Trail Coffee, Instant
Instant coffee granules and hot water. Ninety seconds from cold to caffeinated.
- calories
- 15
- weight
- 0.1 oz
- cal / oz
- 100
- protein
- 0 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 1 min
- cook
- 3 min
- total time
- 4 min
- water
- 300 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Drink
- Breakfast
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Bikepacking
- Day hike
- Winter / snow
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant coffee | 1 to 2 tsp | single-serve sticks save measuring in the cold |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 300 ml | |
| Salt | a pinch | optional, blunts the bitterness of cheap granules |
Method
- Heat 300 ml of water. It does not need a rolling boil; just short of one is better for the flavor.
- Pour the granules into your mug, then the water over them. Granules first or you will find dry clumps at the bottom.
- Stir ten seconds. Add the salt if the coffee is the cheap kind.
- Drink. Nothing to strain, nothing to pack out.
Instant is the only coffee method that costs nothing in weight, nothing in cleanup, and nothing in fuel beyond the water you were already heating. Grounds, filters, and presses all end up as wet sludge you carry out. Granules dissolve completely, so the pot rinses with a swirl.
Water temperature is the one variable worth caring about. A hard boil scorches instant and pulls out a burnt edge; pull the pot as the first bubbles break and the cup is noticeably rounder. The pinch of salt is an old diner trick and it works on the bitterness of budget granules better than sugar does.
Packing
Sticks or a small screw-top vial of granules in the same bag as your spoon. Two per day, plus one spare for the morning you sleep badly.
Variations
- A tablespoon of powdered whole milk or coconut milk powder makes it a flat white of sorts.
- Add a spoonful of drink-mix cocoa for a mocha and another 80 calories.
- Stir the granules into overnight oats instead and skip the second cup.
https://www.the-backpacking-site.com/hiking-tips/how-to-make-coffee-while-backpacking-6-quick-and-easy-methods