Cowboy Coffee: How To Make It In 3 Simple Methods

Cowboy coffee is not just a trendy term but also a useful method for making coffee without any equipment. Learn how to make cowboy coffee with this complete article.

I love camping. It’s calm, quiet, and peaceful. Somehow the fresh air and gorgeous scenery make everything a little better, including a good cup of coffee. There is nothing like rolling out of the tent and greeting a new day with a steaming hot mug.

There are many ways to make coffee without a coffee maker, but today I am going to focus on just one. So that you make a good cup of joe out beyond the edge of civilization, I am going to show you how to make cowboy coffee.

What Is The Best Way To Make Cowboy Coffee?

Cowboy coffee is an old-school method of brewing, developed by cowboys on the trail, where electricity and a coffee maker weren’t necessarily available (1). Think of it like a French press brew minus the coffee filter. 

Like most country recipes that have evolved over decades, there are many different “best” methods – just like there are many different ways to brew coffee.

Despite the confusion, three recipes stick out from the rest. Instead of just one, I am going to show you all three recipes and let you decide which is right for you.

The Eggshell Method

 You will need:

• A heat resistant kettle or coffee pot – i.e. something with no plastic parts

• ¾ to 1 cup of coarse ground coffee (depending on your altitude – see note)

• 4 cups (1 quart) of water

• Eggshells

• A heat source

• A little cold water to help with settling the grounds after brewing

If you plan to make this coffee outdoors, like a real cowboy, with a cast iron pot, cowboy Kent Rollins has a tip.

Make sure that the coffee pot you get is well-seasoned to get the best flavor out of it.

Note: You may need to increase how much coffee you use if you are camping at high elevation. At higher altitudes, the boiling temperature of water decreases; so consider adding more coffee grounds to compensate – although no more than a 1:4 coffee-to-water ratio.

Step 1: Boil Your Water

Pour 1 quart of water into your coffee pot and bring it to a rolling boil. If it can be avoided, try not to place it inside an open fire — remember, you are going to have to grab it soon.

Instead, place it on a grate over your fire, like so:

While you’re waiting for your boiling water, you can dig a small hole in the ground nearby. This will be a perfect place to set your kettle to keep it warm once your coffee is done brewing.

Step 2: Mix In The Eggshells

Break up the eggshells and sprinkle them into your coffee grounds, lightly mixing so the eggshells aren’t just sitting on top.

The albumin residue from the crushed eggshells is coagulative and will help to hold your grounds together keeping them out of your cup.

VARIATION: In the hot, dry deserts of the American Southwest, some old-timey recipes used to call for adding a pinch of salt to replace what cowboys lost through exertion. If you’ve done any serious hiking or climbing on your camping trip, a little salt will turn your coffee into a kind of wilderness-themed sports recovery drink.

Step 3: Toss It In The Pot

When your water comes to a boil, add the coffee grounds and eggshell mixture, but do not stir.

Instead, allow the grounds to settle, and wait for the water to return to a boil. Here’s how long to boil your coffee, whether cowboy style or not.

Step 4: Steep And Enjoy!

Once your water has begun to boil again, immediately remove the pot from the fire and let it sit to the side.

Wait about 4 minutes for the grounds to steep and sink to the bottom of the pot.

PRO TIP: if your grounds don’t sink, drizzle just a little bit of cold water on the grounds, and that should do the trick.

You are now done and ready to serve up some fresh coffee! Pour the coffee carefully and gently if you want to keep the grounds at the bottom of the pot.

If there is still some coffee left, set the pot into the shallow hole you dug earlier, and push the dirt up around the sides to the top of the pot to keep it warm.

The Clean-Sock Method 

You will need:

• A heat resistant kettle

• ¾ to 1 cup of ground coffee

• 4 cups (1 quart) of water

• A coffee sock, a muslin bag, or a regular clean sock

• A heat source

Step 1: Boil Your Water

This step is the same as for the recipe above. Bring four cups of water to a boil, and dig yourself a shallow hole to keep your coffee warm.

Step 2: Ready Your Coffee Bag

While you wait for the water to boil, pour your coffee grounds into your sock or bag.

The fabric will serve as a filter to strain the coffee and keep the grounds from getting into your mug (an unfortunate trait of most cowboy coffee recipes).

Step 3: Toss It In The Pot

Now that your coffee has come to a boil and you’ve got your impromptu coffee bag ready, toss the bag into the pot and wait until it begins to boil again.

Step 4: Remove And Enjoy!

When the water returns to a boil, remove it from the heat, and let the coffee sit and steep for about four minutes.

Once your coffee is done steeping, pour coffee into a mug for yourself and your campmates. And enjoy not having to pick any grounds out of your teeth.

The Stirring Recipe

You will need:

• A heat resistant kettle

• 3/4 to 1 cup of ground coffee

• 4 cups (1 quart) of water

• About half a cup of cold water

• A heat source

Step 1: Boil Your Water

This version of the recipe is a little closer to the style of brewing most of us are familiar with, and it’s the best of the three to try with specialty coffee beans. It’s also similar to making the Brazilian cafezinho. 

Start by bringing one quart of water to a boil, and dig yourself a shallow hole to keep your coffee warm.

Step 2: Cool Your Water

Just when your water has begun to boil, remove it from the heat. Let it sit for 30 seconds to get it down to around 200°F, the proper temperature for brewing coffee.

Step 3: Stir, And Stir Again

Once your water has cooled, add coffee to the hot water and stir for about 15 seconds. Then let it sit in the hole you dug earlier (so that it stays hot) for two minutes and stir up the grounds again.

After the second stir, let the coffee sit for another two minutes of brewing time. This will give your coffee plenty of time to steep, allowing all those tasty oils trapped inside your beans to escape.

Step 4: Pour And Enjoy!

When the final two minutes are up, your coffee is ready to be served!

Because of the intermittent stirring, this recipe doesn’t work well with the eggshell or sock trick, so slowly pour the coffee to avoid letting any grounds into your coffee cup.

Don’t Forget The Golden Rules Of Brewing Coffee…

We understand that cowboy coffee has the reputation for being rough and rugged, tossed together in subpar circumstances and yielding barely drinkable results. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Just because you’re sleeping in the dirt and drinking your cup of coffee around a roaring fire doesn’t mean you have to forget everything you know about making coffee. If you have access to hot water and good quality coffee beans, you don’t have to settle for burnt-tasting mud.

The proportions may not be quite as precise as when you’re using a pour over, but paying attention to the ratio of coffee to water is still important. As the saying goes, “Science works whether or not you believe in it.” And science is a huge part of great coffee making.