How Healthy is Your Preferred Coffee Brewing Method?

Coffee is acclaimed for its natural health benefits and aromatic tastes, known in helping prevent certain illnesses. But to take advantage of it, you need to know how you can get the most of what the drink brings. So, which brewing method will help you take advantage of what coffee has to offer?


How Healthy is Your Preferred Coffee Brewing Method?


Standard drip


In the standard drip method, the water is slowly dripped over the fine grounds, brewing the coffee. This method gives the most caffeine among all other brews. The process is usually done in two to five minutes, with more caffeine seeping out the longer it takes to brew. Lighter roasts used will also mean more caffeine than darker roasts.


Diterpenes are the oils in the grounds that contribute much to the fragrance and flavour. The paper filters of the standard drip tend to lessen the diterpenes, dulling the taste. This is good for your heart, as these oils affect levels of cholesterols for those who drink more than five cups every day.


French press


In this simple brewing method, the grounds are tossed in the press and heated water is added and stirred. The mixture is covered, left for two to four minutes and the strainer is then pushed, resulting in a French press coffee brew.


The caffeine content is high, depending on the coffee grind you use. Unlike standard drip, this brewing method immerses all the grounds. A lot of diterpenes are released by this method, harmful for those drinking six to eight cups every day. This is one of the smoothest brews of coffee owing to the oils that make it rich in taste.


Single-cup pods


These days, many offices sport coffee pod machines. The grounds are inside single-cup pods that are made of plastic or aluminium with paper filter lining. They may be regular or flavoured, sealed with foil together with nitrogen gas. Some machines have a metal mesh pod for people to put their own grounds in.


A lot of caffeine is extracted from this brew. Paper filter-lined pods lessen the diterpenes. The aluminium and the plastic in the pods can affect the flavour, and depending on the roast used, can result in flat-tasting, dull coffee.


Cold brew


The extremely popular cold brew method is held by many as the tastiest one yet. This method is very similar to French press, but with cold water. The coarse grounds are also steeped for up to 16 hours at a time. If you prefer hot coffee, you can make a very strong brew using the cold method then put in hot water or milk later to diffuse the heavy flavour.


The grounds are soaked in cool water, resulting in the coffee having less caffeine. This method also extracts more diterpene content due to the lack of paper filters. Cold brew coffee is known to have the fruitiest taste among all other methods.


Instant coffee


For those who want the simplest method of getting their coffee fix, instant coffee is certainly the answer. Just put the powder in a cup with hot water, and your drink will be ready in just a few seconds. Instant coffee is just an extract, which means it contains the least caffeine compared to others. Instant brews are known for sacrificing the taste as the natural coffee flavours are lost during the packaging process.



There are many ways to enjoy coffee and get your caffeine fix, with different brews bringing varied tastes and results. These brewing methods outline what health benefits you get with each type, so make sure to choose the best type of brew for your needs.