A drink called “filter coffee” is often offered in coffee shops instead of Americano. This is a large cup of black coffee, but not made in an espresso machine, but by pouring hot water through a layer of ground coffee and a paper filter. In Russia, filter coffee is not yet as popular as Turkish coffee, but it is a simple and fairly inexpensive (compared to carob and capsule coffee makers) brewing method. Together with Ilya Savinov, founder of the online coffee roasting service Torrefacto, we’ll figure out how to make delicious filter coffee at home.
How to cook at home
For brewing, use a Chemex, AeroPress or pour-over. You can also prepare a coffee drink without any special equipment. Basically, all you need is a funnel. It is sold in coffee shops, but for the first time you will be able to do without using it. If you like the taste, then you can already think about this purchase.
Chemex
Aeropress
Leveler
The filter can be paper towels or napkins that are folded in several layers. The main thing is that they are not saturated with flavorings.
The following simple steps are performed:
- A cone is formed from paper and placed in a watering can.
- The resulting structure is placed above the cup.
- A teaspoon of coffee powder is poured into an improvised filter. Fractions must be large or medium.
- Bring the water to a boil and wait a couple of minutes for it to cool slightly. The optimal temperature is considered to be between 90-95 degrees.
- Slowly pour the liquid into the watering can in a thin stream. In this case, you should perform circular movements.
- It is also possible to stir the water with a spoon, but this must be done carefully so that the paper does not tear.
Of course, it is better to use special coffee filters and a funnel made of porcelain or glass. When using metal ones, coffee often acquires an unpleasant aftertaste, but such products are durable.
Coffee prepared using a filter has a rich taste and aroma. It does not contain coffee grounds. This is often the main reason for choosing a filtered drink. It also has a number of other benefits and is easy to prepare. When brewing, you don't need expensive modern units. Even using available tools and simply following the instructions, you will be able to get the desired result.
Myths about coffee: not addictive, but bad if brewed in a Turkish coffee pot
We talk about the most popular myths about coffee
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Maria Popova , one of the most famous authors of a blog about a healthy lifestyle for big and small @smart_manya, nutritionist, founder of the HealthNorms project, presented the book “The Dark Side of a Healthy Lifestyle,” where she broke down the most popular misconceptions about proper nutrition. She devoted a separate chapter to the topic of coffee, its harm and obvious benefits. We talk about the most popular myths about him and why they are just misconceptions.
1. Coffee is addictive
If you look closely at the WHO classification, caffeine is not among the addictive substances. So why do lovers of the invigorating drink experience such withdrawal symptoms when they give up the traditional morning cup of coffee? But the fact is that caffeine is a chemical substance similar in structure to the neurotransmitter adenosine - the one that is responsible for inhibiting the nervous system. Because of this similarity, caffeine binds to the receptors of nerve cells, occupying a place that is completely not intended for it: an adenosine molecule should “sit” there. That is, caffeine is not a gas pedal, but an “anti-brake.” And as soon as the molecules leave the receptors, the accumulated adenosine is released into the synaptic cleft in large quantities. This causes increased braking. This is why drowsiness sets in after drinking coffee. And therefore, when one fine day a person decides to become a healthy dieter and give up this “bad habit,” an increased amount of adenosine turns him into a sleepy fly.
2. Caffeine Causes Hypertension
Doctors came to this conclusion after analyzing studies of patients whose blood pressure increased after heavy doses of coffee. But later, after analyzing large statistics of coffee drinkers, scientists discovered that the body of tens of thousands of people does not react in any way to large doses of Americano in the morning. The “experimental subjects” were simply worried at the sight of the doctor, and not because of the coffee they drank before measuring their blood pressure, concludes Maria Popova. And he adds that modern studies have not found any significant connection between coffee consumption, increased blood pressure and heart disease.
Recent studies show that the norm for daily coffee consumption is 2-4 cups.
Photo: Shutterstock
3. Coffee causes cancer
Another myth based on a story about a lawsuit in California. The non-profit organization CERT sued coffee producers in 2010 because they were silent about acrylamide, a toxic compound that is formed as a result of the Maillard reaction when roasting coffee beans. The trial lasted 8 years and, as a compromise, coffee shops and coffee producers agreed to label their products. But in fact, acrylamide is present in roasted coffee in extremely small doses. Its peak value occurs at the initial stage of roasting. Then, during the roasting process, its content drops to 20-30% of the initial level.
And according to the US Cancer Society, the development of several types of cancer was recorded only in laboratory rats that received doses of acrylamide that exceeded the maximum possible in human food by 1000-10,000 times. Well, that is, a person is simply not capable of drinking such an amount of coffee that could poison him.
There is indeed evidence that unfiltered coffee negatively affects bad cholesterol levels and markers of inflammation.
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4. Turkish coffee is harmful
There is indeed evidence that unfiltered coffee negatively affects bad cholesterol levels and markers of inflammation. This means that it is better to pass coffee brewed in a Turk through a paper filter. Maria Popova recommends a simple life hack: take a paper napkin, put it in a strainer and pass the coffee through this structure - cheap and cheerful. And by the way, it is better to give preference to the Arabica variety.
5. Drinking more than five cups of coffee is harmful.
Recent studies show that the norm for daily coffee consumption is 2-4 cups. True, the size of the mug is not indicated anywhere, but there are figures about the norm of caffeine - about 300 mg per day. These are the numbers you need to stick to.
BUY THE BOOK “The Dark Side of Healthy Lifestyle”
But I haven’t written about myself for a hundred years. It's time. So, this blog began with the promotion of plant-based nutrition. For there was one hundred percent certainty that the Grail to iron health and eternal youth was hidden behind heads of broccoli and spinach. It so happened that when the question arose of deciding on proper nutrition, it was herbivory that seemed most tempting to me. About four years of rituals in the kitchen with soaking, sprouting and squeezing juices flew by unnoticed, but very interesting. Old-timers of the blog, I’m sure, remember recipes in the mix-and-you’ll find style. Then I got tired. Either ferritin 15 mcg/l was to blame, or B12 deficiency, or the soul was asking for new sensations. My own clinical case suggested that self-realization may not only lie in calls to eat more legumes. But also in practical help with diagnosing your health. Thus began a new stage of passion: analysis. The idea that every mother can keep her finger on the pulse of her family’s health completely captivated me. It turned out that you can avoid many mistakes in searching for the causes of your illness just by correctly deciphering a clinical blood test and several other parameters of the most common deficiencies. You can also help your children grow and develop normally - simply by understanding the numbers on the blood test form. A timely visit to a doctor based on their results can work a miracle. Those whose children started talking/walking/made a leap in development thanks to the elimination of deficits will understand what I mean. Becoming a laboratory diagnostics guru is not my path. Understanding the most common health problems, learning how to detect them and taking preventive measures is the main goal. And this is what the blog is about now. I live by this, I am inspired and I believe that I am helping people. May the clinical recommendations be with us. And yes, there are no consultations or treatment prescriptions here. But there are plenty of tools to help you understand where to look for the most common health problems. And then go to the doctor.
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