Which Is Better Paper Coffee Filters Or A Metal Filter
All types of filters lower the concentration of cafestol and kahweol, but paper filters are more effective. Paper filters trap diterpenes much better than other filter types making them the number one choice for anyone concerned with health and cholesterol. Unbleached paper coffee filters are the more natural choice, but youll need to rinse each filter through once with clean water, or there will be a slight taste of paper left in your coffee. Otherwise, opt for high-quality bleached paper, and it wont affect the healthiness of your brew or its taste. Bleaching leaves no hazardous chemicals behind.
Pressed Coffee Is Going Mainstream But Should You Drink It
- By Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
ARCHIVED CONTENT: As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date each article was posted or last reviewed. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
The coffee aficionados in my life seem a little smug these days. They feel vindicated now that the brew theyve long touted as superior European pressed coffee has finally gained mainstream acceptance. No longer the domain of trendy coffee houses and upscale restaurants, pressed coffee is now fashionable in the United States and can be found in many places where coffee is sold. And the device to make this kind of coffee known as a French press has begun popping up on all kinds of store shelves, from tony boutiques to big-box chains. But this hot trend has a cold hard fact you should know about.
French Press: All You Need To Know About French Press
A French press is a coffee maker that has been around for many years. Its considered to be the best way to have French Press Coffee because it produces a rich flavor and aroma. A French Press allows you to control how much ground coffee you use, so if you like your coffee on the weaker side, then this is something that could work for you!
Read Also: Does Shrimp Have A Lot Of Cholesterol
How To Drink Greek Coffee
While this is a small coffee, it is not to be confused with the espresso, which is basically consumed quickly standing up. This coffee is consumed sitting down slowly. To get the full flavor you should sip the coffee slowly. I remember the older generations taking loud sips of coffee while this may be rude, I find that it increases the enjoyment of the coffee. Once you start tasting the first grounds you are done. Do not try and drink the coffee grounds at the bottom of the cup.
In Greece, traditionally coffee was consumed two times a day: In the morning and in the afternoon after their nap. Although the coffee seems thick and black it is not extremely high in caffeine, it is actually lower then regular filter coffee.
Why Is French Press Coffee Better Than Drip
Coffee made with a French press might be better than drip coffee for several reasons:
- It retains larger amounts of coffees natural oils, giving you a more genuine cup of Joe
- It lets you play with a bunch of variables like how hot the water is, how long to steep the coffee grounds etc.
- It doesnt require electricity to operate
- Cleaning a French press is less of a hassle
So, the thing with making coffee via a French press is that the grounds are always in direct contact with the water.
This means that you get coffee with more body and sediment i.e. a stronger coffee.
Or in other words, you get a genuine, unfiltered and pure cup of Joe.
And while those advantages cannot be disputed, drip machines have a few tricks up their sleeve too.
Drip coffee makers do a better job of providing java for more than one person, especially in office environments, restaurants etc.
And a drip machine will generally give you a cup of Joe quicker than a French press.
Although this depends on how long you let the ground coffee steep for.
Recommended Reading: Canned Tuna Good For Cholesterol
Can You Use Folgers Coffee In A French Press
Pour out the hot water and place 8 tablespoons of Folgers French Roast coffee grounds into the bottom of your press. … Just let the coffee brew for 4 minutes. Lower the plunger, slowly, all the way down to the bottom of the pot. Once you get the plunger all the way down, turn the lid to open the spout, and pour!
How To Remove Cafestol From French Press Coffee
Running your French press coffee through a filter will visibly remove any coffee grounds floating around or oily residue. Any paper coffee filter will do, but youll most likely need to cut it to size to fit into the French press unless youre filtering straight into a mug or container. If you plan to cut the paper to size, make sure its a match to the presss diameter and place the filter directly beneath the plunger. Press down as you would typically, pouring carefully to make sure that the coffee passes through the paper and plunger. Its going to take more force than normal to press out your coffee. Just steadily apply pressure as you would before but harder and for longer.
We suggest opting for a large filter paper or metal coffee filter and filtering all the coffee in the press into a separate container first, rather than trying to strain it into a cup or cutting one to size. Theres far less chance of messing. Use a big coffee filter as-is and clear multiple cups of French press of coffee in no time. Just pour steadily and evenly, making sure to never over-saturate the paper.
Also Check: Are Shrimp Bad For Cholesterol
How To Filter French Press Coffee
If you want extra filtration, just get one of those disposable paper filters and youre good to go.
However, you might find that most paper filters are actually too big.
If thats the case, simply cut them so that you may wrap the paper filter around your French press default steel mesh.
As youve now probably realized, the steel mesh filter that you press the coffee beans with, doesnt filter an awful lot.
Thats the exact idea of this brewing method to drink unfiltered coffee!
But what if youre using finely ground coffee?
Then youll probably need to add a paper filter on top of the steel mesh to filter out the micro-ground coffee.
Risks Of Drinking Coffee
Although there has been much published about the benefits of coffee, it is important to consider the possible risk, particularly if you are a heavy coffee drinker.
Among them:
- The high caffeine content can overstimulate the central nervous system, triggering anxiety, restlessness, headaches, insomnia, and heart palpitations. Poor sleep causes daytime sleepiness and reduced alertness and mental performance.
- Coffee is acidic and can promote stomach upset in some people, particularly those with chronic gastritis or irritable bowel syndrome . It can also speed up gastric emptying and can make diarrhea worse in people with IBS or inflammatory bowel disease .
- High consumption of coffee in females increases the risk of bone fractures by 150%. The same is not seen in males.
- High consumption of coffee during pregnancy may also increase the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth, and pregnancy loss compared to low to moderate consumption.
Also Check: Egg Beaters Shelf Life
The Difference Between Metal Filters And Paper Filters
The difference is that a metal filter lets through much more of the coffee oils than a paper filter does, this results in a coffee that feels thicker because you feel the coffee oils on your tongue the way you do if you eat something buttery.
Now, these oils are strange to get used to especially if youre used to drip coffee machines that use a paper filter. It can make the coffee taste sludgy because you see the silt at the bottom of the cup and take it to mean that it must have been throughout.
But you have to lean into it!
If youre using a paper filter with a french press then there isnt much point using a french press, you might as well buy a drip machine because that thickness is the whole point.
And you just dont drink the bottom mouthful of your coffee when you have a french press. If, however, youre getting a third of your cup is full of bits then you have a different problem, likely your grind isnt coming out consistent giving you too many fines that can escape the plunger, or youre pushing down too hard forcing the coffee through the filter.
You need a nice even grind across your beans and you need to apply steady pressure while you push down. Or you could try only pushing down halfway and pouring nice and gently into your cup.
Should I Filter My French Press Coffee
French PressFiltersyour coffee the filterthethewilltheFrench Presscoffee
Recommended Reading: Does Shrimp Contain Cholesterol
Coffee Creamer Can Pack On Extra Pounds
If you reach for a delicious French vanilla creamer, it could also cause you to put on some pounds. Eat This, Not That! noted that one serving of creamer is considered 1 tablespoon, and on average we pour more than four times that amount. You think you just had a 35 calories drink, when it was actually a whooping 140 calories. Ouch. This tiny oversight could lead you to gain 15 pounds a year!
However, there is some good news for coffee creamer fans. White explained the healthiest way to add some sweetness to your coffee is using measured portions of actual cream and sugar. That way, you get the taste without the unnecessary added ingredients. And, bonus, you can be sure how much youre consuming. If you do decide you simply cant skimp on your daily coffee creamer habit, just remember, moderation is key.
Also Check: Does Shrimp Raise Cholesterol
Risks From Drug Interactions
A 2020 study found that coffee can interact with many drugs due to its caffeine content. A person may wish to consult their doctor to see whether any of their medications are in that category.
In addition, the warn against mixing a caffeinated beverage, such as coffee, with alcohol. The combination may result in a person drinking more alcohol than they realize and thus experiencing more of its harmful effects.
Don’t Miss: Does Beer Affect Your Cholesterol
So Is Coffee Or French Press Coffee Bad For Me
Coffee contains over a thousand chemical compounds, and some of these are trapped by a paper filter, but not by a metal one.
The key compounds cited by the Harvard Health article that started this controversy are cafestol and kahweol. Both are diterpenes that are removed much more thoroughly by paper filters than by metal ones.
Now, stick with me here, a study measured the concentration of cafestol in French press coffee at around 300 times that in paper-filtered drip coffee. The metal filter does remove a bit of cafestol, but not much compared to boiled coffee.
So ultimately, French press coffee is not unique here. This health issue is true of any coffee prepared with a metal filter .
French press coffee comes up in searches on this topic because of an influential post by the Harvard Health blog. You might think that espresso would be the big name that articles cite, but theres a key difference: we drink big cups of French press coffee and small cups of espresso. The concentration of cafestol is about the same, but the small serving size makes the amount you ingest fairly small.
Does Coffee Raise Cholesterol
I have used a French press coffeepot for years, but I recently heard unfiltered coffee could raise LDL cholesterol levels. Is French press coffee okay in moderation, or should it be avoided outright?
Andrew Weil, M.D. | January 15, 2013
Some research has linked drinking unfiltered coffee to an increase in LDL cholesterol levels. For the record, unfiltered coffee is a brew in which coffee grounds come into prolonged contact with hot water, as is the case with a French press , as well as with Turkish or Greek coffee, espresso , and Scandinavian boiled coffee. The compounds in coffee associated with increased cholesterol levels are diterpines, specifically one called cafestol, which is present whether or not the coffee is decaffeinated.
I discussed your question with my colleague Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., an internationally recognized expert in the fields of integrative medicine, dietary supplements and womens health, and an authority on botanical medicine. She notes that a review of 12 studies found a link between coffee consumption and increased levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Dr. Low Dog tells me that the authors of the review wrote that patients with high cholesterol seem to be more sensitive to the cholesterol boosting properties of coffee.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
Also Check: Cholesterol In Tuna Fish
Different Preparations Of Greek Coffee
As I mentioned earlier there are different ways to enjoy coffee , so you may always reduce the sugar or not add any at all. The way I make it is considered somewhat moderate to strong. Here are some of the ways it can be consumed:
- Plain pronounced Sketos: Only coffee and no sugar
- Strong pronounced Varis: 2-3 teaspoons of coffee with 1 teaspoon sugar
- Light pronounced Elafris: ½-1 teaspoon of coffee + 1 teaspoon sugar
- Sweet pronounced Glykos: 1 teaspoon coffee +2 teaspoons sugar
- Strong-Sweet pronounced Variglykos: 3 teaspoons coffee +3 teaspoons sugar
- Yes and No pronounced Ne ke Ohi: 1 teaspoon coffee + ½ teaspoon sugar
Which Is Healthier Filtered Or Unfiltered Coffee
The study is observational and doesnt prove that filtered coffee is healthier than unfiltered coffee, but it makes sense. Unfiltered coffee contains diterpenes, compounds that can raise cholesterol, and researchers say a cup of unfiltered coffee contains 30 times more diterpenes than a cup of filtered coffee.
You May Like: Does Tuna Lower Cholesterol
What Does Cafestol Do
As our bodys cholesterol production pathway is hijacked, cafestol becomes responsible for us over-producing unhealthy LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Elevated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are connected to an increased risk of stroke and heart disease. A high presence of cholesterol narrows the arteries and clogs the artery walls, creating a fatty buildup.
Is Percolated Coffee Better Than Drip Coffee
If you are trying to make coffee for a LOT of people in a relatively short period of time, a percolator is probably the better choice. … That said, most drip coffee makers can make enough coffee for a couple coffee drinkers. So if you only have 1-2 coffee fans in your house, a coffee maker should be fine.
Don’t Miss: Is Shellfish Bad For Cholesterol
How Is French Press Coffee Different
Lets start at the beginning. Unless youre drinking Turkish coffee, you dont want any grounds in your coffee. They taste bad and feel worse.
There are many ways of keeping the grounds out of your coffee. The simplest: letting the grounds settle and pouring very carefully.
Most coffee styles use some sort of filter for the job. Paper filters are the norm for drip and pourover coffee, while other methods like espresso, percolator, Moka pot, and French press use a metal filter. In either case, the filter removes the coffee grounds from your finished drink, but there are small differences.
What Is The Difference Between Filtered And Unfiltered Coffee
Filtered coffee includes drip and pour over coffee, and any other coffees that pass through a filter. Unfiltered coffee includes espresso, Turkish coffee and those made using a French press or moka pot, none of which use a filter. Unfiltered coffee contains substances that increase blood cholesterol.
Recommended Reading: Amount Of Cholesterol In Shrimp
Is French Press Coffee Good Once Filtered
The sheer conveniences makes brewing fresh coffee from beans easy, even when preparing enough to serve a big family. Its not just good but rather an excellent form of coffee in many different ways. Coffee steeps which adds dimensions of flavor that simply wouldnt be there when brewing using a drip-machine. Other than cholesterol elevating cafestol, theres nothing but boldness and rich flavor notes to be found in French press coffee. Making coffee using a press is an art of its own, and over time youll learn how to make coffee with less sediment. Filtering is also far less time-consuming than one would expect.
What Is The Point Of Pour Over Coffee
The pour-over method allows you to control the temperature of the water, the speed at which it goes into the grounds, the amount of time it brews and how much it makes. Coffee enthusiasts tend to prefer this method because it allows them to control the taste, texture, temperature and strength of the brew.
Also Check: Does Shrimp Has Cholesterol
Is Moka Pot And French Press The Same
Ans: Not exactly, Moka pots and French presses are two very different brewing techniques for making coffee. The Moka pot creates strong, sharp brews that mix well with milk or cream whereas the French style tends to be fuller-bodied and rich textured due to its steeping technique which produces more nuanced flavors when compared side by side.