As Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the North Carolina coast, I and my neighbors are all hearing and heeding the government warnings to seek safety, and make sure you are prepared. In all seriousness, if you don’t know what to do, see this useful publication for some guidelines.
But let’s assume that you have diligently prepared per all the government recommendations. You have flashlights and batteries, radios and bath tubs full of water. You have your sleeping space staked out away from the windows. You are ready to ride out the storm. But really, you’re not. Because you know what the government guidelines always omit?
How in the hell are you going to make coffee after the storm??
Have no fear, Jim is here, with a handy checklist to ensure that your are the most popular person in your neighborhood: the one with the fresh java to energize the neighbors with the chainsaws. Here’s what you need to do to make sure your caffeine needs are satisfied in glorious calm after the storm:
1. Before the storm, UNPLUG ALL YOUR FANCY COFFEE GEAR. Wouldn’t it suck if your $5000 espresso machine got popped by a voltage surge right before the power goes out? You want it to work when the power eventually comes back on.
2. Make sure you have plenty of coffee beans on hand before the storm. Who knows how long the power will be out? After Fran, it was like 7-10 days. After Floyd, it was 3-5 days. Without power, your local roaster won’t be roasting, and even your supermarket won’t be able to sell you anything. So run out to your local roaster NOW and get a couple pounds of beans. Why a couple pounds, instead of just what you would normally use? Because you are the only one preparing to make coffee after the storm! Your neighbors are going to be in your grill as soon as they see you strolling the ‘hood, surveying the wreckage with a steaming mug in your hand. They’re gonna want some of your brew. You don’t want to be known as the a__hole who had the coffee and didn’t share; you want to be remembered as the generous one who thought ahead. You’re gonna accumulate a lot of IOUs this weekend; you may never have to own a hedge trimmer again in your life. Hell, they may send over their teenagers to trim the hedges for you.
3. Can you *grind* your coffee without electric? A nice hand mill is a wonderful, inexpensive addition to your coffee gear. Even if you don’t use it often at home, you can take it to the office, or on vacation, or when you travel on business. We sell some nice ones from Hario. But if you’re not inclined to drop thirty or fifty bucks on a hand mill, there is a solution: grind your coffee in advance. Yeah, I know, that’s suboptimal. So is cooking a freezer full of meat on your grill in one day. Desperate time call for desperate measures. Make sure you grind enough – at least a pound, maybe two (remember all those neighbors). And if all else fails, you can make a passable coffee by crushing it with a mortar and pestal. No kidding – a lot of the world does it that way every day.
4. How will you heat water? If you have a gas stove, you’re probably home free. Even without power, you can light it with a match (make sure you have some matches!). If you don’t have a gas stove, all is not lost. Most of us have a backyard grill, gas or charcoal. Even if yours lacks as fancy sideburner, YOU CAN SET A POT OR KETTLE RIGHT ON THE GRILL. That’;s right, cookware on the grill. Just make sure the are no plastic parts that will melt. A cast iron skillet or dutch oven does nicely in a pinch. You can also use a camp stove of some sort. If you don’t have one, they are inexpensive.
5. What about brewing? Basically, most of us will have three choices: cowboy coffee, French press, or pourover cone. Cowboy coffee is the simplest but probably least desirable – simply stir grinds into hot water, steep, strain and serve. French press is nice, and we have a large selection for you. A pour-over cone also works well. If you have the right kind of drip coffee maker (like a Technivorm), you can just manually pour over the basket.
6. If all this seems like entirely too much trouble, make up some cold brew in advance and heat it like you would the water.
There you have it! You are now ready for the storm. Be safe.
I’ve gotta say, I’ve made coffee on the grill after a hurricane and I was also lucky enough to have a gas stove one year. It does pay to be prepared and coffee is definitely no exception. Thanks for the great post.
Thanks for the comment, Angela! Hope you weather the storm well if you’re in her path.
Don’t forget your Koffee Kozee for your French press that holds in the heat at least 40 minutes and Kup Kaps to put on top of your mugs to hold in heat and flying things out of your mug!
Good idea, Irene. But I think you need to start making Kozees for Hario beehive decanters. I haven’t used a French press in a year. All the cool kids are doing pour-over these days!
The large Tea Tabard cozy fits coffee carafes for electric coffee makers. Depending on the size of the Hario decanter, a large Tea Tabard might work. I hope things go well for you this weekend!
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We don’t run the risk of hurricanes in Seattle, but great advice nonetheless. I’m taking these to heart and will be proactive to build in my caffeine preparedness when it comes to disaster planning! Since I roast my own coffee, it would be easy for me to roast ahead of time but since we have the risk of earthquakes out here that may not work too well for me. Any further suggestions related to my situation?
$30 or $40 will get you a nice DC to AC inverter in the 400W range- more than adequate to run a grinder off a car battery. It was *nice* having fresh-ground coffee at Burning Man this year. I advise getting a marine-grade inverter- cheaper ones die too easy.