The Camping Coffeemaker works just like your drip coffeemaker at home. There is no water-level indicator in the reservoir, but that is easy enough to deal with by using the carafe to measure the water, and then adding a bit more to account for evaporation and the absorption of the coffee grounds. The carafe is, unfortunately, glass – so care must be taken, both in transport and use. Brewing time is longer than an electric drip unit and you will need a powerful stove to make it work, which is fine for us RV campers, but don’t try using this with your white gas stove. Ironically, the manual says not to use the coffeemaker on a stove burner rated in excess of 15,000 BTUs. I cannot imagine trying to use it on anything less! Coleman also warns against leaving the coffeemaker on the stove after the brewing has completed, so you will want to use a 10-cup thermos (you are drinking 2 cups immediately, right?) to keep your coffee piping hot.
I have been using the Camping Coffeemaker for about 14 months now, and I am impressed by its simplicity and utility. Despite the glass decanter, my unit still looks out-of-the-box new, which speaks to the durable design of the base and reservoir – despite my frequent 20,000 BTU assaults.
Happy camping!