There is nothing like waking up to the sound of a percolator warming on the flame in the morning, and that first whiff of coffee gives you that boost to start your day.
Nobody should have to miss out on good coffee while camping or hiking. That’s why I assigned myself the mission of finding the best camping percolator. The result of that is this list; I managed to narrow it down to just five.
Every single one of these products has great features, and I’ll let you in on what they are as we go through them. As always, I’ll give you my honest opinion if I had any issues out in the field. Let’s get started.
Best Camping Percolators – Top 5
#1 Stansport Enamel Percolator
This percolator by Stansport is available in white or blue and is made out of high-quality stainless steel. They are double glazed with kiln-hardened enamel to prevent chips and scratches.
Everything has a stainless-steel rim, giving it a very nice rustic-style look, while also providing durability.
The material it’s made out of also makes it really easy to keep clean.
What makes these percolators unique is that they are tough enough to be used out in the wilderness, and stylish enough to use at home as well. I really like that about this one.
You get four 12-ounce mugs included with the eight-cup percolator.
This camp stove percolator is very lightweight and ideal for family camping and home use.
With a percolator, you can make ‘traditional’ coffee that is as good as it gets because they brew stronger coffee than drip machines. It is recommended to use course grounds like light or medium roast coffee for the best results.
You can place this percolator coffee pot over any campfire, stovetop, or propane stove, and the pot does have a cool touch bail, and an easy pour handle and spout.
Percolators also give you complete control over the brewing process because you can adjust everything – the coffee-to-water ratio, the brewing heat, and exactly how light or strong you want your coffee to be.
It’s completely free from plastic so you don’t have to worry about that bad taste your coffee, and so that makes this one of the healthier options to choose from. It isn’t dishwasher friendly, so you do have to wash it by hand.
Most percolators have something like a glass knob on the pot’s lid so that you can watch your coffee as it brews, but this one doesn’t have that, unfortunately.
Since it is made out of metal do be careful when using it because the body obviously gets very hot and you need to use mittens.
- Lightweight
- 4 mugs included
- Durable, no chipping
- Stylish
- Handle gets hot
#2 Coleman Percolator
This percolator for camping by Coleman is made out of stainless steel and can hold up to 12 cups of coffee. It measures at about (L x W x H) 6.42 x 8.58 x 9.49 inches and weighs around 1kg.
Stainless steel is easy to keep clean and resists corrosion so that it lasts long. This part is really important because camping percolators get exposed to rain, dust, and mud which can all cause rust – so it’s great that you don’t have to worry about any of that with this one.
It’s also flavor-resistant so that your coffee will always taste fresh no matter how many times you use the pot.
It’s so lightweight that it won’t weigh you down, and is easy to pack when it’s time to go camping or hiking. It’s also durable enough for regular outdoor use, and brews coffee quickly on a camping stove, grill, or other heat sources.
You have all of the equipment that you need included with the percolator; the base, tube, basket, basket lid, and pot lid.
With this campfire percolator, you can brew up enough coffee for everyone in one go thanks to its capacity, even if you’re in a large group. It’s so nice not having to make multiple brews.
The convenient side handle helps make pouring comfortable, smooth, and effortless.
There’s a replaceable glass knob on the top of the percolator so that you can keep an eye on your coffee as it brews. It’s really great that it’s made of glass and not plastic. Though this means that it can break if you twist it too tightly, which is why it’s replaceable.
Even though it’s not essential, cups/mugs are not included. Most people already have some that are for camping, but it’s always nice to have a complete set as well. More often than not, sets nest together so that they’re even more compact when packed.
The only thing that I really don’t like is the fact that there isn’t any heat resistant material for the handle. Just like with the cups, campers usually have some sort of cloth to hold the handle, but it would’ve been nice to have that feature for extra protection.
- 12 cup capacity
- Glass knob
- Stainless steel
- Durable
- Fragile glass knob
- No heat resistant material on handle
#3 Stanley Percolator
The Stanley percolator is quite incredible. I hope you enjoy having your coffee made the old-fashioned way. It’s made out of stainless steel and is, of course, BPA-free.
It measures at about 8.11 x 4.65 x 8.50 inches (L x W x H), weighs around 1.3lbs, and is dishwasher safe. Even though it’s dishwasher safe, I doubt you’ll be putting it in there because it’s so easy to clean.
The capacity of this stovetop travel percolator is 6 cups, so it’s great for a group of campers. I’d say it’s not very practical for hiking, though that depends on your personal preference of how much weight you want to carry.
You have everything that you need to brew coffee included: a stainless-steel basket, tube, and basket lid.
You could always use this percolator as a pot to just boil water. Without the brewing basket, you can fit 8 cups of water inside.
This has got to be one of the best camping percolator coffee pots. Simply because it has so many great features. One of my favorites is the handle’s grip because it has a piece of silicone that protects you from the heat. It’s extremely easy to pop that silicone bit off and put it back on. This really comes in handy if you put the percolator over an open flame.
Stanley offers a lifetime warranty with this one and, to me, that just shows how great their products are.
There are two indented marks on the outside of the pot, the first one indicates three cups and the other one is for six.
On the top of the percolator, there is a plastic nob which lets you see the coffee brewing.
It only took about ten minutes until I was sipping on some delicious coffee. It was strong, just the way I like it, and there were no floating grounds. Honestly, I was expecting to find a few because I hadn’t lined the basket with a filter.
Something else that I love is the lid of the percolator. It’s not loose, like most are, so while it’s packed you know that it’s ‘locked’ and secure.
- Removable silicone grip
- Fast brewing time
- Dishwasher safe
- 6 cup capacity
- Durable
- Not compact
#4 GSI Outdoors Percolator
The GSI Outdoors Percolator is available in the colors black, blue, cream, green, or red and the capacity is 8 cups.
The dimensions are 7.9” x 5.8” x 9”, with a weight of around 0.6kg, and it’s made out of steel. It’s actually been kiln-hardened twice at about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit so that it will be even more resistant to scratches and chipping.
Then, it’s double-coated with high gloss-enamel so that it lasts even longer, is easy to clean, and dishwasher safe. The enamel also makes it non-stick.
The three-ply method maximizes heat distribution and it makes the percolator more resistant to damage.
It does come with an aluminum brewing basket so you do have everything you need to get brewing right away.
Being made out of steel means that it’s both very durable and long lasting because it won’t rust.
This camp stove percolator has a resin knob so that you get a view of the percolation and regulate how light or strong you want your brew to be. It is possible for that little knob to come off, but I didn’t have too many issues.
This one is lightweight and tough, which is great for both camping and hiking, and it does come with a full manufacturer’s warranty.
You should let it percolate for about ten minutes or so, depending on how strong you like your coffee.
- Doesn’t rust
- Scratch and chip resistant
- Lightweight
- Loose knob
#5 Stansport Aluminum Percolator
The Stansport camping coffee percolator is made out of aluminum which prevents rust and lasts long. There are two sizes available for this one; 9 cups or 20.
The 20-cup size is ideal for very large groups and/or people who drink large amounts of coffee.
It has a portable structure and a very basic and simple appearance, which is perfect for outdoor use. Also, it really is lightweight. I didn’t even notice it in my backpack.
The large handle on top makes it easy to carry around, and the small handle on the side helps you pour your coffee smoothly. You will need mittens though because every part of this camping percolator gets hot. It doesn’t help that the handles are also very thin, which makes it more difficult to retrieve the pot from the fire.
You do get a percolator stem and basket with the pot, so you have everything you need included.
The knob of the lid is transparent so that you can see inside the pot while it brews.
Here are some tips for once you receive this percolator – these tips are essential if it’s your first ever percolator.
Firstly, do a practice run from home and brew a pot. Don’t drink it because it may contain oils from the manufacturing process. It’s quite likely that you’ll accidentally burn the coffee, but that’s all part of the process because it’s bound to happen at least once. It takes time to get used to the timing and how much heat is needed until the coffee perks.
The better the quality of the water that you’re using is, the better the coffee will taste.
Make sure that you flip out that little side handle before you put the pot on the fire, you’ll thank me later.
It took around ten minutes until the pot started percolating, and that’s when you turn down the heat if you can.
You might find some grounds in the pot unless you pour slowly enough. Thanks to the easy pour spout, it’s not that hard to do.
Once the pot has cooled down, it’s really effortless to take apart and clean.
- Two sizes (9 or 20 cups)
- Lightweight
- Long-lasting
- Heats up quickly
- Thin handles get very hot
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