Due to extended electrical outages caused by the last two hurricanes, we have discovered a few tips for coping with no electricity. The first couple days we made do with instant coffee. We have a gas range, so could heat water in a kettle. Then I discovered a simple way to use my coffee maker even though there was no electricity.
Just prepare the coffee and filter in the usual way. Bring your kettle of water to a boil. Pour enough in your coffee filter basket to fill your filter, being careful not to overfill it or the coffee grounds will spill over the top. Set the filter and the pot in place. As the water runs through, just repeat this step until you have enough water to fill the pot. Pour the coffee into a thermos to keep it warm or reheat on the stove in a pan as needed.
I discovered this trick for myself a couple of years ago when my electric coffee maker just stopped working one day and I didn't want to throw it away since I don't use it that often anyway. Heated the water on the stove and it worked great.
I live in Oklahoma & we have power outages year round due to high straight winds, tornados, electric storms, & ice or snow storms. On our coffeemaker, the basket won't sit flat onto the top of the glass pot & you have to stand there & hold it the entire while. Otherwise, you can only add about 1/2 to 3/4 c. of water to the basket at a time before the basket starts to tip over & you have a dangerous &/or messy situation on your hands. My solution was simple. We are camping fanatics & I use our campfire percolator to make the most excellent coffee on top of my gas kitchen range when the electricity goes off. To reheat, I don't have to pour into a saucepan or anything--just turn the burner on under the campfire percolator. Of course, it usually doesn't last long enough to have to reheat it & I just make another pot.
I made coffee for over a week like this after Katrina hit. (Our power was out for 8 days, and I live 175 miles inland from the coast!) I don't have a gas stove, so I used my gas grill to heat the water. It was truly a life-saver. I can do without a lot of comforts if necessary, but I MUST have my coffee!
I don't have a gas stove, but I have a butane burner I can put outside. I have my parents, (both deceased) old percolator. I go outside and use that and all these great memories come back. Now if I could make it as good as my mother did.
I don't have a gas stove, but I have a butane burner I can put outside. I have my parents, (both deceased) old percolator. I go outside and use that and all theses great memories come back. Now if I could make it as good as my mother did.
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