If you love pressed coffee as much as I do, I am sure you have heard the criticism about french press coffee. French pressed coffee is loved for its deep taste, aroma and sometimes, texture.
A French press uses a metal plunger to strain the coffee liquid and trap the coffee grounds at the bottom, allowing oils from the coffee beans to pass through giving your coffee that excellent taste.
So why does french press coffee raise cholesterol? French Press coffee is potentially a health risk since it does not filter out the oils which contain cafestol. Cafestol is a substance that raises the body’s LDL cholesterol levels.
There are ways you can reduce LDL cholesterol levels and also enjoy your pressed coffee with less risk;
- You can use paper filters designed for french press coffee machines. It effectively filters out the oils from your coffee.
- Cut down on the amount of pressed coffee to most four cups a day and at most five cups a day for filtered coffee.
- Cut down on sugar, alcohol, and smoking.
- Stay active and exercise regularly
If these tips don’t convince you, you can always use other coffee brewing methods such as drip and pour-over methods.
Is There More Caffeine in French Press Coffee?
Caffeine levels in your coffee are dependent on the brew method, size of the grind, steeping time, and water temperature. The brew method affects how much caffeine comes from coffee beans. Finely ground beans produce a higher caffeinated coffee. The hotter the water used, the more the caffeine extraction. The longer the steeping time, the more caffeine comes from the coffee grind.
French press coffee is lower in caffeine because the grounds are much larger and take longer to diffuse.
French press coffee has considerably low caffeine levels than other brewing methods because of the large coffee grinds. If you want more caffeine, you should let it steep a little longer or add your coffee beans.
How Long Should Your Steep a French Press?
Steeping is allowing the coffee beans to sit in water as the oils and flavors get extracted. The steeping process for a french press is what gives it its taste and aroma. Steeping time for your coffee is determined by the size of your grind.
For a medium grind, we recommend leaving the coffee beans steep for three to four minutes. Many believe that the longer you steep your coffee, the better the taste; however, over-steeping can give the coffee a bitter taste.
Can You Use Regular Ground Coffee in a French Press?
Yes, a french press allows brewing of medium to large ground coffee. Since coffee beans typically stay fresh 30 minutes after grinding, hence losing their natural flavors, we recommend freshly ground coffee beans for a better taste and aroma of your coffee.
Should You Stir the Coffee in a French Press or Just Let It Sit?
You should stir the ground coffee as it helps increase the extraction of flavors. If you are not a fan of the coffee sediments that pass through, you can skip the stirring and just let the sediment settle at the bottom.
Overall, coffee is not the problem; you need to be wary of the oil. You can also vary your coffee brewing methods to reduce the amount of oil in your coffee.
Check this too: How to Grind Coffee Beans Without a Grinder
If you already have high cholesterol, you should avoid increasing it further, so drink paper filtered coffee. If your cholesterol is low, you can enjoy your french pressed coffee but with a little more caution. Keep in mind the healthiest way to brew any coffee is to paper filter it.