5 Ways to brew coffee when the grid goes down

06/17/2022 / By Zoey Sky

When SHTF, you probably won’t stop drinking coffee. In fact, you might need it more to stay alert as you try to protect your family from any new threats.

But how do you brew coffee if the grid goes down?

If you can’t live without a cup of joe every morning, make sure you have a French press or a manual coffeemaker so you can brew coffee even if you decide to go off-grid. (h/t to TheOrganicPrepper.com)

Here are five ways to brew coffee at home and while bugging out or camping.

French press

A French press is easy to use and you only need hot water and coffee grounds. You just add the coffee ground into a French press, pour hot water, then wait for seven minutes.

Once the coffee is done, press the plunger to filter the grounds out of the coffee. This method doesn’t produce plastic waste. If you’re using a wood stove, you don’t need electricity either.

The only downside to using a French press is that it’s not a very portable means of brewing coffee. It’s too bulky to bring in a bug-out bag, and they are usually made of glass, making them too fragile to pack in your survival bag.

But if you plan on bugging in at home when the grid goes down, a French press is one of the best and easiest methods you can use to brew coffee without electricity. (Related: 15 Ways to use spent coffee grounds on your homestead.)

Instant coffee packets

Instant coffee packets are a convenient way of making coffee after the grid goes down. Instant coffee doesn’t taste as good as freshly brewed coffee, but it’s a quick way to get your caffeine boost without needing bulky equipment like a French press.

When you’re bugging out, get some instant coffee, add hot water and shake your reusable water bottle before drinking. Alternatively, you can pour the hot water into an enamel mug and stir the coffee with a spoon.

Include some instant coffee packets in your bug-out bag so you can quickly brew coffee while on the go.

Manual coffeemaker

A manual coffeemaker like an Aeropress is easier to pack in your bug-out bag and it’s less likely to break compared to a glass French press.

To use an Aeropress, you first need to heat up some water. Once the water is hot, add coffee grounds to the bottom of the Aeropress and then pour the water into the tube. Place the tube over an enamel mug.

Stir the mixture and let it sit as long as you want, depending on how strong you want your coffee to be. Your coffee will be ready in as fast as 30 seconds. Drink the coffee as is for an espresso-style drink, or add hot water to fill your mug to make American coffee.

When you press down on the plunger, the coffee will be pushed through the bottom and into your cup. A manual coffeemaker like an Aeropress is easy to use and will produce a nice, smooth brew.

Collapsible coffee drip

If you prefer drip coffee and you don’t want to drink hot coffee sitting in plastic, consider getting a metal Snowpeak collapsible coffee drip. Stock up coffee filters so you can make coffee even during a long-term survival scenario.

A Snowpeak collapsible coffee drip will fold flat for easy storage when you’re not using it. The design was inspired by traditional pour-over coffee set-ups, and you can pair a collapsible coffee drip with a small camp kettle.

To use a collapsible coffee drip, open it up, put it on top of your mug, place a clean filter and then pour hot water into the top to make a cup of brewed coffee.

“Cowboy” coffee

“Cowboy” coffee is the most low-tech method of coffee brewing on this list.

To make cowboy coffee, boil water and then pour it into a mug with the coffee grounds resting at the bottom. Let the brew sit for a few minutes, then tap the side of the mug with your fingernail or a spoon to make all the grounds sink to the bottom of the mug.

Drink the coffee. Once you’re down to the last sip or two, the coffee will contain the grounds. Throw this away if you don’t want to drink gritty coffee.

Use the appropriate coffee brewing method if you’re bugging in at home or bugging out when the grid goes down so you don’t have to miss your daily cup of joe.

Watch the video below to learn how to make coffee at home without a coffeemaker.

This video is from the Frozen In Time channel on Brighteon.com.