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Filter coffee is one of the most popular methods of coffee brewing in the world.
Pour over coffee, drip or filter draws out the essential oil and properties from ground up beans.
The paper, filters out many of the oils that carry big bold notes and highlights some of the more intricate flavours in the cup and is one of the best ways to experience the complexities of speciality coffee beans.
According to a study published in April 2020 by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, filtering coffee with a paper filter, or other implement is also one of the healthiest methods of obtaining the drink.
As coffee is linked to a variety of health benefits, such as reducing weight gain, average daily blood pressure and the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, drinking it in a manner which provides the most benefits seems to make the most sense.
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This long form observational study conducted over 20 years appeared to indicate that people younger than 60 who drank one to four cups of coffee had lower significantly lower rates of artery disease and death.
The lowest rates of these issues were observed in those who drank filter.
As the senior professor, and head of the study, Dag Thelle explained, using a filter removes the substances within coffee which increase blood cholesterol, thereby reducing risk of heart attack and premature death.
So with all these flavours and health kicks, how do you make filter coffee then?
How To Make Filter Coffee with a Standard Coffee Machine?
If you have your own coffee machine, making filter coffee is going to be an almost chore-free experience.
UK’S #1 FILTER COFFEE SUBSCRIPTION
Simply fill the water reservoir on the machine up.
The machine will keep brewing until the reservoir is empty, so to save water and electricity, you are best only filling it with as much water as you’d like to brew.
Clean filtered water will provide the best taste and can prevent you having to descale the machine from all the mineral deposits you might find from regular tap water.
The next step is to insert the filter. Pretty much every machine on the market comes with its own mesh filter.
Some machines have a reservoir to put a paper filter in, whilst others have cone-shaped reusable metal mesh filter.
When using a paper filter, make sure that it’s the right size for the pot, it can be a very messy brew when it isn’t.
If your machine has a reusable filter, make sure you clean it in between uses.
The third step is to measure out your coffee.
It’s best to use freshly roasted beans for the most flavoursome filter coffee.
The freshness ensures the aromatic complexity that is so hard to beat.
To double down on this freshness point, it’s also best to wait until the last possible moment to grind those beans up before you start your brew.
Over time, ground beans lose some of their flavour, so it’s best to use them not long after you grind them.
Medium to medium-fine ground coffee works the best here. One heaped tablespoon should be used for every 150 ml of water is a great ratio. A more accurate ratio would be around 1:18 coffee:water.
The more coffee, the stronger tasting the cup will be.
With everything in place, you can simply hit the switch and let the machine carry out its brewing process.
You can consult your manual if things aren’t working as you think they ought to.
Remember to use the freshly brewed coffee quickly.
Leaving it on the heat pad with the machine on can continue to brew the coffee, making it taste like its burnt and overly bitter.
How to Make Coffee With a Filter Cone?
Filter cones can be used to make filter coffee without a clunky, space-stealing machine.
Simply put a paper filter in the cone and place it on top of a carafe or coffee mug and fill it with your coffee grounds.
Just like with the machine filtered coffee, you want to use around one heaped tablespoon of freshly ground for every 150ml of boiling water, or 1:18 coffee to water.
Slowly pour the boiled water over the grounds and let it drip until you have enough coffee.
How to Make Best Filter Coffee at Home?
To make the best filter coffee at home, it’s best to buy a set of scales and a timer.
If getting the tastiest filter coffee is important to you, then it is of the utmost importance to get the ratios between water volume, the amount of coffee and the infusion time right.
The coarseness of the grind can also affect the end result – if coffee is left to infuse for too long, the coffee will be too bitter.
A coarser grind can be used to reduce the drip time.
Conversely, you may want to have a finer grind as this increases the infusion and drip time, thereby making the hot beverage stronger.
The optimum drip time is somewhere between 3 and 4 minutes. Below this, it will be too weak and above this it may be too bitter.
How to Make Coffee Without Filter Paper
If you don’t have filter paper, there are a variety of things you can use to brew your coffee from grounds.
Some folks might use stove top methods with coffee pots or moka pots.
Some people might have fine mesh strainers, or tea strainers designed for loose leaf tea.
These both have roughly the same size of holes and should be able to catch the grinds whilst letting the hot water bubble and course through.
It is also worth noting that some folks are brave enough to use socks as filters.
If you are in the situation where brewing filter coffee with socks seems like a necessary action, please make sure you use clean socks! You will want to use two tablespoons per cup and brew over four minutes.
How to Make Filter Coffee at Home Without Machine
Maybe you’re off camping in the wilderness, or perhaps you don’t have the space for a coffee machine – either way, sometimes you are forced to make do with what you have.
If you’re at home, you might want to make a rough and ready microwave brew by heating a cup of water for about two minutes – not enough that it will boil, but hot enough that the coffee grounds will make a sizzle when you add them.
Let your mug sit for about four minutes so the grounds can make their way to the bottom of the cup.
You can now enjoy your coffee, but remember the grounds will stay a the bottom, so unless you want a mouth full of soaked coffee grounds, you might want to dodge the last drop in the mug.
Speaking of dodge, or more so getting out of it, you might want to try the cowboy method.
No horse, Stetson or revolver required, it can be brewed with a cast iron kettle.
Take the kettle, fill it with around one tablespoon of coffee grounds per cup into it along with around 200-300ml of water, stir well, then place it over a fire.
It should come to the boil and after around two minutes on the fire, remove it from the heat.
Leave the coffee for about four minutes for the grounds to sink, then slowly pour the coffee into your mug, doing your best to keep the grounds in.
If a few of the grounds make it into the cup, then the coffee might have a slightly rougher texture, but hey – it worked for the cowboys didn’t it?
Whether you’ve learned a little something or not, we hope that you enjoyed the ride and that you break out your trusty old filter coffee maker soon.
How Much Coffee Do You Put In A Filter Coffee?
How much coffee in a pour over really depends on the amount of coffee you want to make and the type of coffee filter maker you are using.
Generally speaking however, you would use roughly 16-20g of coffee per person (or cup).
Personally when I brew my V60 2 cup in the mornings I use 38g of coffee for 2 people.
If you are working in tablespoons (or scoops) it would work out as just under 2 scoops per person.
What Is The Ratio Of Coffee To Water For Filter Coffee?
Again, this really depends on the brew recipe that you are using and the type of coffee maker you use.
However you want to aim for somewhere between 1:15 and 1:18 coffee to water brew ration for filter.
You may find recipes that call for outside of this range, which is fine, sometimes a brew method like a clever dripper for instance combines immersion and filter which can alter the brew ratio of your filter coffee.
Is Filter Coffee Without Milk?
It is dealer choice when it comes to adding milk.
Keep in mind however, if you are brewing high quality specialty coffee then adding anything to the brew will certainly affect the complex flavour profile.
If you usually add milk to your coffee then I would recommend first trying your filter coffee black and then add a splash of milk if you’re not a fan
