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FIELD TEST · Outdoor & Gear
Making outdoor coffee with a percolator
01 / Coffee with a campfire feel
Enjoying percolator coffee on the road
You wake up in the forest, look out of the tent, the Jeep is ready and the first wisps of mist drift through the treetops — there is only one thing missing: a really good coffee.
That is where the percolator comes in. Whether from Petromax or Valhal, these enamel coffee pots are stylish and genuinely practical on the road.
02 / FIELD NOTE
How does a percolator work?
Inside the percolator is a simple but ingenious system: water heats in the lower section, rises through a tube, then trickles through the ground coffee in the filter basket back into the water, over and over. This gives the coffee its strong, aromatic flavour.
No electronics, no electricity, no button. Just time, patience and the right heat source — things you usually have plenty of on a trip.
03 / FIELD NOTE
Freshly ground is a must
For the best flavour, use fresh beans and grind them coarsely just before brewing if possible. Coffee ground too finely can slip through the basket and produce a bitter result. Aim for a texture somewhere between coarse salt and breadcrumbs, depending on your taste and the size of the percolator.
04 / FIELD NOTE
Fire or gas — your choice
A percolator’s big advantage is that it works on a gas stove just as well as over an open fire. That makes it an ideal companion for off-road and overlanding adventures. You need no electricity or extras — just heat, water and coffee. You stay independent on the road and can brew wherever you happen to be, right in the middle of nature.
05 / FIELD NOTE
Verdict
Whether you are sitting by the campfire or starting your morning at the campsite, a percolator is more than outdoor nostalgia: it is a dependable coffee companion for anyone at home outdoors. Simple, robust and honest — just like your adventure.
06 / FIELD NOTE
Outdoor percolator coffee — recipe
Fill the lower part of the percolator with cold water to just below the spout. Add around one to two tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee per cup to the filter basket. Assemble the percolator and place it on a gas stove or over an open fire. Heat slowly until the characteristic bubbling starts, then let it simmer for seven to ten minutes, depending on your preferred strength. Remove it from the heat and let it rest briefly so the grounds can settle. Pour and enjoy outdoors, ideally with freshly ground beans for full flavour. A few grounds in the cup are part of the true outdoor experience.
07 / Nice to know about
Percolators
The percolator was developed in the early nineteenth century, with British physicist Benjamin Thompson regarded as one of its inventors between 1810 and 1814. In 1819, Parisian tinsmith Joseph-Henry-Marie Laurens significantly improved the design, laying the foundation for its classic form. The name comes from the Latin percolare, meaning to strain through. Originally, percolators were used not only for coffee but also for extraction in pharmacy and perfume production. Over time, they were made from materials such as copper, aluminium and porcelain. They remained popular for many years in countries including the USA, Britain and the Netherlands, while filter coffee machines largely replaced them in Germany after the Second World War. Today, the percolator is enjoying a revival among outdoor enthusiasts as a nostalgic brewing method that needs no electricity.