% ways to have coffe off grid without an automatic coffee maker
DIY Homesteading

Living Off Grid Without a Coffee Machine

There’s no doubt my wife and I, before we moved off grid, took for granted the automatic coffee pot. This marvel of human ingenuity that allows a person to wake up to the smell of brewed coffee, mmmmm.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means offgridmaker.com could earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, on the things you purchase.

Contents

  • Cowboy Coffee
  • The Percolator
  • Instant Coffee
  • The French Press
  • The Best Coffee I’ve ever brewed at home

Living off grid is a great way to live, but it requires letting go of some of life’s conveniences. The automatic coffee maker is one of them, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up a good cup of coffee. I should also say this only applies to those living off grid with small energy systems or none at all.

If you’re still in the planning stage of moving off grid these are the kind of choices to think about now.’ How am I going to brew my coffee?’. It seems like a simple question, but as we found out when we moved off grid, there are dozens of these “simple” little dilemmas to solve.

Check out the article below if your still planning to move off grid

* things to start doing today to prepare to move off grid

When we moved off grid we went through a few different ways to prepare coffee. Here are some options to consider. Most of these are great for camping also.

Cowboy coffee

Cowboy coffee has a bad rap. When done right it’s not so thick you can put spoon in it and it stands up. It should be a mild to weak coffee that’s smooth to drink black.

What’s needed for Cowboy coffee

All that’s needed for cowboy coffee is a pot, a fire, coffee, and water.

Click on the picture below to check out current prices of boiler pots on amazon

How to brew cowboy coffee

The process is pretty simple. First you need a pot with a lid and a spout.

Add 3/4 of the volume of the pot with water and set it on the fire or stove top. add in the amount of coffee you like then bring to a rolling boil. Immediately remove the pot from the heat and add 1/4 the volume of the pot with cold water.

Adding the cold water does two things. The cold water will help to sink the coffee grounds to the bottom of the pot so they don’t get poured into your cup. second, it stops the extraction process which gives the coffee a better taste .

This process doesn’t make a strong coffee, but if you do like a strong cup of coffee all you have to do is let the coffee boil for a couple of minutes before you remove the pot from the heat. Let the coffee stand for 1 minute before adding cold water.

This is also a great camp coffee. With a large boiler pot you can make a lot of coffee for a large group over a camp fire. It’s also important to remind everyone about the well known, scientifically proven, lab tested fact that everything tastes better when made on a campfire.

The Percolator

Coffee percolator on the wood stove
My stove top percolator on the wood stove

In my opinion a percolator makes a better cup of coffee than cowboy coffee. You control how weak or strong you want the coffee to be by the length of time you let it perk. The down side is the inconsistency. It will take some time to dial in the right amount of time to let it perk and how hot the fire is determines how fast it perks.

There are basically two types of percolators. One is designed to be used on a stove top and the other is designed to be used on a campfire.

Percolators have a pot with a spout and a lid(some lids will have a viewing port that allows you to see the percolating coffee). percolators also have a basket to hold the coffee grounds. This allows the water in the pot to travel up the tube in the basket and onto the coffee grounds draining down through the grounds and back into the pot. I make it a point to remember to remove the basket before I pour a cup of coffee. Forgetting to do this will result in a load of grounds in the first cup.

Percolators also have a place in the basket to put a filter to minimize the amount of grounds that end up in the coffee.

The stove top percolator

Stove top percolators tend to be more stylish and won’t have a hanging handle. On the stove top you will have more control over the heat therefore reducing some of the inconsistency inherent in percolating coffee.

Click any of the examples below to check out current prices on Amazon.

The campfire percolator

Campfire percolators will have a handle to hang the pot over an open flame. They are made to be light for hikers or they’re made to be durable for campers and off griders. Style seems to be second consideration to the first two design parameters. Campfire percolators will sometimes have a ring that is used to help pour the coffee while it’s still hanging over the fire.

Click any of the pictures below to check out current prices on Amazon.

Instant coffee

You can’t have a conversation about off grid coffee without talking about instant coffee. Now I know what most people think about instant coffee. “That’s not real coffee”, you might say. In my opinion most instant coffee doesn’t taste very good, but all you need to make it is hot water and a coffee cup. It doesn’t get any easier than that. Sometimes I just don’t have the time to brew coffee.

Now, that being said I will admit that my wife and I have, and still do at times, drink instant coffee. We only drink one brand of instant coffee. It’s pretty good and almost tastes like brewed coffee. A few years ago we were at some friends house and they offered us coffee. We were surprised to find out it was instant.

Below is an Amazon link.

The French Press

Finally I would like to talk about the french press. This is the favorite at my house. For an off grid household this is the perfect solution. The coffee made in a french press is delicious. It’s very simple to use and you get a consistent taste every time once you dial in how you like it.

What you need

All you need is a french press, coffee grounds and hot water. The press is a glass pot that has a filtered plunger that presses all the grounds the bottom of the pot.

How to use the french press

There seems to be a lot of discussion about the “right” way to use a french press. I’m just a guy who lives in the woods of the Ozarks. I’m not going to pretend to know what the “right” way is. I’m going to tell you how we use our french press to make great coffee.

Process

Begin by heating up some water in a pot. We use a tea kettle. Then, when the water is really hot but not boiling fill the french press with the hot water. This warms up the french press so when you pour the boiling water into the french press it doesn’t crack the glass.

After letting the french press warm up for a few minutes pour the water back into the tea kettle to let it boil.

While you’re letting the water boil add the amount of coffee you like into the french press. Once the water has begun to boil fill the french press to within 1″ of the top of the french press and stir the grounds. Place the plunger and cap into the french press, but don’t press the plunger down yet.

Let the water with the coffee grounds stand for 4 to 5 minutes. Now, push the plunger down to press all the coffee grounds to the bottom of the french press.

That’s all there is to it.

Below is an Amazon link to the french press we use.

The Best Home Brew Coffee

I can’t talk about our off grid coffee experiences without talking about my favorite coffee. I can’t even come close to calling myself a coffee connoisseur, but I know what I like. I was given a specialty brand of coffee as a gift and I was excited to try it because this is the kind of thing I wouldn’t buy for myself. My wife brewed some up in our french press and WOW! It was really good. I mean I’ve never had coffee at home that was that good.

The coffee was Allegro brand coffee. The flavor was called Costa Lomas. It’s very flavorful, rich and bold. It’s a great coffee and it’s organic.

Thanks again Jeff for that great gift.

Click below to check out current prices on Amazon. Check out there other flavors also.

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before and after pics of cast iron restoration
DIY Homesteading

How To Restore Cast Iron

In today’s post I’m going to show you how to bring a rusted old cast Iron skillet back to cooking condition.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means offgridmaker.com could earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, on the things you purchase.

Cast Iron cook ware seems to be a staple on any off grid homestead, but more and more people are choosing cast Iron for it’s many benefits. Picking up old cast iron at a swap meet, yard sale or estate sale is an inexpensive way to have some cast iron cook ware of your own, but many times these pieces may not be in ideal shape for cooking.

An old badly rusted cast iron skillet
an old rusted cast iron skillet

There are many ways to remove rust from cast iron. This post isn’t a list of the different ways to do it. This is the process I’ve found to be the quickest and simplest. This process works great and can be done in a few hours depending on how much time you want to spend seasoning the skillet.

Removing the rust

The first step is removing the rust from the skillet. I use a wire wheel attachment on an angle grinder.

Cordless angle grinder with wire wheel attachment
Cordless angle grinder with wire wheel attached

I use two different size wires when removing rust from cast iron. One has thick wires and I use it first to get the heaviest rust off then I switch to a wheel with smaller wires to finish the skillet.

Wire wheels
Two types of wire wheels I use

Click the pic below to check current prices of wire wheel brushes for angle grinders

here are some wire wheel sets for drills to check out.

If you don’t have an angle grinder you can use a drill but it will take more time and more elbow grease because a drill doesn’t spin with the same rpm’s as an angle grinder. Check angle grinders on amazon below.

The trickiest part about removing the rust with an angle grinder can be getting into tight angles on the piece, but I’ve found that’s usually only a problem on the handle where there is a hole to hang the piece on a hook.

Rust being removed from cast iron skillet with wire wheel attached to an angle grinder
Removing rust from the skillet with my angle grinder

Once you’ve removed the rust with the wire wheels you will need to remove the light layer of rust dust from the piece. This is easily done with a rag and some white cleaning vinegar.

Seasoning

Once the piece is cleaned it’s time to heat it up. I clean cast iron in the winter so I can perform the seasoning process on the wood stove. This way I’m not using any propane or electricity. I’m already using the wood to heat the house. Now the wood stove is pulling double duty.

Cast iron skillet after rust has been removed
Cast iron skillet is now rust free

Set the cast iron on the wood stove and heat it up to the point witch you can lightly touch it without burning yourself, but you can’t leave your finger on the skillet (do this test on the upper edge of the skillet not in the bottom of the skillet).

Once the cast iron is hot enough add a 1/2 teaspoon of oil. I use olive oil, but any cooking oil will work. Remove the skillet from the heat and begin rubbing in the oil with a clean rag. Rub the oil in all over the piece making sure there is only a light layer of oil remaining. be sure to remove excess oil. Now let stand to cool.

Cast Iron skillet with first layer of oil in the seasoning process
First step of the cast iron seasoning process

Now heat the pan again until the layer of oil begins to smoke then add oil and rub it in again. Let it cool and repeat this last step at least three times.

Your cast Iron skillet is now ready to cook with.

Cast iron skillet with seasoning process finished
Cast iron skillet is ready to start cooking with

You should make it a regular practice to perform the last step each time you clean your cast iron. Over time this will improve the seasoning of your cook ware.

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Off Grid Mindset

Pros and Cons of Living Off Grid

People often ask me what it’s like living off grid. My short answer for this question is;

“Living off grid is a simple life, but it’s not easy.”

This is just my way of pointing out, like most things, There are pros and cons to living off grid. Here is the bullet list.

Pros

  • A certainty of self sufficiency
  • A more earth friendly lifestyle
  • Independence from infrastructures outside your control
  • immersion in nature
  • Generally less expensive land
  • Healthier living
  • Lower stress
  • Satisfaction of being self reliant
  • Low monthly living cost

cons

  • Less conveniences offered by modern society
  • Building energy, water, and waste systems can be expensive
  • Maintenance of these systems can be costly and tedious
  • Acclimation to conservation can be difficult for some people
  • There is always work to be done
  • Building your off grid homestead seems to never be finished

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means offgridmaker.com could earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, on the things you purchase.

The above bullet list is a sample of general Pros and Cons. Everyone who goes off grid does it in there own way and will therefore have their own specific Pros and Cons.

For example: someone who purchases their solar system and pays to have it installed will have a high cost which is a Con. Their system will be fully functional relatively quickly which is a Pro.

Someone who builds their energy system themselves from scratch or from salvaged materials will have a very low cost which is a Pro, but it will take a relatively long time for it to be fully functional which is a Con.

Your specific Pros and Cons will differ from the Pros and Cons of other people.

Mindset

I have found understanding Mindset to be much more useful than understanding Pros and Cons. It’s very important to foster certain mindsets such as patience, planning, pragmatism, and stoicism. I wrote a more detailed article about these mindsets “The Most Important Mindsets For Living Off Grid” Click the graphic below to read it.

Essential mindsets for living off grid
Click the image to check out the post

Questions to ask yourself;

Do I enjoy learning new skills?

The more reliant you are on your own skills, the less you will have to spend money and resources having other people do things for you.

Am I comfortable doing hard work on a daily basis?

There are always things to do on an off grid homestead. Things always need fixing, building or maintaining.

Do I have the skills necessary for growing food or hunting food and preserving it for winter?

Food production and preservation is an important part of self sufficiency.

Am I able to push through discomfort?

There will always be uncomfortable situations in an off grid life.

Am I able to plan ahead?

It is very important to be able to plan ahead logistically when building an off grid homestead.

Can I practice patience when things aren’t happening as quickly as I like?

Things always take longer than you think they will.

Do I have or can I gain basic first-aid skills?

Most injuries on the homestead are minor in nature and can be taken care of with basic first-aid skills

Can I dedicate a large portion of my time to food, energy and shelter?

To become completely self sufficient will require large amounts of time devoted to food, energy and shelter.

Do I handle emergency situations with a cool head?

Living on the edge of society means in emergency situations when time is critical you have to be able to calmly asses the situation and make confident decisions.

The more questions you can answer yes to, The more suitable you are to an off grid lifestyle. There are many resources for learning the skills that are useful in an off grid lifestyle. If you would like to read my article about useful skills to practice now click image below

Important skills to practice on the road to an off grid life
click the image to view the post

If you would like to read the article “8 Things You Can Do To Prepare To Move Off Grid” Click the image below.

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Off grid diy siding. low cost , high quality, long lasting
DIY Homesteading

How to Mill Log Siding Without a Sawmill

Choosing an exterior siding for our cabin has been quite a challenge. The main reason for this is the high cost of quality siding. The affordable siding on the market is really low quality and we just didn’t want to use it for that reason, plus we really wanted a rustic look for our homemade cabin.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means offgridmaker.com could earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, on the things you purchase.

What we have found is perfect. It will last a long time. It’s very cheap (around $0.16 per square foot). We can’t be any happier with the solution we found.

We have found a way to mill out our own log siding out of the leftover slabs from the local sawmill. The only tools used for this is a circular saw, chalk line, tape measure and a saw guide.

The saw mill bundles up the slabs left over from the milling process. These bundles are just small enough to fit in the back of a pickup. Our saw mill charges us $20 for the bundle and from that bundle we’ll be able to make around 120 sq. ft. of log siding. $0.16 per sq. ft. is extremely cheap for real wood siding. The down side is the time and effort is pretty heavy.

This is the bundle of slabs at the sawmill

The first thing about siding that’s important is it’s ability to shed water away from the structure and not allow water to migrate from the exterior to the interior. For this reason I cut the edges of the siding to have a slight angle or pitch down and away from the wall.

A close up view of the edge of the log homemade log siding. It shows the down and away pitch of the angle that I cut into the dege.
Here you can see the pitch of the edges of the log siding. It slopes down and away from the wall allowing water to shed away from the cabin.

As it turns out the process for achieving this is much simpler than it seemed to me at first.

The other thing to consider with the use of the sawmill slabs is that they aren’t uniform in any way. They aren’t the same thickness or width. Most of the pieces don’t even have a straight edge. This is where the time and effort come in to play.

Step 1

The first thing I did was separate the slabs from the bundle into different piles.

The first pile were the pieces that I could easily mill because they already had at least one straight edge and the width would make a piece of siding which was 5 1/2” wide.

This was the low hanging fruit. These were the pieces which were easiest to make siding from and would take the least amount of energy and time.

The second pile were the pieces I could still mill into siding, but it would take more time because none of the pieces had a straight edge already. This added an extra step; snapping a chalk line for the first straight edge. This stack also included pieces that would still make siding, but the pieces would be less than 5 ½” wide.

The third pile was material in the bundle that was actually 1 x 6 or 1 x 2 or some sort of dimensionally milled lumber that got culled by the people at the saw mill for one reason or another.

The forth pile included pieces that I couldn’t make siding from but could still be used in constructing other projects where technical specifics wouldn’t be quite as important. Most of that material will end up being a wood shed. “How to build a simple wood shed” coming soon.

The fifth pile was material that really wasn’t good for any type of construction material. I will chop and split all this material up into pieces to burn in my homemade wood fired water heater. I might not be able to build anything with it, but I can turn it into hot water.

Step 2

Now we need to have some saw horses or something to mill all this side on. I found the regular saw horses to be a bit inadequate because the slabs have a tendency to ship and move around doe to their irregular shapes and edges.

I took some scrap lumber and pieces from the sawmill bundle to build some saw horses specific to this use. For now I will include some pictures and may in the future write a separate article on how to build them if I receive enough of a response to do so.

Here you can see the legs extend over the top of the saw horse and are cut at a sharp angle. This allows the irregular shapes of the slabs to set on the saw horses without moving around too much.

Step 3

We need to set up the saw for our cuts.

First we should set the angle. I set the angle at 10 degrees. This should be just enough angle to allow any water to be shed away from the wall and not allow it to run up and behind the siding. This angle is up to you.

Now we need to set the saw guide.

A picture of the new saw guide attached to my porter cable circular saw
This is a great saw guide. It has a thumb adjustment which is used dial in the a perfect adjustment. It also comes with different sized arms to fit a multitude of saw brands.

Chttps://amzn.to/2H1n5P6 lick on the picture above for the Amazon link to this saw guide.

Setting the saw guide makes it possible to cut all the siding to a uniform width, and to make the cut straight and quick.

I found the guides that typically come with the circular saws aren’t long enough to mill a piece of siding wider than about 3”.

Since most of my siding is 5 1/2” wide I had to purchase a saw guide that would be long enough. I found a great universal guide that will work with many different makes and models of circular saws. This way if I get a new saw it’s very likely that the guide I have will still work.

When setting up my guide I decided I would only mill two different widths of siding. This meant I marked two different points on my guide. One at 5 1/2” and the other at 4 1/2”. This allows a quick change from one width to another without the use of a tape measure each time.

Step 4

Now it’s time to start making cuts.

I started with the pieces that already had a straight edge on one side. Set the slab on the saw horses with the straight edge to right side. The first cut will be along this straight edge. You’re just going to eyeball this cut and allow the angled edge of the saw blade to just ride along the straight edge of the slab.

This picture shows a slab on the saw horses ready to be milled.
This picture shows a slab on the saw horses ready to be milled.

Now move back to make the second cut. This time allow the saw guide to ride along the edge you just cut.

The saw guide allows for a accurate second cut that takes very little time and effort.

After the second cut I will cut off any bad parts of the ends of the slab that need to be removed. Now you can stack this piece. It’s done. Pretty simple right.

Now for the slabs that don’t have one straight edge already. This just adds one more step. You’ll need to take your chalk line and snap a line near the edge of the slab. Now this line becomes the first cut in this step. That’s all there is to it.

Now find a place to stack your siding neatly so it’s ready when you are.

Summary

So, it took me about 6 hours to mill out 120 sq. ft of cedar log siding. This time includes about 2 hours of figuring and contemplating. Now that I’ve milled quite a bit of siding I should be able to mill out about 100 sq. ft. every 2 hours. With the help of another person I could probably cut that time in half.

Personally, I think this is a great off grid construction technique. It upcycles locale byproduct materials and if you have your own sawmill there will be nearly no additional cost to make the siding.

I would love to hear what you think in the comments.

How would you improve this process?

Would you like a more detailed article about the saw horses?

Have you tried using log slabs for siding?

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