REVIEW: GSI CAMP COFFEE KIT

This isn’t technically a ready-made coffee set from GSI, more an ‘OK, that’s a really fine mini grinder so how can I make the smallest possible portable coffee making kit’ kind of kit.

Words by Richard (Dickie) Fincher 

So, start with the Outdoors Javamill (£36), which fits in a hand. Next is the collapsible Java Drip (£13), for which you’ll need filters. Cup-wise I’ve picked the Infinity Backpacker Mug (£13) which doesn’t hold infinity amounts of fluid, but is marked to show that two decent cupfulls fit within and the Java Drip fills it. Making boiling water is a tiny, tiny Pinnacle Cannister Stove (£50) which screws directly onto a gas canister, topped off with the Halulite Tea Kettle (£23) which, because it’s from America holds a US quart, or just under a litre.

HOW TO MAKE A BREW FROM WITH THE GSI CAMP COFFEE KIT

Fill kettle, find a flat spot for the stove and fire it up. There’s no in-built lighter so I tried with a firesteel and failed the first few times so resorted to a match. Then I tried again with different gas settings and found that it went every time when turned to ‘gentle’ rather than ‘F14 afterburner’. Kettle on, let’s grind.

 

Fill the Javamill with beans to about the top – these grind down to fill the removable base – I tried grinding it into the filter but it’s way faster to keep the base on and whizz away. Tweak the key in the bottom for fine or coarse ground coffee. It’s easy and fast, and by the time the kettle is thinking about boiling you’ve tipped the ground coffee into the Javadrip and the aroma announces victory, shortly before the taste clinches it.

For the perfect detail clincher have a look through the GSI website and track down their Glacier stainless double walled espresso cups – these guys know how to make elegant outdoor kit…

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OAG