Can You Drink Ground Coffee Without Filtering? We Find Out!
So you want to try to drink ground coffee without filtering, do you? Many people love the convenience of instant coffee; simultaneously, some people swear it’s distaste and prefer classic ground coffee. However, many people don’t have the time to create ground coffee from scratch. This fact leaves many people wondering, can you drink ground coffee as if it’s instant coffee?
Although not recommended, drinking ground coffee without filtering is perfectly valid. In fact, before filters were standard (before the 1930s), boiling or “decoction” was the primary way to drink coffee.
This article will discuss the art of filter abstinence, the implications, the compromise, and the result.
Can you drink ground coffee without filtering?
The preparation of ground coffee these days is associated with the common method of using coffee makers or through the pour-over method, both of which utilize a filter. However, back when filters weren’t as standard as today (as with the coffee makers’ case), people would boil coffee in a pan and drink the water and grinds afterward.
Still used in Nordic and Middle Eastern countries, this method involves heating coffee until 96 °C (205 °F), the temperature where the coffee’s aromatic oils are released. The method is done by pouring hot water onto coffee grounds. The coffee is kept at bay until the coffee grounds sink to the bottom.
To expedite the process, some people dribble cold water from the back of the spoon. The resulting coffee is called mud coffee due to the grainy residue it has when drunk. This type of coffee is commonly enjoyed in Indonesia also.
Another method used in Turkey to create the so-called “cowboy coffee” involves boiling water and coffee together. However, if one has bowel problems associated with ground coffee, one should avoid drinking either mud coffee or cowboy coffee to be safe.
Is ground coffee ready to drink?
The quick and easy answer? No. As shocking as it may seem, ground coffee is not instant coffee and is not designed to be consumed in the way instant coffee is.
However, this doesn’t mean that ground coffee cannot be consumed in the way instant coffee is. There are various methods to make this possible. But the reality is, in most cases, ground coffee is to be used with a coffee maker.
Ground coffee is often made to be used with coffee makers, presses, or even with the pour-over method. However, unlike coffee makers and the pour-over method, presses are not associated with coffee filters. This truth makes them, in fact, unfiltered coffee still.
Is drinking ground coffee without filtering harmful to my health?
Although it may seem extremely scary, drinking ground coffee without filtering is not harmful to your health in most cases, except for a specific demographic. In fact, ground coffee is known to be optimal for eating (not drinking). In this section of the article, we will provide you the health benefits of ground coffee, with or without filtering it.
When you consume coffee grounds, any chemicals from the coffee ground are amplified compared to the diluted coffee drink. When you get to eat the unfiltered grounds of coffee, you will notice that the caffeine will reach your bloodstream faster and that your caffeine high will be much stronger. It is because you are ingesting caffeine directly without diluting it.
However, there are risks to doing such things, especially when you have high cholesterol levels. It has been reported that people with high cholesterol levels will ingest higher diterpene levels, which otherwise would have been chiefly filtered out with a coffee filter. Diterperene raises the level of LDL or bad cholesterol.
The benefits of having a coffee filter: the health story
Moreover, it has been reported that compared to unfiltered coffee, drinking filtered coffee has been correlated to effectively reduce your risks of suffering from cardiovascular diseases, heart diseases, or stroke.
An explanation for this phenomenon may be because of the earlier discussed diterpene, which is harmful to those experiencing high cholesterol levels. This fact is why health professionals have concluded that “as long as it’s convenient,” one should drink filtered coffee compared to drinking the unfiltered variant.
Another harmful chemical associated with unfiltered coffee includes homocysteine. It has been reported when a team of researchers tried to study two groups of people with normal homocysteine levels.
The results were that the group who consumed the most unfiltered coffee gained 10% more homocysteine, possibly translating into a 10% higher risk for heart disease.
The real source of health risks
Truth be told, the real health risks are not associated with whether your coffee is filtered or unfiltered. Most risks associated with the amount of creamer, sugar, cream, or syrup are added to your coffee.
Keep in mind that even if you are consuming filtered coffee, the health dangers of sugar are genuine and very dangerous, especially when compared to the risks of unfiltered ground coffee.
Knowing the risks, how should I brew unfiltered ground coffee?
Unfiltered ground coffee may come in many forms. You can either use your typical French press, Greek, and Turkish brews, as all are variations of unfiltered coffee. However, for the rushing individual, the most common method is boiling.
Most commonly done in Indonesia, unfiltered coffee has been coined with the term Kopi Tobruk there. To create your own unfiltered ground coffee, all you need to do is to put coffee grounds in a pot or a casserole and boil it there for a few minutes. Then, make sure to serve and enjoy afterward!
Three frequently asked questions about unfiltered ground coffee
What types of coffee is traditionally unfiltered coffee (or still is unfiltered coffee)?
Unfiltered coffee is still preferred, especially on certain types of coffee.
For example, Arabic coffee (coffee from Arab regions which is coffee mixed with saffron other spices), Turkish coffee (coffee brewed in a traditional kettle or sand), espresso, cappuccino, americano, and latte (all four being traditionally unfiltered unless an exceptional filtered coffee is used) are all unfiltered traditionally.
Is instant coffee filtered or unfiltered?
Instant coffee is a special snowflake. It is neither filtered nor unfiltered coffee. Instead, instant coffee has its own production process separate from that of filtered and unfiltered coffee.
What is the difference between filtered and unfiltered coffee?
Filtered coffee is the most common method of consuming coffee, especially in specialty coffee shops. However, in many regions of the world, unfiltered coffee is still the norm.
The differences between the two are substantial, taste-wise, nutritional content-wise, and preparation-wise. While filtered coffee is often prepared using the drip and pour-over methods, unfiltered coffee is associated chiefly with French presses and the boiling method.
Taste-wise, unfiltered coffee has a gritty texture, especially when you are nearing the bottom of your cup. Additionally, unfiltered coffee has been shown to contain more robust, more bitter flavors than filtered coffee.
The nutritional content of unfiltered coffee is amplified when compared to filtered coffee. However, this situation is a double-edged sword as this can also enhance the number of harmful chemicals that otherwise would have been filtered by the coffee filter.
