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I'm a bit of a coffee and tea nut. I have developed a
taste for good coffee, and once that taste is developed it's difficult to
drink gas-station brews. It also means I'm not too fond of instant
coffee or 'tea bag' style coffee, both of which are popular options for
brewing a cup of coffee in the backcountry. Although I really enjoy
my morning coffee, in the backcountry my morning caffeine
fix usually comes from tea, mostly due to its
simplicity and lack of cleanup. However, one of my first stops after
leaving the trail is a coffee shop to get my fix, so I do definitely miss
it!
Jetboil has designed a
lightweight French press kit for its standard Personal Cooking
System. When assembled, it looks no different than the standard
French press plunger I use at home, only with slightly less fragile and
numerous components. The French Press is made up of four parts
which screw together to make up the plunger. The heaviest piece
is the lid, which is actually identical to the regular Jetboil PCS lid
other than the fact that it is made of a rubberier material and has a
slightly larger hole in the middle. As far as I can tell, this means
that when I carry the French press I can leave the Jetboil lid at home and
simply use the French press lid when cooking regularly, minus the
rest of the components. Although the weight of the French Press
is negligible, it is even moreso with this overlap. The only weight
I consider is the plunger shaft and the filter, which together only
weigh .75 ounces/21 g.
The other three pieces
that make up the French press are the two pieces of the plunger shaft and
the filter component. To assemble the French press I insert the top half
of the plunger shaft through the hole in the lid (with the nob up), then
screw in the bottom half. The filter element then screws into the
end of the shaft.
There was a bit of
confusion the first time I assembled the French press. The filter
can be screwed in on both sides, so which side is up and which side is
down? My husband thought it was one way, and I thought it was the
other (based on the other French press I use). I consulted the photo
on the packaging and found out I was correct. There were no
instructions included - I only had the picture for reference and am
assuming that it is correct!
Once assembled the press
can be inserted easily into the PCS. I tested it out to make sure it
was assembled correctly and wasn't leaking by making a quick pot of Peet's
Lavender Earl Grey tea. I boiled some water in the PCS, then dropped
a few teaspoons of the tea leaves into the pot. I took the French
press and inserted it into the pot. I secured the lid but did not
press the plunger all the way down, I let it rest at the water
level. After the correct amount of time for the tea to sit I pressed
the plunger to the bottom to trap the leaves and poured my cup of
tea. There were no pieces that made it through the filter element
other than a tiny lavender leaf.
My test plan for the next
three months includes drinking a lot of coffee and tea. What a
sacrifice to make! There are a few specific things I will be testing
for, including ease of use and durability. In terms of ease of use I
am going to have to work out the least messy system for brewing coffee
using a French press in the backcountry. This is not typically a
non-messy way to make coffee, so I will have to come up with an efficient
way to clean the coffee grounds or tea leaves out of the filter element
and pot. This is admittedly something I am worried about dealing
with. But, it sure will be nice to have a good fresh cup of gourmet
coffee in the backcountry!
In addition to the ease
of use, durability is a big issue. The filter isn't something that
will last if I treat it like I do much of my backpacking gear. I
have to make sure to store it carefully and treat it carefully while
cleaning. What about smell? Often times coffee mugs and
coffee makers absorb the coffee odor no matter how carefully and often
they are cleaned. Do the plastic elements take on a distinctly
coffee smell that permeates the tea I will also be making with the French
press?
Last but not least, does
the press make good coffee? I don't know how fine the filter is -
does it let many grounds through or does it filter well? Is the
second cup of coffee sludge? I get my beans ground for French press,
so I will be using the proper grain size.
I'm really looking
forward to that first cup of coffee made with the Jetboil French
press. If my hiking companions are lucky, I may even
share!
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