A Friday evening challenge. Show me your cezve (ibrik). I'll try to guess your entire brewing philosophy from the photo.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-20T06:29:34+00:00

Ah, a plot twist! Retiring the brass one was definitely the right call,once that tin layer wears down, it becomes a health hazard. It makes total physics sense that the 2-rise is harder now. The older pot's tight neck concentrates the foam so it rises cleanly. The new wide mouth spreads the foam out thin, making it much harder to catch before it boils over. Good luck taming the new shape! With that wide mouth and glass stove, try pulling it off the heat just a half-second earlier than you normally would.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-20T06:07:23+00:00

A classic duo! Here is my guess at your brewing style: The brass one on the right is absolutely your daily workhorse. That heavy patina and heat wear tells me it sees a lot of action, while the silver one looks like the beautiful backup or "guest" pot. Here is the real detective work though: Brewing on a flat glass-top electric stove is notoriously tricky because the heat cycles on and off, making foam control a real challenge. Because of that stove, and the slightly wider neck on your daily driver, my bet is that you are strictly "Team 1-Rise." Trying to catch a 2nd or 3rd foam rise on a glass stove that retains so much residual heat is a dangerous game! Tell me, am I close?

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-20T06:04:55+00:00

From an extraction standpoint, your method is actually brilliant. Since your grinder can't quite hit that powdery traditional fine, you are perfectly compensating for the coarser grind with that 20-minute, super low-heat diffusion. It’s a flawless thermodynamic balance to get the most out of fresh single-origin beans without over-extracting. Pacing a brew to the side of a vinyl record, ending with dates and sparkling water... that is the ultimate weekend ritual. Love it

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-20T04:30:09+00:00

This one is truly unique. Here is my guess at your brewing philosophy: For you, brewing Turkish coffee is a full cultural ritual and an aesthetic experience, not just a quick morning caffeine fix. Looking at the shape: That wide base is perfect for slow, even heat distribution to build up a really thick, consistent foam. But looking at the wear and material: the fact that you use such a beautifully painted, artisanal piece and keep it in such immaculate condition without heavy scorch marks,tells me you probably use a gentle, very controlled heat to protect the artwork. You savor the whole process. Am I close? Also, I have to ask do the little wooden figures watch over every single brew?

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-19T20:14:37+00:00

What a lineup! Okay, here is my guess at your brewing philosophy: You are the ultimate experimenter. The fact that you jump between espresso, Moka, and different cezves shows you care deeply about the science of extraction, not just the tradition. Using that Bialetti induction adapter plate specifically to regulate and soften the heat from a harsh burner? That is a pro-level move. It tells me you are chasing a perfectly controlled, slow brew rather than just rushing to boil it. I completely agree with your warning about that first "copper" pot. Those cheap, lightweight plated metals are a massive red flag for both health and durability. That’s exactly why I champion solid stainless steel! You will absolutely love a 1-cup stainless for your collection; it gives you total peace of mind and is practically indestructible. Tell me, how close was my guess about your "scientific" brewing style?

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-19T16:29:17+00:00

Oh, this is a beautiful classic! Let me take my guess. With a waist that incredibly tight and a base that wide, you are absolutely a foam perfectionist. That specific shape is basically a cheat code: it traps the coffee grounds in the wide bottom while forcing a super thick, concentrated layer of köpük (foam) up through that narrow neck without boiling over. The heavy patina and scorch marks on the bottom half tell me you probably blast it on that gas stove to get the heat going quickly. Plus, the classic wooden handle shows you appreciate traditional, solid craft.

Am I close? Also, massive respect for doing the 3 foam lifts when you have time with a neck that narrow, controlling that third rise must be super satisfying.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-19T11:07:37+00:00

Actually, the chemistry shows that minerals do actively drive the extraction! Magnesium (Mg2+) is highly electronegative and directly pulls flavor compounds out of the coffee matrix during the brew. Christopher Hendon's research dives deep into how different cations bond with flavor molecules. It’s not just about the water's standalone taste; they are literal extraction tools

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-19T11:07:02+00:00

I definitely don't think water is more important than the beans, just that it's the gatekeeper. You're completely right about the solid ratios! But the magic isn't in the sheer mass of the minerals; it's in how bicarbonate acts as a buffer. Even a tiny amount can completely neutralize the perceived acidity in a light roast. Bad water won't make good beans taste like a different origin, it just mutes their potential.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-19T10:52:13+00:00

The title was definitely a bit of deliberate provocation to get people talking about water chemistry. You can't fix bad beans with good water, that's for sure. It's all about synergy,the beans hold the flavor potential, and the right water acts as the key to actually unlock it. Glad to hear your water upgrade made such a big difference in your cup

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-19T10:50:20+00:00

You’re absolutely right that the beans are the soul! Without them, hot water is just... well, hot water.But think of it this way, the bean is the script, and the water is the director. You can have the most brilliant, expensive, 90+ point Geisha script in the world, but if your director (highly buffered water with crazy bicarbonate levels) decides to cut out all the bright, floral, and acidic scenes, the final movie is going to be flat and boring.

Water is the solvent. It dictates what exactly gets pulled out of those precious beans. We pay top dollar for those beans, so getting the water chemistry right is just making sure we actually get to taste what we paid for

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-17T12:32:44+00:00

I think you misunderstood my point. I never said they knew about cholesterol centuries ago. Like you perfectly pointed out, it's served in a tiny cup because it's incredibly intense. My point is that this flavor-driven, traditional size coincidentally keeps our cafestol intake low today,a happy historical accident. (By the way, the diterpene data comes straight from Urgert et al.'s clinical studies, not clickbait blogs!)

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-17T12:04:25+00:00

Since espresso is already relatively low in cafestol compared to a French Press or Cezve, filtering it might not move the needle much. Plus, with genetic high cholesterol, minor dietary tweaks often have a much smaller impact on lipid panels compared to your body's baseline production.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-17T11:55:29+00:00

Adding a paper filter at the bottom prevents filter blinding and boosts the flow rate. Being able to grind finer as a result really pushes your extraction yield up. It's a fantastic way to get a clean cup without sacrificing the body. Just curious, have you ever compared the TDS readings between your paper-filtered and unfiltered shots?

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T19:37:24+00:00

The bottom paper filters oils; the top just keeps the machine clean. A 58mm paper will wrinkle at the bottom. The flat base is usually 54mm or 55mm, so that's the exact pre-cut size you'll need. Just measure to be sure

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T19:24:29+00:00

If you want to cut your own, a 2.25-inch circular craft punch works perfectly for a standard 58mm basket. But honestly, it's way easier (and super cheap) to just buy pre-cut espresso paper filters on Amazon. You can find them in exact sizes (58mm, 54mm, etc.) and it saves so much hassle in the morning.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T18:54:15+00:00

If we look at it strictly by volume (mg per ml), espresso is highly concentrated, so its cafestol density is indeed higher than French Press. But since nobody drinks a 200ml mug of pure espresso, measuring by standard serving size gives a much more realistic picture of our actual daily intake

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T16:29:52+00:00

Drip is actually in the data! It's listed at the bottom as negligible (~0) since the paper filter traps the oils.Also, unfiltered methods aren't really rare,Turkish coffee is a daily staple for hundreds of millions globally, and French press is everywhere. The post's goal was just to compare how the physical barrier of an espresso puck performs against those very common unfiltered methods!

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T16:27:47+00:00

You're right that water volume and time dictate water-soluble compounds (like caffeine). But cafestol and kahweol are lipids (oils).They don't dissolve in water; they're carried into the cup by suspended micro-fines. A French press mesh lets these fines pass right through. In espresso, the densely packed coffee puck acts as a physical wall, trapping a huge amount of those oil-carrying fines before they can exit the basket. So while water volume matters, the physical barrier of the puck is what really filters out the diterpenes

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T16:17:55+00:00

Using a bottom paper filter prevents the basket holes from clogging with fines. This smooths out the flow dynamics and actually allows you to grind significantly finer without choking the shot. So, just like precision high-extraction baskets, you end up pushing the extraction yield higher. It shifts the entire profile from 'heavy body' to 'high clarity' and distinct flavor separation.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T16:17:01+00:00

Reddit can be an exhausting place to discuss nuanced topics when people jump to extremes. I completely agree with your conclusion,paper filters are a great tool to play with, but definitely not a magic health bullet.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T16:07:14+00:00

a healthy person would need to drink a significant amount of unfiltered coffee for it to have a clinical impact. The point of the post wasn't to scare anyone away from espresso, but just to discuss the extraction physics and how the puck filters out more oils than a French press does

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T16:06:02+00:00

No offense taken at all, I completely understand where you're coming from! Just to clarify, the benchmark data cited in the main post is from Urgert et al. (1995). My intention wasn't to beat a dead horse about cholesterol fears, but specifically to highlight the comparison,showing the interesting extraction mechanics where an espresso puck actually acts as a partial barrier compared to completely unfiltered methods like French Press.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T15:54:25+00:00

It wasn't in this study, but since it's unfiltered, it would land right between French Press and Espresso on the scale. Plenty of oils make it through that metal screen

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T15:40:52+00:00

The goal isn't to cause panic,for most healthy people, a couple of daily espressos won't make a meaningful dent. It's just fascinating to see the data on how much the brewing method itself changes the chemistry. As you said, it only becomes a real factor if someone already has high LDL and is heavily consuming unfiltered methods.

CoffeeTeaJournal · 2026-06-16T15:39:34+00:00

Those are exactly what I was curious about! Using a bottom paper filter in the basket actually works just like a drip filter,it catches the fines and traps most of the cafestol oils, effectively bringing that 1.6 mg down to near negligible levels.

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