Falling in love with coffee is like falling in love with a person: there’s the good, and then there’s the bad. With coffee, cholesterol increase is among the bad aspects, and it is escalated by high-extraction methods. Is pour-over coffee a safer alternative?
Pour-over coffee is healthier because it contains less cafestol, a cholesterol-raising agent abundant in coffee prepared with traditional brewing methods. The coffee made using the pour-over method has fewer acidic components as well but is also generally weaker than standard brewed coffee.
In this article, you’ll discover the pros and cons of pour-over coffee. You will also learn more about the risks associated with standard brew and whether coffee contains cholesterol. Lots of myths will be taken apart, and truth regarding pour-over coffee will be presented. Finally, you’ll discover the best grounds for pour-over coffee.
What Is Pour-Over Coffee? Is It The Same As Filter Coffee?
Pour-over coffee is simply what its name insinuates; coffee that is made by pouring over water in the cup through a filter. This method involves the pouring of hot water onto coffee grounds in a filter to drain through them into a mug or container. This technique was a common practice in 19th century Europe and elsewhere but recently seems to have been “rediscovered” by the specialty quality movement.
Pour-over coffee goes by several names and is commonly also known as filter coffee. Since water is hand-poured in this technique through coffee beans for making a brew, it is also known as the hand brewing or manual brewing technique.
The pour-over coffee methodology is a popular choice for single-origin coffees as it accentuates their flavor and aroma. This addition of subtle flavors is what sets it apart from other brewing methods.
Does Coffee Contain Cholesterol? How Does That Affect Health?
Coffee does not contain any traces of cholesterol, and yet some studies have shown it to be a trigger factor for its increase. Some studies also indicate that coffee oils such as cafestol and kahweol are the main agents responsible for the increase in cholesterol. That is because cafestol has been found by some researchers to affect the body’s ability to metabolize and regulate cholesterol.
A meta-analysis of controlled studies on coffee and cholesterol shows coffee oils to cause a decrease in bile acids and neutral sterols, which may lead to an increase in cholesterol as well. Another study has declared cafestol to be the “most potent cholesterol-elevating compound identified in the human diet.”
Drinking five cups of coffee for four weeks from a French press can increase blood cholesterol levels by 6 to 8 percent, according to a few studies. Although cholesterol is required by the body for the formation of healthy body cells, high levels of cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease because of the development of fatty deposits in the blood vessels. Blood can eventually face difficulty in flowing through these vessels as the deposits grow, which can lead to cardiac arrest and other complications.
Does Pour-Over Coffee Contain Cholesterol?
Coffee oils containing cafestol are known to be the most significant cause of an increase in cholesterol. They are most potent in coffees where water has the longest contact with grounds during brewing. Since making filter coffee or brewing in American-style pots requires water to be passed through the coffee grounds only once, there is a relatively low level of coffee oils in these brews.
No matter the roast, most of the cafestol in coffee oils is filtered out by the filter and does not reach the brew. Coffee made by other brewing methods that allow the continual passing of water through grounds, such as the French press, has shown to contain greater concentrations of cafestol and is thus more likely to increase one’s cholesterol.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Pour-Over Coffee?
Pros Of Pour Over Coffee
Anyone Can Do It At Any Time:
Filtered coffee provides us with an extremely practical approach to making a freshly ground brew anytime and anywhere. Because this brewing setup does not require any special crockery and does not use any fragile or breakable electronic or moving parts, it is very convenient to make a hot cup of coffee as long as you have hot water.
You can brew pour-over coffee outside as well, may it be a trip to the beach or a picnic in the green. You do not require a barista license or operating knowledge of coffee machines to make this brew.
Anybody can conveniently make this coffee by simply pouring hot water through the ground coffee beans. With time, you have more control over the texture, consistency, and taste, and you can sharpen your pour-over skills to improve your coffee’s taste.
It Is Cheaper Than The Alternatives
Mainstream methods of brewing coffee use different kinds of machines or gadgets with their own names, functions, and price tags. Electronic coffee makers and espresso machines are more expensive, and although instant coffee costs even lesser than pour-over coffee, it is not fresh and is freeze-dried. That leaves pour-over coffee as the cheapest fresh coffee option.
Cons Of Pour Over Coffee
Slow And inefficient method
The pour-over coffee method is slow, which makes it, but it is also not the right fit for busy homes and coffee shops. Baristas prefer using other brewing methods instead of this one as it also takes longer to clean up the filter, which catches up oils and fine grounds throughout the operation. One has to load up the system with coffee grounds to get the right cup.
Results May Vary From Cup To Cup
If you pour over water manually, the results can vary from cup to cup as humans can make mistakes, but machines do not. That’s another reason why coffee shops avoid the manual pour-over method; they have to create and maintain a brand with consistency. Pour-over machines come in handy to offset this drawback but at the cost of making the process more expensive.
Unsafe for Novices
When manually pouring hot water from a pot onto a filter, one has to be very careful as spilling water can have consequences like second-degree burns. Again, pour-over machines offset this risk but also erase the advantage of impromptu coffeemaking. Better safe than sorry, a filter coffee maker that doesn’t require you to pour water manually is the best way to minimize this risk.
Is Pour-Over Coffee Tastier?
Pour-over coffee is clean and has an arguably better flavor and a mellowed composition. The paper filter used in the making of this kind of coffee effectively removes the additional residues and oils from the beans, which allows it to have a less colored taste.
It has better flavor because water is allowed to filter through the ground coffee beans on its own course. It extracts coffee oils and fragrances in its own consistent time and pressure. The brewing process also takes longer, which makes the flavor more vibrant as the water has more time to pull the oils and flavors from the beans.
Best Grounds For Pour-Over Coffee:
Mountain Thunder 100% Kona Coffee
Mountain Thunder 100% Kona Coffee is one of the best coffees for pour-over as it provides the classic Kona taste profile with a smooth balance of flavor and low acidity. All the Kona beans are grown, carefully hand-picked, and roasted in the world-famous Kona District on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaii.
The beans are roasted in small batches by expert roastmasters to ensure maximum freshness and the best quality. Grande Domaine Vienna Roast Whole Bean 100% Kona Coffee boasts the most incredible texture, mouthwatering flavor, and bold aroma popular with coffee lovers.
One can get a taste of Hawaii in every single sip as the freshly roasted beans are packed immediately after roasting in specially designed coffee bags and are shipped within a few days of this process. This coffee is the best fit for either hot or cold brew and perfect for all classic coffee drinks such as espressos, mochas, macchiatos, lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, and Cubanos.
Grande Domaine Kona is also famous for being selected as the contest winner for outstanding quality and balance because of their rich concoction of Kona coffee beans infused with the essence of Peaberry Kona, the rarest Kona Coffee of all.
Final Thoughts
Pour-over coffee is inefficiently prepared coffee that features less of everything that comes with standard coffee, including cafestol. It is healthier the same way consuming less coffee is healthier. If you are trying to reduce your coffee intake, this method might be the right fit for you, but if you need an extra-large cup to open your eyes, pour-over coffee might not beat the standard espresso in your books.
