As the name suggests, unfiltered coffee is made without the filtering process. The coffee is ground so nicely it doesn’t even need a filter to go through.
But there’s a lot more to unfiltered coffee than just not using a filter for the brewing method, and we’re going to learn as much about it as we can today! Let’s go!
Filtered vs. Unfiltered Coffee
Coffee brewing methods can vary depending on various factors. But the difference between filtered and unfiltered coffee is straightforward. If your coffee goes through a filter, it’s filtered coffee; otherwise, it’s not.
Regular coffee-making methods either use a paper filter or a metal mesh filter. These filters aim to keep excess coffee grounds and unwanted coffee oils out of the final cup that can significantly affect the taste.
Metal filters keep the grinds out but let the oil mix with the coffee, while paper filters stop both. As a result, coffee made with metal filters has a more oily taste, while paper filters have a more acidic flavor.
When you’re making unfiltered brews, neither the coffee grounds nor the coffee oils get stopped by the filter, and you can get a more natural taste of the coffee itself. However, many coffee brewers are not technically filtered coffee since they keep the extra coffee grounds out of the coffee via the metal filter, but not the oils.
Few Unfiltered Coffee Types To Take Note
Unfiltered coffee offers you a much stronger flavor profile than regular filtered coffee, along with a creamy and rich consistency. The best use of unfiltered coffee is to make black coffee types like Americanos, Cappuccinos, and Lattes.
Here’s a list of the most popular unfiltered coffee drinks. Note that these drinks can also be made with a special filter, but the unfiltered flavor shines through.
- Americano
- Arabic Coffee
- Cappuccino
- Espresso
- Espresso-based gourmet coffee
- Latte
- Turkish coffee
Which Coffee Bean And Roast To Use
Like regular coffee, you can buy whole coffee beans to grind yourself. But if you want to skip the coffee as fast as possible, pre-ground beans are always there for your convenience. But there’s a catch.
You want finer coffee grounds if you want the best of unfiltered coffee. But when you buy pre-ground coffee, you have no control over the grind, so it may not be as fine as you need it to be. So grinding your coffee beans is the best bet for you to make a better coffee.
In terms of roast, it’s best to go for a light or medium roast. If you have Turkish coffee that is available as pre-ground, even better. The coffee may taste more bitter than usual if you take a dark roast since finer grinds give out more flavor.
What Flavors Can You Add to Unfiltered Coffee?
Like regular coffee, there’s no limit to the number of flavors you can add. Creamers, sweeteners, syrups, chocolate sprinkles, you name it, you can have it.
You can use dark roasted coffee beans with creamer or milk if you’re going for a stronger taste without bitterness.
How to Make Unfiltered Coffee
Just because the name is different doesn’t mean it’s complicated. The only thing you need to take note of is the coffee you’re using, and you’re good.
Step #1: Grind The Beans
Considering you chose whole coffee beans for the process, you’ll need to grind the beans to an extra-fine setting. Any manual coffee grinder can get it done.
Step #2: Heat The Water
Use a coffee kettle to heat up the water on a stove. Then, when you hear the hissing sound of the steam, you know your water is ready. However, it’s better to have an electric kettle because you have more control over the temperature.
Once the water is boiled, take it off the heat source, and set it away.
Step #3: Put the Coffee In the cup
Put coffee in the cup depending on how much you wish to brew. But, of course, you can always tweak your recipe to suit your personal preferences.
Step #4: Pour Hot Water Over Coffee And Stir
Start pouring the hot water over the coffee without putting any filter over the cup. Once you’ve poured in your desired amount, stir the mixture slowly so that the caffeine distributes evenly through the hot water.
Step #5: Personalize, And Enjoy
Once the mixture is ready, add in any flavoring or additive you want, and enjoy. You’ll find out that filtering coffee isn’t always necessary to have a fantastic cup of coffee.
Having fun Nomies? Check out our piece on what is mushroom coffee.
Why Is Unfiltered Coffee A Thing?
Unfiltered coffee is famous just because of how easy it is to make. Unfiltered coffee is like instant coffee in a way, since all you need is ground beans and hot water to grab yourself a decent cup of coffee, almost like a drip coffee maker.
It’s an excellent choice for when you’re traveling and can’t take your coffee makers with you or don’t have access to one. And in case you’re planning to go camping, unfiltered coffee is the best route you can take to ensure you’re staying energized through your entire camping trip.
Isn’t Unfiltered Coffee Extra Gritty?
Since you will not be using filters, there will be grounds present in your cup for sure. This is why extra fine grinds are recommended for unfiltered brewing. However, even when sediments are left in the cup, they’ll be at the bottom, and you will not notice them until your last sip.
Isn’t Unfiltered Coffee essentially Instant Coffee?
There is a debate about whether instant coffee is filtered or unfiltered coffee.
Instant coffee can be put in its own category since instant coffee has its unique processing method. Also, the flavors provided by instant coffee differ significantly from regular coffee.
When instant coffee is processed, many coffee oils and coffee components get lost in the process. As a result, instant coffee has the properties of filtered coffee since the coffee filters take a lot out of the coffee.
Is Unfiltered Coffee Better?
Whether it’s filtered or unfiltered, coffee is still coffee at the end of the day. So the overall health benefits offered by both coffee types are still the same.
The only difference in these coffees in terms of provided benefits is the quality of the coffee itself. If you buy top-shelf products to produce unfiltered coffee, you will get all the flavors with added benefits.
But if you choose the cheaper route, you’ll find your cup of coffee lacking in flavors and overall quality, so it may not be as good as regular coffee.
Unfiltered Coffee And Cholesterol: Should I Care?
The health effects of filtered and unfiltered coffee may be the same, but with every good thing comes a little bit of bad. Unfiltered coffee has its own share of negatives as well.
The main problem with unfiltered coffee is increasing your LDL cholesterol levels. In simpler terms, this is the bad cholesterol that you don’t want going up because of your daily coffee habit.
Coffee components include diterpenes (chemical compounds) like kahweol and cafestol. These compounds increase the amounts of cafestol in your system and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
So if you have pre-existing higher cholesterol levels in your body, it’s best to consult a doctor before drinking coffee and closely monitor your caffeine intake so you don’t have a high risk of heart disease. In addition, many doctors advise you to cut out unfiltered coffee from your diet altogether to avoid the risk of elevated blood cholesterol levels.
Several observational studies offer convincing evidence that the caffeine components can drive the cholesterol level in the blood pretty high. Considering unfiltered coffee has more coffee compounds left in them since they aren’t filtered, unfiltered coffee can bring greater risk along with great benefits.
Had fun reading? You’ll love to read our piece on what is a breve coffee.
Bottom Line
Whether you choose to drink filtered or unfiltered, it’s best to check beforehand if your body can handle the coffee components and adjust your caffeine intake accordingly. If you’re all set, then there’s no need to get nervous. Enjoy your coffee.
Cheers!
FAQs
Unfiltered coffee is coffee that hasn’t been passed through a filter during the brewing process.
I prefer drinking regular filtered coffee.
The healthiest way, by comparison, is to drink filtered coffee because the filters make sure your coffee stays clean.
No, the amount of caffeine in either filtered or unfiltered coffee is nearly similar. The difference in caffeine count will depend on the strength of the brew and the type of coffee bean that you use for the brew.
Many confuse instant coffee with unfiltered coffee because of the similar brewing methods, but instant coffee is in a category of its own while offering properties similar to filtered coffee.
