Full disclosure: I'm functional in the morning without coffee, but I do enjoy a cup, especially in cooler weather and in camp. I've collected lots of percolators, practiced making traditional cowboy coffee, tried a pour over coffee maker and have looked at Moka pots and French press options. I even have automatic drip coffee makers that are stove top and stand-alone propane fired. With all those options I keep falling back on something that my father drank every day for as long as I can remember. Maxwell House Instant coffee. With up to a 20 year shelf life for unopened jars and a couple years or more for opened ones, it stores pretty well. My current jar has probably been opened for over a year and tastes fine. Like cheap Bourbon, I can't taste much difference between instant coffee and the finest out there. It's fast, doesn't make brewing coffee smell that could attract attention, and there's never any grounds to dispose of. It takes up less space, and I can use the water I've heated to make coffee for anything else I need hot water for. Or I can heat it up again for more coffee without altering the coffee taste. There is a little bit of a learning curve to determine how much instant coffee to use in a cup, or a thermos. I've found a nearly level teaspoon to be about right for everyday morning coffee. A heaping teaspoon will prepare you for battle. A little goes a long way. I could do the math from these cup measures to make a thermos to take along, or just mix the instant with the hot water as needed. I can even get away with making instant coffee at the 1840-1940 museum events, since Nescafe introduced instant coffee commercially in 1938. My two minute morning cup is 1/2" of heavy whipping cream with a nearly level teaspoon of instant coffee on top. I heat another cup of water in the microwave for one minute eleven seconds (111, easy to remember) then pour it into the other cup and stir. This makes a perfect temperature cup that's ready to drink.
I had to swear off caffeinated coffee years ago on my Doctor's inststence, due to heart and BP issues. But I do occasionally drink a cup of decaf instant. It's not "coffee" as I prefer it, but it'll do. But it's been so long now, I actually can't remember when I drank even the decaf. I have been fully weaned of it. Still, I do recall a good cup of coffee being truly one of life's simple pleasures.
