Can I use simply ground coffee in a french press and also a health question?
I have some organic "ground" bag coffee here and I’m looking to buy a coffee press – the steel french press I’m looking at recommends using "coarsely ground" instead of "fine grind." Will this be fine or will the metal filter get clogged?
I’m also concerned about using a press that doesn’t remove Cafestol from coffee beans. A traditional "drip-brewed" like automatic coffee makers will remove it due to the paper filters. On one hand you have Cafestol shown to increase serum cholesterol by 8% (.pdf source: http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/Chem_Background/ExSumPdf/Cafestol.pdf ) but on the other may be an antagonist to the development of Parkinson’s ( http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18814-parkinsons-protection-without-caffeine-or-nicotine.html ) So I don’t know if a press is a wise or poor choice of investment to my health.
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If you have cholesterol problems, unfiltered coffee might be a problem (although it only slightly increases LDL for a relatively short time), especially if you drink a lot.
I have seven ways to brew and my only filtered method is a Chemex manual drip with heavy weight unbleached paper filters. It produces a smooth, delicious cup of healthy coffee but I still use my press pot or balance brewer more often. Unless a doctor warns you that your type of coffee is a bad idea and recommends filtered, drink what you like; coffee has more potentially positive than negative effects so I would just stop worrying and enjoy a good cup.
The basic ground coffee setting in store bought bags of coffee is fine for a french press. That’s what i use.
My only caution is not to use store ground espresso because that is too fine a grind for the french press–it won’t clog the filter but you’ll get sludgy coffee because the filter won’t be able to, well,…filter it! (But espresso should be make in an espresso coffee pot, anyway.)
Re the health concerns, I’m impressed by your research. I hadn’t read about Cafestol but has seen the articles re Parkinson’s. I’m concerned that the hot water might release some of the chemicals used to bleach and produce the paper filters, so I’ve stuck with 1 cup a day from my french press. I guess there are always trade-offs.