There aren't many better ways to start a morning at camp than making coffee over a campfire.
You don't need electricity, expensive equipment, or some elaborate campsite coffee station. If you can heat water, you can make coffee.
Here are three easy ways to make coffee over a campfire, from the classic percolator to cowboy coffee with nothing more than a pot.
1. Use a Campfire Percolator
This is the classic camp coffee method—and probably the easiest if you're making coffee for several people.
Fill your percolator with water and add coarse-ground coffee to the basket. Place it over the fire on a grate where you can control the heat.
Once the water starts percolating, move the pot slightly away from the hottest part of the fire. Let it perk for roughly 5–10 minutes, depending on how strong you like your coffee.
The trick is avoiding a violent boil. You're making coffee, not forging steel.
Best for: Campgrounds, hunting camps and groups.
2. Make Cowboy Coffee
No percolator? No problem.
Cowboy coffee is about as simple as it gets.
Heat water in a pot over your campfire until it reaches a boil. Remove the pot from direct heat, add your coarse-ground coffee, stir, and let it steep for about four minutes.
Give the grounds another minute or two to settle toward the bottom, then slowly pour the coffee into your mug.
A few grounds might make it through. You'll be okay.
Best for: Minimal gear, backcountry camps and anyone who forgot the coffee maker.
3. Make Pour-Over Coffee With Campfire-Heated Water
You don't actually have to put your coffee maker over the fire.
Use the campfire to heat your water, then brew normally with a pour-over.
Bring the water close to a boil, remove it from the heat, and give it a short rest. Add medium-ground coffee to your pour-over brewer and slowly pour the hot water over the grounds.
Of the three methods, this gives you the most control over the final cup.
Best for: One or two people who take their coffee slightly more seriously than the rest of camp.
What's the Best Coffee for Campfire Coffee?
Technically, whatever coffee you like.
But there's something about a rich coffee and wood smoke that just works.
One we'd bring is our Campfire Whiskey Coffee. The beans are single-sourced from Guatemala and aged for 30 days in whiskey barrels before roasting, picking up subtle oak and whiskey-barrel character along the way.
It's particularly fitting when your coffee is being brewed a few feet from an actual campfire.
→ Try Dripfish Campfire Whiskey Coffee
Can You Put a Coffee Percolator Directly Over a Campfire?
Yes—but heat control matters.
Use a campfire-safe percolator and place it on a stable grate rather than burying it in the flames. Once the coffee begins percolating, move it toward a cooler part of the fire.
Leaving it over intense heat for too long is an excellent way to turn perfectly good coffee into something resembling transmission fluid.
What's the Best Grind for Campfire Coffee?
For a percolator or cowboy coffee, use a coarse grind. Larger grounds are less likely to make their way through a percolator basket or end up floating around your mug.
For pour-over coffee, use a medium grind.
If you're grinding your coffee before leaving home, match the grind to whichever method you plan to use at camp.
So, What's the Best Way to Make Coffee Over a Campfire?
If you're making coffee for the whole campground, grab the percolator. If you've got nothing but a pot, make cowboy coffee. And if you're only making a cup or two and want more control over the brew, go pour-over.
Don't overthink it. You're sitting beside a fire drinking coffee. Things could be worse.
Dripfish Coffee — fueling adventure one sip at a time.