Traditional Muzzleloading Association

The Center of Camp => Camping Gear and Campfire Cooking => Topic started by: Longknife on June 19, 2006, 10:47:53 PM

Title: Coffee pots
Post by: Longknife on June 19, 2006, 10:47:53 PM

All this talk of coffee in the other theme got me to thinking.....what do you use for a coffe pot?
From what I've seen at most rendezvous, the usual pot is the blue or blue speckled steel pot and a few grey one scattered around. These seem to be one of those items that are universally accepted. I've seen them from French and Indian camps up through the cowboy shooters. This type pot is actually more at home in the cowboy camps than anywhere else from what I've been able to find out regarding their dates of common use. I use one myself when making coffee for more than just me. Most time I use a large tin cup that I put a "bailing" wire on and brew and drink from the same utinsil when it's just me. I have seen several copper tea pots used for coffee making also. Does anyone have a date (HC) for the blue pots etc.?  Or, appropriate coffee pot styles for the 1700's that would make more than 2 or 3 cups?

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Post by: Gobbler on June 20, 2006, 01:32:06 AM

Longknife
not sure on the blue spec ware but I believe it was a little later than the fur trade?

Here's a pot of my coffee brewing

[albumimg:15ot3njr]847[/albumimg:15ot3njr]

and here's my cookware that's about all I take besides a cup that fits inside my boiler. I'm trying to travel light as I can. My skillet serves as my plate. (When the wife goes we step it up a little )

[albumimg:15ot3njr]848[/albumimg:15ot3njr]

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Post by: Gambia on June 20, 2006, 07:05:38 AM

http://www.rushworth.com/green/hist.html (http://www.rushworth.com/green/hist.html)
I done a search and this was about the closest thing I could find, scroll down to the 1750 date. This may be way off, but it is the best that I could find.

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Post by: No Rod on June 20, 2006, 09:22:16 AM

Gobbler is that a "Backwoods Tinsmith" corn boiler? I have one that the cup nests in and love them. I cheated and bought the SS lined and insulated coffee cup and have never been sorry. Even in the coldest weather my coffee stays warm for quite some time.

Jon

Title: Coffee pots
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on June 20, 2006, 09:26:16 AM

I've found that there are conflicting information as to the time period that enamelware made its appearance. The site posted by Griz certainly has good documentation. I do believe that the "speckled enamelware" came some later. Most information I find refers to boiling coffee in a tin boiler. I think that boiled coffee has a better flavor than that made in the modern drip makers. My idea is that the extra temperature of the boiling makes the difference. Also, most folks carried their coffee in the bean and ground what they needed on the spot.

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Post by: Gobbler on June 20, 2006, 09:52:26 AM

Jon in MI
Yes it is Backwoods Tin / never have been sorry for the money spent either great work/ I had the boiler and the nesting cup made, then had him put a cup handle on my boiler comes in pretty handy. Both are tin lined

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Post by: hawkeye on June 20, 2006, 10:42:29 AM

Here's what I found about enamelware:

http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newciv ... elware.htm (http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/faq/qenamelware.htm)

It states that it's POST CIVIL WAR.

Here's a mid 18th Century coffee pot:

http://www.alistairsampson.com/productd ... uct_id=166 (http://www.alistairsampson.com/productdetails.asp?product_id=166)


Or here's something a bit more affordable:

http://www.jarnaginco.com/18cCupscookwareplates.html (http://www.jarnaginco.com/18cCupscookwareplates.html)

Title: Coffee pots
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on June 20, 2006, 06:26:45 PM

Hawkeye, I think Anyone that pulled that brass pot out of there pack would get some real funny looks. :)

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Post by: Longknife on June 20, 2006, 09:06:55 PM

Thanks Hawkeye for the research. The prices for the heavy tin coffee pot didn't seem to bad for the quality. I have the small boiler that I use for one person stews or such when I'm treking and the tall cup to brew my coffee. So, I know the workmanship is excellant . The coffee pot is either something new or I missed it before. Good by enemal pot...hello tin pot!

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Post by: Three Hawks on March 23, 2009, 11:08:36 PM

I just chucked my enamelware coffee pot into the Goodwill box in the basement.  I now boil my coffee in my 1qt tinned boiler.   I put one rounded lidfull of ground coffee in  a potful of boiling water.   Let it steep at least four full minutes.   Sometimes if I remember, I toss in a pinch of Kosher salt, not always.  A bit of salt seems to intensify the flavor.
 
If I drink the full pot, or a victi.........guest drops in, I make another pot from scratch.  I don't wash my boiler, but I do rinse it on a regular semiannual schedule.   If you come to my camp to drink coffee, you'd better be ready to spit the grounds out or strain your coffee through your teeth.  I ain't runnin' no old ladie's tea parlor.

Three Hawks

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Post by: Uncle Russ on March 24, 2009, 12:35:04 AM

Quote

If you come to my camp to drink coffee, you'd better be ready to spit the grounds out or strain your coffee through your teeth. I ain't runnin' no old ladie's tea parlor.

:rotf :clap  

Ya dug up an old one here 3-Hawks...looking back over this old post along with a couple of those links brings back some old memories.

Uncle Russ...

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Post by: sse on March 24, 2009, 09:11:09 AM

Three Hawks - Do you worry about thinning the tin?  When does it become toxic?

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Post by: No Deer on March 24, 2009, 09:19:44 AM

Quote from: "Three Hawks"

 If you come to my camp to drink coffee, you'd better be ready to spit the grounds out or strain your coffee through your teeth.  I ain't runnin' no old ladie's tea parlor.

Three Hawks

That is what mustaches are for!  :lol:

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Post by: Loyalist Dave on March 24, 2009, 09:27:16 AM

Ladies and Gents,

Is the question what does one make the coffee in, or what should a proper coffee pot look like and where to get one?  

(Enamelware users at 18th century events should be staked in the heart with a plastic tent stake - just my over-reaction  :)

You roast your beans, you grind 'em, you put them into the nice copper "coffee pot", and you pour boiling water onto them, and let them brew by steeping.  Note the spout, allows for the grounds that sink to the bottom to stay there, and the grounds that still float on top to stay there, while pouring.  If you boil in that pot the grounds are throughout the liquid and defeat the use of the spout. (Some clever French fellow will improve the idea with the coffee-press, but that's centuries to come I think.)  FYI they drank smaller cups of coffe than we often do today...., a "Tall" from a well known coffee-chain would probably be two cups back then.  My experience is it's best to use a "French roast" and to brew it very strong.

FYI the spout idea isn't perfect, it just reduces the grounds, unless the nice tinsmith puts in some sort of internal strainer.

LD

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Post by: northwoodsdave on March 25, 2009, 08:27:32 AM

I've been getting my primitive camping stuff from Hamilton Dry Goods on eBay.  (I am not affiliated with them in any way, just so that is clear).

They have a coffee pot I plan to get

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3DWatching (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390038817272&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DWatching)

This is nice, very stout stuff, but light for packing.  I'm not that concerned about exact historical accuracy, but most of what they have is period correct for Civil War and after.

Hope that helps

Dave

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Post by: wwpete52 on March 25, 2009, 10:33:37 PM

I have a copper coffee pot that is lined with tin.  The folks at Westminster Forge do make fine stuff.  Boil you water with ground coffee.  When you take it off of the fire put an egg shell or a clean little stick in it and the grounds will settle to the bottom.
The tin coffee pot that I had years ago made coffee that tasted foul to me.

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Post by: Three Hawks on March 25, 2009, 11:25:01 PM

The reason I chucked my enamel coffee pot is that I've been trying to cut down the amount of "STUFF" I drag to rondy.  It got to where my full size pickup was barely big enough, and setting up camp took half a day.  I have it down now so I can carry a week's worth of grub and plunder in my '83 Civic 3 door Rondy car.  It only takes a little longer to pack my 10x12 wall tent and it's 14 poles than my 9x9 Pyramid and it's pole.   The rest of the paraphernalia is the same.  I just got tired of washing dishes for an hour after meals when I could have been spending that time profitably taking a nap.  My rondy partner, Ozzy concurs.

When I first began going to rendezvous' I had to have every dang primitive looking gewgaw and gilchickie I saw.  In the past four or five seasons, I've been selling, trading or giving away most of the plunder I've accumulated over the last thirty some years and finding I do not miss it in the least.  

Maybe I should take a picture or fifteen of my camp when I set up next to show what I mean.  Sorta minimalist yet comfortable.   I need to be comfy or else.  With my arthritis and sleep apnea my cot and CPAP are not frills, they are requirements.

Three Hawks