Fire Watch Colombian Medium Roast
A smooth single origin Colombian medium roast. Forgiving when your water temperature is a guess and your timer is the sun.
$16.99, whole bean or ground.
Shop Fire Watch →How do you make cowboy coffee step by step?
Boil, rest, steep, settle, pour. The settle step is the one most people skip, and it is the one that keeps the grounds out of your cup.
| Step | Cowboy coffee |
|---|---|
| 1. Boil | Bring the water to a full boil in a pot or kettle. |
| 2. Rest | Pull it off the heat and wait about 30 seconds. Boiling water scorches the coffee and makes it bitter. |
| 3. Add coffee | Stir in about 2 tablespoons of coarse ground coffee per 8 ounces of water. |
| 4. Steep | Let it sit for about 4 minutes. Stir once halfway through. |
| 5. Settle | Splash in a small amount of cold water. It helps sink the grounds to the bottom. |
| 6. Pour | Pour slowly and stop before the last inch, where the grounds live. |
What grind is best for cowboy coffee?
Coarse, like the grind for a French press. Big grounds sink and stay put. Fine grounds float and end up in your mouth.
Our pre-ground coffee is set for drip machines, a medium grind. It works for cowboy coffee, but you will get a little more sediment. If you have a grinder at home, buy whole bean and grind it coarse before the trip.
Why do people put eggshells in cowboy coffee?
It is an old camp trick. Crushed eggshells are said to cut bitterness and help the grounds clump and sink. Some people swear by it. Most skip it and use the cold water splash instead.
How do you get the grounds out of cowboy coffee?
Settle, then pour slowly. Let the pot sit a full minute after the cold water splash, and tilt it gently instead of dumping it.
If you are done chewing your coffee entirely, the upgrade is a press. An AeroPress Go uses the same hot water and ground coffee, pushes it through a paper filter, and gives you a clean cup in about two minutes.
Is cowboy coffee better than an AeroPress?
Cowboy coffee wins on gear: you need nothing but a pot. The AeroPress wins on the cup: it is cleaner, less bitter, and has no grit.
| Cowboy coffee | AeroPress Go | |
|---|---|---|
| Gear | A pot | A press that packs into its own mug |
| Time | About 6 minutes | About 2 minutes |
| Grit | Some, even done right | None, paper filtered |
| Batch size | A whole pot for camp | One cup at a time |
The honest answer is to bring both. Cowboy coffee for the whole camp, the press for your own cup.
AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Maker
What we sell. A press that brews one 8 oz cup and packs into its own 15 oz mug, 11.4 oz total.
Why it helps you. Everything good about cowboy coffee without the grounds. Works off a camp stove, a fire, or a jetboil.
How to buy. $49.95. Or get the G.O.O.D. Kit with a tumbler and two bags of coffee for $99.99.
Shop the AeroPress Go →What is the best coffee for cowboy coffee?
A medium or dark roast. Cowboy coffee is a rough brew, and a smooth roast hides the rough edges better than a bright light roast.
Fire Watch is the easy pick. 15W40 if the camp drinks it dark, and MOAB if the camp needs twice the caffeine.
Set the camp resupply once
What we sell. Seven core roasts, roasted in small batches in Charlottesville, 12 oz bags, whole bean or ground.
Why it helps you. Set it to resupply on your schedule and the camp box never goes out without a bag.
How to buy. Subscriptions take 30% off the first order automatically, no code. One time orders take 15% with WELCOME15.
See the lineup →Questions people actually ask
How much coffee do you use for cowboy coffee?
About 2 tablespoons of coarse ground coffee per 8 ounces of water. For a full pot of 32 ounces, that is about half a cup of grounds. Add more if your camp likes it strong.
Do you boil the coffee in cowboy coffee?
No. Boil the water, take it off the heat for about 30 seconds, then add the coffee. Boiling the grounds makes the coffee bitter.
How do you settle grounds in cowboy coffee?
Splash a small amount of cold water into the pot after steeping and let it sit a minute. The grounds sink to the bottom. Pour slowly and leave the last inch in the pot.
Can you use regular ground coffee for cowboy coffee?
Yes. Drip grind works, you will just get a bit more sediment than with a coarse grind. Pour slowly and let it settle longer.
Why is it called cowboy coffee?
Because it is how coffee was made on the trail with nothing but a pot and a fire. No filters, no gear, just what fit in a saddlebag.
