Nothing is more satisfying than drinking a coffee made from fresh Coffee beans and pressed with the French Press.
Many folks love the full-bodied and thick texture of French press coffee but many others complain about having grittiness in their French Press coffee, and they certainly don’t like it. The simple way to reduce that grittiness is to use a paper filter in French Press.
What types of filters are used with the French Press?
Stainless Steel filters
Most French Press Coffee Makers consist of a jar made of glass or high-quality plastic, a plunger that fits into the French Press Jar, and a stainless-steel mesh or filter.
This stainless-steel mesh or filter is attached to the plunger of the French Coffee maker, which keeps away most of the remains of coffee grounds away from your cup of coffee.
Paper filters
Paper filters are more effective in keeping away all the coffee grounds remaining and the oiliness of coffee grounds away from your cup of coffee.
You might feel grittiness in your cup of coffee if you don’t use paper filters since the metal filter between the disks in the plunger isn’t very effective in keeping all the finer coffee particles away from your cup.
French Press Paper Filter hack (3 ways to use Them)
There are three methods of filtering your French Press coffee with paper filters.
- The first one is to cut the paper filter precisely to match the size of the plunger of the French Press coffee maker and place it in between the plates of the plunger.
Remember to cut the paper filter that exactly matches the size of the plates. Because if it’s too large, it will cause problems in plunging and if it is too small it will let the coffee grounds through it. You can do it easily by placing the plate above the paper filter and cutting it with a blade or sharp knife.
- The second one is to place the paper filter above your cup or some beaker if you are making more than one cup. Put the rubber band around the filter and pour the coffee slowly from the French Press into the beaker.
This paper filter will filter out the grounds that manage to escape through the mesh screen of the French Press Coffee maker.
You can buy round paper filters for French Press from this link
- The third option is to buy paper filters designed specifically for French Press Coffee makers. You simply insert this disposable filter into the French Press Jar, add the coffee grounds on top, and pour boiling water over it. Now, As you do with a French Press, wait for four minutes and then plunge the plunger. And after pouring coffee into your cup simply discard the paper filters.
I am a fan of the third method as it keeps the sediments of the coffee grounds away from your cup and makes the cleaning of French Press very easy. All the coffee grounds will get trapped in the paper filter, and you just have to rinse the French Press with water to make it clean.
Looking for an Electric kettle to heat water? Check our latest guide on the best electric kettles for French Press
Should I filter my French press coffee?
Usually, coarsely ground coffee beans are used with French Press Coffee Maker. Coarse grounds trap more carbon dioxide than fine coffee grounds. That’s why these grounds float on the top of your cup and cause your coffee to be grainy.
Even though French Press Coffee makers have a metal filter, the small coffee grains can easily escape through it.
But they can’t escape through the paper filter. Paper filters also filter out the oils that are extracted from the coffee grounds. If you don’t like graininess or oiliness in your cup of coffee, then you should use these paper filters.
The oils in coffee make your cup of coffee thick. I personally enjoy thick coffee because of its rich flavor.
But there is one problem. There is a high amount of Cafestol in coffee oils that increase the level of Cholesterol in the human body, and it is very dangerous for people with heart diseases or aged persons.
If you drink more than 2 cups of French Press per day, using these paper filters is recommended. If you are not using the paper filters, then Cafestol present in the oils of coffee can cause cholesterol problems in your body.
You might have heard that French Press is bad for health. We have conducted detailed research on this topic. Read here: Is French Press coffee good or bad?
How to minimize grittiness with a french press?
As discussed above, if you drink only two cups of French Press per day and have no heart problems, you don’t have to worry about Cafestol. And you don’t have to use a paper filter as it will remove all the oils and dull the taste of your French Press.
But there is still one problem! How to reduce sediments in French Press without using paper filters as smaller grains easily escape through the metal filter of French Press.
Don’t worry; this only happens if you are not using French Press properly.
You can easily minimize this graininess by using good-quality coffee beans with coarse coffee grind size. And secondly, give enough time to coffee grounds so that they settle down before pushing the plunger.
Never use pre-ground coffee for preparing French Press coffee as mostly the grind size of pre-ground coffee is fine or medium which is certainly not suitable. Yes, There are some coarse pre-ground coffees available for the French Press, however, it is best to invest in a quality butt grinder since it will give you the most consistent grind size.
Recommended steeping time for French press is 4 minutes. And after that pour the coffee slowly from the French Press coffee maker into your cup. And remember don’t push the plunger all the way down, always leave a small amount of coffee behind.
Now, pour the coffee slowly from French Press into your cups and enjoy! Hopefully, you will like the drink as there will be very low grittiness.
Final Thoughts on French Press Paper Filters
Many people don’t want to filter their coffee with paper filters. According to them, paper filters also filter out the best tastes of coffee, and I agree with them.
But the problem is Cafestol that is present in high amounts in coffee oils.
Cafestol increases cholesterol levels and is very deadly for heart patients.
And according to research, coffee from French Press coffee makers contain the highest amount of Cafestol among other types of coffee.
So if you drink a lot of coffee, then using paper filters is a must for you. Otherwise, it will increase your cholesterol level.
faqs
Is French press coffee bad for cholesterol?
French Press Coffee contains the highest amount of Cafestol which is really bad for cholesterol patients. But if you use a paper filter with a French Press Coffee maker, you will not have to worry about Cafestol as it will filter out most of it.
What can you use instead of filter paper?
Paper towels and napkins can be used instead of paper filters to filter French Press coffee, but they will be less effective.
You must be cautious with that as the chemicals and dyes in paper towels or napkins may impart flavors to coffee.
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