GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless 36 Cup PERC
Editor: Cory McLaughlin
Just the Facts:
This ultra-rugged, Glacier Stainless campfire percolator uses stainless steel to deliver a great tasting cup of Joe year after year, just like grandpa used to make. This camp classic’s PercView top lets you gauge the strength of your brew. Wherever you’re making coffee, you won’t be disappointed.
My Story:
When the sun breaks over the hills and the first glimmer of light starts to hit your tent walls, you know it’s time to get moving. Camping is not a sleeping event and coffee is a necessary staple to most camps. Over the years our camping groups have grown substantially and with that have come many creative ways to keep everyone’s mug full. Each camp trailer or portable stove has been topped with a coffee pot that sequentially brews the black gold. As one pot is empty the other is finishing its perc. So the battle has raged for more years than I can count. In my camps we have all shared the same thought… “There has to be a better way”!
GSI has heard the call and they have answered in a big way. The Glacier Stainless 36 Cup Perc is the perfect solution to the call for more Joe. The percolator type brew system is the perfect way to make sure that you have fresh brew even while away from your auto drip or instant brew home systems. Just because you are away from home does not mean you have to go without.
For me few things are better than the small of fresh coffee floating in the mountain air. I love to watch the steam floating from the pot and drifting to my eager nose.
With the clear PercView you can also watch the progress. It allows you to look at the color of your brew and make sure you get it to your desired potency.
This no brainer style coffee maker is simple to use and wonderful to watch. We used this pot for a recent archery tournament in which our camp was full of 14 coffee drinking adults. The pot was pre-loaded the night before and fired up each morning before the sun. Not a cup went dry all weekend and it was all thanks to this mammoth pot. A stop at the grocery store before we left town gave me a chance to grind some beans that would be best suited for a percolator system. Yes, you can use any old coffee but unless you like to strain it though your teeth you will want to grind your own. Most grocery stores have coffee by the bean and a grinder that can be utilized in store. Set it to a course or percolator setting and stand back to enjoy the smell.
I found that setting the stove to high was the best way to get the fast boil but it needed to be turned down as soon as the pot began to percolate. Having the stove too high caused a boil over and put out the flame. It also runs the risk of burning the coffee. So, get the water boiling and then turn that baby down for a slow roll. When you see the color you like shut it down and pull out the metal filter. With the GSI Glacier Stainless 36 Cup Perc you will always have some Go-Juice to go around.
I know this is something that should go without saying but this coffee pot is huge. If you are looking for a coffee pot for the family camping trips this is going to be overkill. Luckily GSI has other options of the same great quality. That said, if you are looking to please the masses this is the pot for you!
Find it Here:
http://www.gsioutdoors.com/shop/beverages-partyware/coffee-espresso-makers/glacier-stainless-36-cup-perc.html
What can be done better?
I cannot find anything that I would change with this coffee pot. This thing is a homerun! If you are in need of a huge pot for a huge camp I suggest you go check this bad boy out. Fine Job!