How to Achieve Rich Coffee Crema: Mastering Flannel Filter Brewing for Exceptional Taste

Understanding Coffee Crema

Coffee crema is essentially insoluble substances from coffee beans that encapsulate carbon dioxide. It can enhance the coffee experience by making the texture richer and more full-bodied, as well as extending the duration of the aftertaste.

In single-origin coffees, crema is also quite common—it's just a matter of more or less. Some friends might ask: Why doesn't pour-over coffee have crema? That's an excellent question! This is because the mainstream filtering tool used in today's pour-over coffee is filter paper with strong filtering capabilities. Its strength not only filters microscopic particles but also blocks out the crema. Therefore, if you want to try adding some crema to your pour-over coffee, simply switch to a tool with weaker filtering capabilities, and you'll get a cup of pour-over coffee with crema.

Non-Crema-Filtering Tools

Before filter paper was invented, there was a tool that was the number one choice for filtering coffee grounds and was widely used by everyone. It allows obvious crema to appear on the coffee surface, and that tool is precisely what we're using today—the flannel filter cloth.

Flannel is a rather special fabric with different textures on its inner and outer sides. One side is the cotton side, and the other is the fleece side. The cotton side feels noticeably rough due to its texture, while the fleece side feels smooth and delicate. Its greatest characteristic is that it can easily let crema and other insoluble substances pass through the filter cloth and drip into the coffee. These substances are precisely the important factors that can enhance the full-bodied texture.

Because it's a filter made of different fabrics but without distinguishing between front and back sides, some friends may feel troubled by纠结"which side to use to hold the coffee powder." Both sides can be used for brewing and won't cause any different effects on the coffee. Typically, the cotton side (the rougher side) is more commonly used as the inner bag because compared to the fleece side, it doesn't absorb too many coffee particles and is easier to clean. If you choose the fleece side as the inner bag, fine coffee powder easily adheres to it, adding considerable difficulty to the cleaning work after brewing.

The Flannel "Support"

The flannel filter cloth doesn't have a filter cup for support and flow guidance because it doesn't need one. It has a stainless steel ring with a handle. The stainless steel ring connects to the filter cloth, providing support, so we can either place it on a sharing pot or hold it by hand for brewing.

Pre-Brewing Preparation

Before brewing, we need to place the flannel filter cloth in boiling water and boil it for five minutes. This is for thorough disinfection and to allow water to fully penetrate the fibers, maintaining a stable state during brewing.

Coffee beans: 20g of dark roast Golden Mandheling
Powder-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: 70% passing rate through a #20 sieve. Our shop uses EK43 with a grind setting of 11.
Water temperature: 88°C
Brewing method: Flannel can choose two different brewing methods. This time, we're using hand-held filter cloth配合注水进行冲煮.

It's important to note that compared to filter paper, the gaps in flannel filter cloth are much larger, so its drainage speed will be faster than filter paper. Additionally, without the support of a filter cup, its entire surface allows coffee liquid to pass through. Therefore, when the water level is higher, the drainage speed is faster. So when we do hand-held brewing, we'll use a larger amount of coffee powder, first using a small water flow to moisten the coffee powder for blooming, then pouring in small circles in the center to prevent water from flowing away from the sides.

After brewing is complete, we can see that the coffee brewed with flannel has obvious coffee crema, while the surface of regular pour-over coffee is very clean and clear (FrontStreet Coffee thought it had been beautified!).

Tasting Time

The two cups of coffee made with different filtering tools show very consistent flavor profiles: nuts, spices, and chocolate. The difference is that the coffee brewed with flannel is more full-bodied and smooth than the coffee brewed with filter paper. However, it cannot achieve the cleanliness of filter paper brewing. Overall, each has its own advantages.

Flannel Filter Storage Method

When we finish brewing, the first thing to do is to clean and store the filter cloth because it's a reusable filter cloth. But many people have misconceptions about storage—for example, thinking that it's enough to wash it clean and dry it like normal utensils. However, this wet-to-dry process actually damages the fiber structure of the flannel.

The correct method is to clean the flannel thoroughly, then place it in a sealed container with clean water, and store the container in a low-temperature environment. This ensures that the flannel's fiber structure is not damaged and also prevents mold growth. The disadvantage is that it's rather troublesome—you need to change the clean water from time to time, and you still need to boil it before using it again.

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FrontStreet Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee)
No. 10, Bao'an Front Street, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Important Notice :

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Tel:020 38364473