Warm Months mean Camping Trips

  And what is a camping trip without coffee?

Okay, I know, it is still a camping trip. But if you have a coffee lover (or coffee dependent person with you) it could be an unpleasant camping trip. So, just how do you make coffee when you are out in the wild with no power strip in sight?

Well, honestly it isn't that difficult. Just a few easy steps:

Materials you will need:
Coffee Percolator
Coffee Grounds
Water
Fire
Coffee cup/mug

Instructions:

Step 1: Fill coffee pot/percolator just below basket.

Step 2: Put the basket and stem into place in the pot.

Step 3: Add your coffee to the basket. (Add as much or as little as you like but one guideline is 2 tablespoons of coffee per cup of water, but this way is a bit strong for me)

Step 4: Place percolator over fire (it is best if you have a grill grate or something that it can set on vs. putting directly in fire, which I do not recommend).

Step 5: Wait for the water to boil then remove the percolator and set it to the edge of the fire. Let it percolate slowly for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 6: Remove basket and dispose of coffee grounds. You can now have a cup of coffee.

Keep in mind that as with any campfire you will need to be very careful to avoid injury while making coffee with your percolator. Open flames definitely need careful and safe actions around them to avoid them spreading and to avoid being burned.

Also for outdoor coffee makers, I personally would avoid using any percolators with plastic handles and knobs as it is hard to control how hot a campfire can get and these plastic pieces could overheat and start to melt.

Hope everyone who is going camping this summer has a safe and fun trip! Don't forget the coffee!

For more camping gear check out http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/Camping-Gear.htm

Making Iced Coffee

With warmer weather up ahead, we felt that it was time to discuss iced coffee. It is something that is quite simple to make and can be quite refreshing when you need your caffeine on a hot day.  Here are the steps you will need to follow:

1. Brew your coffee the night before (you may want to brew it twice as strong as usual since it will be diluted with ice cubes.
2. If you want your iced coffee to be sweet, you will want to add your sugar to the coffee before it cools as it will mix better.
3. Chill your coffee overnight, we recommend putting it in a pitcher in case you change your mind and want some hot coffee in the a.m. and if your carafe is in the fridge that might be difficult to do. Unless you have an extra or replacement carafe.
4. When you are ready for your iced coffee fill a tall glass full of ice.
5. Pour your cool coffee over the ice.
6. If you want any creamer, milk, or flavoring add it to your iced coffee and mix well.
7. Now your iced coffee is ready to enjoy.

What is your favorite flavorings to add to iced coffee? Also do you have any tips on making this sweet cold treat?

Keurig, New at Coffee Maker Outlet

We are excited to tell you that we are now offering the Keurig Premium Coffee Systems, along with their accessories, and a variety of K-cups.The Keurig Brewing Systems that we offer are:

• Keurig B70 Platinum Brewing System - a full spectrum of features and impeccable styling.
• Keurig B60 Special Edition Brewing - smart styling meets a range of brew features.
• Keurig B40 Elite Brewing System - simplicity and ease meet the perfect cup of coffee.
• Keurig B31 Mini Plus Brewing System - Small in size, big on variety, ease, and convenience.

The accessories for your Keurig Brewing System that we offer include:

• Keurig K-Cup Carousel - holds 27 K-Cup® portion packs with a Lazy Susan base. 
• Keurig K-Cup Carousel Tower - holds up to 30 K-Cup® portion packs with a Lazy Susan base.
• One All Reusable Single Serve Coffee Filter System - use your own gourmet ground coffee.

And of course we offer 19 varieties of the K-Cup portion packs.

Red Hill General Store's Big News

Our main company, Red Hill General Store, is opening a new location in Raleigh, NC. Everyone is really excited about it. The Grand Opening is this Saturday, March 5, 2011.

At Red Hill General Store's new location they will offer many of the products of Coffee Maker Outlet, along with:

• Carhartt, Columbia, & Life is Good clothing
• Earthway products
• Case Knives
• Rada Cutlery
• Burt's Bees Personal Care Products
• Toys by Kikkerland 
• Rainbow Sandals
• Presto Kitchen Appliances, Pressure Cookers, Canners, & more
• Lodge Cast Iron Cookware
• Teas by The Republic of Tea
• Preserves and supplies to preserve with

And much much more. If you are in the Raleigh, NC area you should stop by and see the big event.

10 Coffee Filter Uses

Paper coffee filters can be used for more than just filtering coffee.  Here are some uses and ideas that we have come up with for coffee filters.

1. Kid's crafts - with some markers, paint, and a wood clothespin, you and your children can make some neat butterflies using coffee filters.
2. Apply shoe polish. Lint free coffee filters will leave behind no lint pieces on your shiny shoes.
3. Sprout seeds. Use a damp coffee filter, place seeds inside, put inside a zip lock bag and leave until they sprout.
4. Out of cotton balls? They can be used to remove fingernail polish.
5. Use to clean LCD screens.  Comes in handy if you have misplaced your lint free cloth that typically comes with these electronics.
6. Use as a disposable spoon rest while cooking. No counter mess, and no extra dish to wash.
7. Put baking soda in one, close with a twist tie, and use in closets, shoes, etc. to keep down odors.
8. Use them in a plate to soak up grease from foods. (Bacon, Fries, Chicken Nuggets, etc.)
9. Use while sewing as a backing for appliques, etc. It is easy to tear away when you are done.
10. Cover dishes when microwaving food, no splatter to clean up!

What other uses can you come up with for coffee filters? We would love to hear them!

Making Cake with Coffee

Adding a little coffee flavor to something sweet is a winner every time. Ever tried coffee flavored ice cream? Delicious.  So the next time you are baking a cake, you might want to try substituting the water in the recipe with some left over coffee from your morning brew (black coffee).  This works especially well with chocolate cake. 

To make the coffee flavor a little more intense you could mix a couple spoonfuls of instant coffee into the batter of the cake.

What other recipes have you used coffee in? We would love to hear about them!

Would you prefer to not have any coffee leftovers to worry about what to do with? Then you might be interested in the Cuisinart Single Serve Coffee Maker:

Or you can keep in mind the Melitta Coffee Makers:

How to Get Rid of Coffee Bitterness

Have you ever sat down with a nice warm mug of coffee fresh from your coffee brewer just to take that first sip and it is too bitter to drink?  Well after a little bit of online detective work, it appears that the cure for the bitter in coffee is to add a small pinch of salt.

Salt changes the coffee taste by dampening the bitterness.  By adding salt you will highlight the other flavor notes of coffee: the deep, dark woodsy taste of the bean.

So not one to shy away from trying something new with coffee, I braved the salt in coffee effect, and added just a tiny bit to my cup of joe.  The bitterness of the coffee isn't as sharp, but it is still there, however, I may have used too little salt.

So long as you are allowed salt in your diet, try this trick with your coffee and let us know how it worked for you.  We'd love to hear about your coffee experience.