Filtered Coffee Without a Machine that's better for your heart! Learn how to make delicious, filtered coffee without a machine and why it’s a heart-healthier option for managing cholesterol. A step-by-step guide to brewing coffee using a paper filter, which enhances flavor while reducing the cholesterol-raising compound, cafestol. Enjoy a rich, flavorful cup that’s easy on your heart!
Did you know you can transform your coffee into a mini breakfast with Protein Coffee?
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☕️ Two Key Factors for Making Healthier Pour-Over Coffee
1. Chlorogenic Acid (The Potent Antioxidant)
Chlorogenic acid is a powerful polyphenol and the most abundant antioxidant found in coffee beans. It plays a key role in enhancing autophagy, the body's process of cleaning out damaged cells. To maximize the health benefits of coffee, it's important to increase the chlorogenic acid content in your brew.
Roast Choice: However, darker roasts have significantly less chlorogenic acid. For maximum benefits, choose a medium-light or medium roast.
Avoid 'Low Acid' Coffee Claims: Don't be misled by "low acid" coffee claims, as these do not help with acid reflux and often indicate lower levels of chlorogenic acid—the beneficial compound you want!
Instant Coffee and Brewing Methods: Instant coffee still contains chlorogenic acid despite being more processed. Brewed coffee has higher levels than espresso due to longer water contact time with the grounds and larger volume.
2. Cafestol (The Cholesterol-Raising Compound)
Cafestol, found in the fatty oils of coffee, can contribute to raising LDL cholesterol levels. Reducing its content is key to making coffee a more heart-friendly choice.
The brewing method affects coffee's impact on cholesterol. Paper-filtered coffee has the least impact on raising cholesterol, while Turkish, French press and boiled coffee have the highest levels of cafestol, making them the worst for cholesterol. Espresso falls in between, containing about 20 times more cafestol than paper-filtered coffee. The effects of Instant and percolator coffee on cholesterol are fairly low.
Ground Size and Roast: To reduce cafestol, use medium to coarse grounds with a paper filter and a dark roast. Finer grounds can lead to greater extraction of cafestol, while dark roasts contain less of it due to the roasting process breaking it down. However, keep in mind that dark roasts also have lower levels of chlorogenic acid, meaning there's a trade-off between reducing cafestol and maintaining antioxidant benefits.
Filtered Coffee Considerations: While filtered coffee raises cholesterol less than boiled coffee, it can still increase LDL cholesterol, as some smaller particles can pass through the filter. If you have high cholesterol despite a healthy diet, consider cutting out coffee and getting retested to assess the impact.
🥄 My Tools and Coffee Choices for Heart-Healthy Brewing
FIND ALL MY COFFEE ESSENTIALS LINKED BELOW.
- A gooseneck kettle is great for making pour-over coffee. It gives precise control over how fast and where you pour the water. This helps the coffee grounds soak evenly, leading to better flavor.
- A pour-over coffee maker made of borosilicate glass offers a simple way to brew coffee. The glass body is durable and retains heat. A heat-resistant grip on a pour-over maker keeps things safe and easy—no burnt hands while pouring your hot coffee.
- Unbleached coffee filters are chlorine-free, compostable, and made from unbleached paper, providing a natural taste without added chemicals. They are an environmentally friendly choice for pour-over coffee, fitting most standard cone coffee makers.
- Using a reusable coffee filter with a paper filter can help reduce cafestol, the cholesterol-raising compound in coffee. The metal filter enhances flavor, while the paper filter catches fine particles and oils containing cafestol. Using both filters together gives you a smoother cup of coffee that is better for your heart.
- Coffee: I have not found a coffee brand labeled as low-cafestol. I use a combination of dark and medium roasts. Dark roasts have lower levels of cafestol compared to lighter roasts, while still retaining robust flavor. Medium roasts are good for maximizing flavor and antioxidants like chlorogenic acid. Both can be brewed using the reusable filter combined with a paper filter to strike a balance between taste and heart health.
See the Recipe Card below for amounts.
Note: If you don't already drink coffee, I recommend choosing Green Tea, Chamomile Tea, or Hibiscus Tea instead, as it doesn't have the same cholesterol-raising effects. However, if you drink coffee, I suggest using this filter coffee method to make it healthier. Transform your coffee into a mini breakfast with Protein Coffee!
📖 How to Make Filtered Coffee Without a Machine
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
- Position the reusable filter in the pour-over coffee maker, or on top of your mug or carafe. Heat water in a gooseneck kettle to just below boiling (195-205°F or 90-96°C).
- Position the paper filter inside the reusable filter.
- Rinse the filter: Pour boiled water inside to rinse the paper filter to remove any paper taste, and preheat the dripper and mug. Discard the rinse water.
- Bloom the coffee: Pour the ground coffee into the damp paper filter. Start by pouring just enough hot water over the grounds to saturate them evenly (about twice the weight of the coffee grounds). This initial pour is called the "bloom" and allows the coffee to de-gas, releasing carbon dioxide that can inhibit flavor extraction. Let the coffee bloom for about 30-45 seconds. You’ll see the grounds expand and bubble slightly.
- Continue Pouring Slowly: After the bloom, slowly pour the remaining hot water in a controlled, circular motion, starting from the center and moving outward, avoiding the edges of the filter. Pour steadily, keeping the water level consistent without flooding the dripper. Continue pouring until you've added the desired amount of water. The total brewing time should be around 3-4 minutes.
- Allow the coffee to drip completely through the filter. Once it stops dripping, remove the dripper, discard the used filter and grounds, and give your coffee a gentle swirl. Pour into the mug for serving.
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✔️ Expert Tips
- Measure the Coffee: Use about 1 to 2 tablespoons (15-30 grams) of freshly ground coffee per 8 ounces (240 ml) of water, depending on how strong you like your coffee.
- Use a medium roast coffee with a stainless steel filter and a paper filter to get the longevity benefits of coffee without increasing cholesterol over time. Test your cholesterol levels yearly to confirm this strategy is working for you.
- Use coarsely ground coffee. The more particles that get through the filter, the more likely coffee drinking will raise LDL cholesterol.
- Use a straw: Drinking your coffee with a heat-safe straw can help prevent teeth staining.
- Use plant-based milk: Dairy milk reduces the health benefits of coffee.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Coffee is considered a longevity food due to its rich antioxidant content and its potential to reduce the risk of several chronic diseases. Drinking coffee is linked to a lower risk of liver and kidney diseases, gout, type 2 diabetes, skin cancer, and Parkinson's disease. Observational studies show that drinking more than 3 cups daily is associated with a 13% lower risk of death from any cause.
In addition, compounds in coffee, such as chlorogenic acid, have been shown to promote autophagy—the body's process of cleaning out damaged cells and regenerating new ones. This process is crucial for maintaining healthy cellular function and may help protect against age-related diseases.
Coffee's autophagy-promoting benefits are independent of its caffeine content. Both regular and decaf coffee have similar anti-aging effects on the mTOR pathway, according to research.
It is the polyphenol chlorogenic acid in coffee, the most abundant antioxidant in coffee beans, that boosts autophagy in human cells.
Adding dairy milk or creamer to coffee significantly reduces its health benefits by blocking chlorogenic acid absorption in the gut. This also applies to tea, berries, and chocolate flavonoids. Soy milk does not affect absorption. Its proteins bind with coffee compounds initially but are later released by good bacteria in the lower intestine. Other non-dairy milks have minimal protein and are unlikely to impair absorption.
Commercially grown coffee crops are often treated with pesticides. However, most of these chemicals are significantly reduced during roasting. As a result, brewed coffee usually does not contain detectable levels of pesticides. This could be due to the very low solubility of these pesticides in water.
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📖 Recipe
Filter Coffee Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground coffee or to taste (about 1 to 2 tablespoons, or 15-30 grams, per serving)
- 8 ounces water (240ml), plus more as needed (temperature 195-205°F or 90-96°C)
Instructions
- Position the reusable filter in the pour-over coffee maker, or on top of your mug or carafe. Heat water in a gooseneck kettle to just below boiling (195-205°F or 90-96°C).
- Position the paper filter inside the reusable filter.
- Rinse the filter: Pour boiled water inside to rinse the paper filter to remove any paper taste, and preheat the dripper and mug. Discard the rinse water.
- Bloom the coffee: Pour the ground coffee into the damp paper filter. Start by pouring just enough hot water over the grounds to saturate them evenly (about twice the weight of the coffee grounds). This initial pour is called the "bloom" and allows the coffee to de-gas, releasing carbon dioxide that can inhibit flavor extraction. Let the coffee bloom for about 30-45 seconds. You’ll see the grounds expand and bubble slightly.
- Continue Pouring Slowly: After the bloom, slowly pour the remaining hot water in a controlled, circular motion, starting from the center and moving outward, avoiding the edges of the filter. Pour steadily, keeping the water level consistent without flooding the dripper. Continue pouring until you've added the desired amount of water. The total brewing time should be around 3-4 minutes.
- Allow the coffee to drip completely through the filter. Once it stops dripping, remove the dripper, discard the used filter and grounds, and give your coffee a gentle swirl. Pour into the mug for serving.
Notes
- Use hot water (just off the boil, around 195-205°F or 90-96°C).
- Use about 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 grams) of freshly ground coffee per 8 ounces (240 ml) of water, depending on how strong you like your coffee.
- Use a medium roast coffee with a stainless steel filter and a paper filter to get the longevity benefits of coffee without increasing cholesterol over time. Test your cholesterol levels yearly to confirm this strategy is working for you.
- Use a straw: Drinking your coffee with a heat-safe straw can help prevent teeth staining.
- Use coarsely ground coffee. The more particles that get through the filter, the more likely coffee drinking will raise LDL cholesterol.
- If adding milk, consider using plant-based milk. Dairy milk may reduce the health benefits of coffee.
- FIND ALL MY COFFEE-MAKING ESSENTIALS HERE.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Mari Elisabeth says
Love this information! For years I drink a lighter roast cold brew that I warm up. I love the taste so much better and I’ve heard it’s lower acid. Curious if it has other benefits like the chlorogenic acid? I’m going to do some research. Thank you!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Here is what I found: "3-CGA concentrations and pH were comparable between cold and hot brews. This work suggests that the difference in acidity of cold brew coffee is likely not due to 3-CGA or caffeine concentrations considering that most acids in coffee are highly soluble and extract quickly."
Karen says
What did you add to your coffee in the video? I was hoping you would mention it here, but I didn't see anything. Thanks for all your recipes and tips! 😊🩷
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. It is in this post: https://cookingforpeanuts.com/protein-coffee-recipe/
Page Remmers says
What do you think of the Aeropress coffee maker? Does it have negative or positive effects on health?
Thank you.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. I believe it is made from plastic. Doesn't the hot water come into contact with the plastic? Even if it is BPA free, I would rather choose a glass vessel.
Yolie says
A wealth of information, thank you. Do you have more information on teas for different health benefits?
Thank you for all the valuable information you provide to this platform.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Lots! https://cookingforpeanuts.com/beverage-recipes/
Selin says
Thank you so much for the information but i just have one more question: Is it okay to drink coffee first thing in the morning, if it is not then what is the best time for drinking coffee? I love your videos so much and i hope you answer me☺️
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. Ideally you want to wait at least an hour, have a bit of breakfast, and then have your coffee once cortisol is down, but I will admit that I do not always stick to that:)
Tosca says
My full comment was gobbled up. I've been making coffee this way for about 15 years. My husband and I used to have percolated coffee and decided never to get a fancy (also read expensive) coffee machine. I have two variations on your recipe Nisha. First, I use hemp coffee filters. I got mine from Seattle via Etsy here in Sydney Australia in a week, so good, Amazon sells them but I avoid Amazon as a matter of principle because of their anti union and bad employment practices. Baristas are paid a living wage in Australia (in general) which means $24.10 per hour/38 hour week $915.00 per week/$55-65,000 per year. Most cafes would pay a bit more if they are busy so their baristas don't get poached because cost of living is high in Australia. A good experienced barista can get up to $96,000 per annum (it's what the barista in my local cafe gets). He has two kids with one about to go to university next year which he can pay for. Starbucks has never taken off in Australia, they sell coffee milk shakes/high sugar desserts imo and also have appalling employment practices.
Back to coffee 😄 The benefits of the hemp filters are no paper taste and just that little bit more sustainability. The hemp is mould resistant and is super easy to rinse after you've popped the grounds in your compost. I have two, they don't need to be dry to reuse but I find they are dry on my sink drainer in 5 or 6 hours. The other issue is how much water you suggest. This is obviously an American-style coffee ie· for me, undrinkable. Just a little more water after the bloom and THAT'S a cup of coffee ie· more like an espresso. Here in Australia we have a pretty serious coffee culture and that quantity of water would never pass muster as a cup of coffee I'm afraid 😬 😂
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thanks for you tips! I also have the hemp cloth filters and do use them! Great suggestion. As for as the dark coffee, I just do not want brown teeth:))) But I love the taste of coffee actually!
Tosca says
Good instructions
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you!