. Each bag is sealed in a foil bag, and you get 12 in a box for about $4.
 
recce_copper said:
....Maxwell House's individual 'coffee bags'.

+1

You start carrying a french coffee press in your ruck, and you're just begging to become the permanent coffee bitch like the guy in Blackhawk Down.  ;)
 
Journeyman said:
+1

You start carrying a french coffee press in your ruck, and you're just begging to become the permanent coffee ***** like the guy in Blackhawk Down.  ;)
Yes, but think of all of the things you can get everyone to do for a fresh cup of coffee.....
 
navymich said:
Yes, but think of all of the things you can get everyone to do for a fresh cup of coffee.....
???
You're new at this, aren't you. And clearly thinking like a woman. Guys do stuff for you if you bat your eyelashes.  ;)

If you're the guy making coffee for a living, nobody does crap for you.....well, 'cause you're the coffee bitch. Shut up, make the coffee, then you can look after your own kit  ;D
 
Are you having a flashback JM??

Someones gonna get Juan Valdez for Xmas! ha ha!

juanvaldez-718842.gif



I imagine that para guys would make great coffe ... you can use free fall time to ground fresh beans!
 
Journeyman said:
+1

You start carrying a french coffee press in your ruck, and you're just begging to become the permanent coffee ***** like the guy in Blackhawk Down.  ;)

People assume that's a part of my trade....guys all showing up at my CP, expecting me to have coffee brewed....listen, just because I have a coffee-maker, ample power source, and lots of coffee, doesn't mean you can come to my door always asking for coffee  ;D
 
muffin said:
Are you having a flashback JM??
In my childhood, I spent a year as a QM Cpl - - yes, I made coffee for all the CQ's many, many friends (and the Supply Tech Sgt with the chair bolted to his ass, who made Jabba the Hutt look downright skinny)

Sig_Des said:
People assume that's a part of my trade....guys all showing up at my CP, expecting me to have coffee brewed....
Now that's different. In a Bde CP, it's the Sig Sgt's lot in life to be OPI Coffee Urn. When I was in 2CMBG, we had a good one - - he was the only Jimmy in the entire Brigade that got respect  ;D
 
I'll give you all one good piece of advice..... Don't f*** with the CP Sig who handles your coffee....because it can be good all week, or a really bad coffee week  ;)
 
Sig_Des said:
.... Don't f*** with the CP Sig who handles your coffee....
A wise suggestion.

In my youth I was working the unit CP during a WAINCON.  I had jumped down from the rad van and was refilling my cup, when the Duty O (a new Lt, very full of himself) tossed me his cup and told me to "fill her up".  As I started to pour a coffee for him, he interrupted and ordered me to rinse out his cup before putting a fresh brew in it.  I looked at him but held my tongue.  The DCO, who was in the tent at the time, also gave him a strange look but said nothing.  I stepped out of the tent to where the water jerry cans were (just out of the Lt's sightline, but not the DCO's).    I then unzipped, took it out and rinsed the Lt's cup with p*** (there was a benefit to the great amount of coffee I consumed while on shift).  I then re-entered the CP tent, filled the cup with coffee, asked the Lt how he took it and handed it to him.  I was "hurt" that he didn't say thank you. I then turned to the DCO and asked him if I could get him a coffee.  The Major, who had not uttered a word throughout the whole episode, got up from the chair, walked over to the coffee urn and with a big smile said, " no, thanks, I'll get my own".

Years later the sigs in my CP knew that to keep me happy, one of the priorities when pulling into a new location (right after establishing comms) was to get the coffee on, but I never let them touch my coffee mug.

 
.... anyone ever let that Lt know what was used?
 
geo said:
.... anyone ever let that Lt know what was used?
Why, are you wondering if we ever served together?  ^-^

I don't think the DCO ever told him.  After I had been commissioned, that Lt (by then a senior officer) and I served together on a board in Ottawa for a couple of weeks.  One day, the members of the board had gathered for coffee and were shooting the s*** about old times, and (long story short) I related this tale. Everyone laughed, and there were comments about dumb subbies.  A few of the others, I'm sure, tried to remember if they had ever worked in a CP with me, but I don't think that the individual who sampled my "special blend" realized, or even considered, he was the one.  Sometimes, additional years do not mean additional smarts.
 
(hope that former subbie had a good laugh :))
 
What a fantastic idea.

I wish I'd have known about these on PLQ, but I went and got some today, and I'll throw them in the brew kit.

Thanks again!

:dontpanic:
 
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