How Can Pour-Over Coffee Have Crema? What Role Do Coffee Bean Lipids Play?

The Golden Crema: Understanding Why Pour-Over Coffee Lacks Rich crema

Under the high-pressure extraction of an espresso machine, espresso can achieve a very rich golden crema. This layer of crema is not only visually stunning but also provides a certain texture to the espresso, making it richer and smoother. Therefore, many of us might wonder: if pour-over coffee could also have such crema, would its taste be enhanced as well?

The answer is yes! However, the problem lies in the fact that without the help of pressure, pour-over coffee struggles to achieve a rich and delicate golden crema. For this reason, many people give up on this idea. But we should understand that what gives espresso its rich body isn't actually the crema – crema is merely the appearance formed when carbon dioxide is trapped. What truly "enhances" the coffee's properties are the lipids (oils) that encapsulate the carbon dioxide!

What Are Lipids?

As mentioned above, espresso crema is essentially the product formed by oils encapsulating carbon dioxide. The oils, which originate from the coffee beans themselves, are the core of crema. It's important to know that the function of oils isn't just to provide richness; they also make the coffee's aroma more perceptible to people. After all, apart from fine particles, the taste of crema is mainly provided by these oils!

A single coffee bean contains approximately 20% oils (for Arabica varieties; Robusta has only 10%). These oils hide within the bean body before roasting. As roasting progresses and deepens, they gradually migrate to the bean surface under normal pressure conditions, becoming visible to the naked eye (the darker the roast, the more oils that emerge). Because many aromatic fatty carboxylic acids can dissolve in oils, their presence helps enhance the aroma and body of coffee. Therefore, we can conclude that even without pressure assistance, coffee can be enhanced by the presence of oils. However, we know that pour-over coffee is very clean, with almost no oils! So, how can we make pour-over coffee obtain these oils?

How Can Pour-Over Coffee Obtain Oils?

Have you ever tried other single-origin coffee brewing methods, such as French press, AeroPress, or siphon? Black coffee made with these methods typically has a subtle layer of oils floating on the surface, which becomes more apparent when reflecting light or as it cools. The reason they differ from pour-over coffee in this regard is simply: the filtration capabilities of the brewing equipment are different.

Pour-over coffee uses paper filters, which have extremely powerful filtration capabilities! Neither fine particles nor oils can pass through this dense "fortress wall," which is why pour-over coffee turns out so clean. In contrast, French press uses metal mesh filters with relatively larger pores compared to pour-over filters. Similarly, siphon pots use cloth filters and AeroPress has its sealed design! This is why they can all produce black coffee with oils, while pour-over using paper filters cannot – because paper filters are simply too effective!

At this point, I believe many of you have already found the answer! If we want pour-over coffee to obtain oils as well, we simply need to replace the paper filter with a filtration device that has slightly weaker filtering capabilities. In the world of pour-over coffee, FrontStreet Coffee particularly recommends filters with these characteristics: flannel filter cloths and non-woven filter papers. As long as we replace the pour-over filtration device with either of these, the coffee will have a richer body!

Both of these options have larger pores/gaps compared to paper filters, allowing oils and some fine particles to pass through, enhancing the coffee's body. Flannel filter cloths are more aesthetically pleasing and provide a more comfortable brewing experience, but their drawbacks include more complicated cleaning and higher prices. Therefore, for those who want less hassle, non-woven filter papers might be a better choice – they are more affordable and convenient compared to flannel. Of course, they have their own disadvantages, such as folding issues and fit problems with the filter cup. However, regardless of which filter you choose, both require certain adjustments to the original brewing method to ensure that while the coffee gains the enhancement from oils, the extraction rate and concentration remain optimal. Friends can decide for themselves how to choose, and for detailed instructions on using flannel filter cloths and non-woven filter papers, you can click the following links for comprehensive guides: "Flannel Filter Cloth" and "Non-Woven Filter Paper." FrontStreet Coffee won't elaborate further here!

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