Brewing coffee outdoors is pretty easy … or so it seems. On one hand it is straightforward and uncomplicated. On the other hand there is not only a process, but you need the right equipment. So often the focus is on the specific brew method and even what kind of coffee to use (and rightly so). What we want to share with you in this article is one part of the equation that doesn’t get enough attention … how you actually heat the water for your coffee.
Unless you’re brewing coffee with a moka pot it means that you’ll need to find a separate way to heat water prior to brewing a cup of coffee using your favorite brew method. Two of the most common ways to heat water (among many) are using a Jetboil (and pouring from there) or a separate camp stove with something like a gooseneck kettle for water. While there are a lot of slight variations to these two, as a whole they comprise of most default options for heating water outside.
Keep in mind that you'r specific activities will also determine what you use for heating water. For example, are you bikepacking? Backpacking? Car camping? The way you answer that will determine not only whether you’re carrying everything you need on your back or bike, but how much weight and space you need to account for. Over the past several years I’ve used clunky camp stoves that I could pick up for $20. Not only did they work great for car camping, but finding and buying fuel canisters was also easy and cheap. They worked great! But for bikepacking? That’s a different story.
The two water heating set-ups in this article will feature the Jetboil Flash and Gas One portable gas stove. Again, there are a myriad of related options varying in price, but these represent two solid and accessible set-ups.
Through the years I’ve always had several ultralight camp stoves designed with backpacking in mind. Minimalist and feathery light. While they worked great for their intended purpose over time I had started using something like the Gas One for car camping. It was cheap, easy to use, stable, and functional. That sufficed for my needs.
One of the drawbacks of this stove is its clunkiness. It’s not the highest quality. You’ll still need to bring something additional to place on top of it for heating water. Sure, you can simply use one of the pots you have on hand for cooking, but you may not want your coffee to be tainted with the taste of pasta you had just cooked in it. For me I always bring a gooseneck kettle. Again, since I’m car camping I’m not overly concerned with space and weight. Adding an additional kettle is worth it for being able to control my pour whether I’m making a pourover or aeropress.
The other option is the highly regarded Jetboil. For many, whether car camping, bikepacking, or backpacking it has become the go-to camp stove. It is compact and packable with all of the pieces easy stowed inside when not in use. Not only that, but users swear by it because how fast it heats water … and thus the name Jetboil.
I’m a big fan of the Jetboil. If there is a drawback, it’s this … it’s not the easiest to pour water out in a controlled way. That’s the magic of a gooseneck kettle. You can control the pour which is important especially for a pourover. However, if all you’re doing it brewing a French press (you can get the Jetboil accessory for it) or an aeropress then you don’t need to hassle with an extra coffee-specific kettle
In the end it comes down to preference. What are you using the camp stove for (car camping, bikepacking, etc) and how are you brewing coffee? The answers to those questions will help you decide which one to get. Or … get both and you’ll be set!
