Coffee in a cloth strainer tends to be worse than in a paper strainer – 10/11/2023 – Café na Prensa

Nothing like a cup of coffee brewed in a traditional cloth strainer, like your grandmother used to prepare, right? Wrong.

Still used today in most Brazilian homes, the cloth strainer is criticized by experts, who say that the result of the drink produced by the paper filter is always better.

In fact, there is practically a consensus among baristas (specialists in preparing coffee) that the paper strainer allows for more precise quality control, which is why the most reputable coffee shops in Brazil and the world tend to use them.

This is because, even if it is washed, the reused cloth begins to accumulate coffee residues over time.

According to Brazilian Boram Um, winner of the world barista championship, this is precisely what makes paper a more reliable method.

“The cloth strainer is cool, it’s very traditional, but eventually there are things that you can’t wash. Coffee contains a lot of oil and this will eventually start to alter the flavor of your coffee in a negative way. So the paper strainer ends up being more consistent,” says Boram.

Therefore, for those looking for more precision when preparing the strain, the paper filter is the most recommended.

But is it necessary to villainize the traditional cloth strainer?

Research carried out in 2021 by the Axxus Institute shows that almost 60% of Brazilians prepare their coffee in a cloth strainer.

And it doesn’t mean that this coffee will necessarily be of low quality. Yes, it is possible to make excellent drinks with this method.

If you are part of this majority, the main recommendation is to keep the cloth strainer always well sanitized. Also, discard it as soon as you notice the first signs of a bad smell.

Now, if you are one of those who think that coffee made in a paper strainer tastes like paper, know that you can avoid this by scalding the filter.

Before preparing the coffee, pour a good amount of filtered water over the filter to avoid the taste of chlorine from tap water. This way, you will remove impurities and residues that can give the drink this undesirable flavor.

See in the image gallery below how to prepare impeccable coffee in a paper strainer.

Finally, there is no point using the best method in the world if the coffee is bad. The product is primarily responsible for the quality of the drink produced. No amount of preparation can save a poorly roasted bean, for example.

Therefore, try to choose a quality coffee that you like. There is currently a wide variety of products on the market, each capable of producing coffees with different flavors. See here a complete guide on how to choose the best supermarket coffee according to your taste.

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