Can I pour brewed coffee though a paper filter?
by Kara
(Georgia)
A paper coffee filter absorbs the cafestol in coffee.
QUESTION:
Hi, I have wanted an alternative to drip coffee makers because I don't like the idea of drinking anything hot that sat in plastic. I searched and searched, found a couple very expensive drip makers that said they didn't use plastic only the used aluminum...no, good grief.
I also don't want to be raising the cholesterol of my family so simply french press methods were out.
That led me to the pour over method. But here's the thing, I'm sure I'm not good at it, but it sure is tedious standing there all that time. I can't seem to get it to go through faster than a drip. Yes, I'm probably pouring too much too fast....Anyway...
What I wondered was, if I brew the coffee just on the stove in a pot (coffee grounds in boiling water for a couple minutes) or by french press and then use the finished coffee and pour it through a filter, will this actually remove the oils that are responsible for the cholesterol spike? Or does the paper on grab those oils during the brewing process. It seems to me it would work, but I thought I would ask someone with more knowledge.
I think liquid coffee would pour through those pointy pour-over filters faster than with grounds in them. I could be wrong.
Let me know what you think.
ANSWER:
Kara, hi
Great question.
For those who don’t get Kara’s refence to cholesterol, it’s about a substance called cafestol.
Cafestol is found in the oily part of coffee, and is a strong stimulator of LDL cholesterol levels.
So if you have concerns about your cholesterol levels, you may want to brew your coffee with paper filters. The cafestol is almost entirely absorbed by the paper, and doesn't make it as far as your coffee cup.
That’s the backstory.
As for whether you can make coffee with something like a French press, and then pour the brewed coffee through a paper filter cone, to get rid of the cafestol... yes you can.
BTW – Kara, I understand your reference to feeling impatient when making pourover coffee. I sometimes feel the same myself! : )
Anyway, using a filter paper after you brew in your French press sounds like the perfect solution to everything you’re trying to achieve.
Go for it!
Best wishes,
Nick
