What Is Cafestol? The Cholesterol-Linked Compound in Coffee

If you've ever wondered why your doctor might warn against certain types of coffee, the answer may lie in compounds that survive the brewing process. Not all coffee is equal when it comes to health impacts — and some methods can deliver more than just caffeine.

Cafestol is a diterpene compound found in coffee. Its levels vary dramatically by brew method: unfiltered coffee like Turkish or French press can contain 6–12 mg per cup, while filtered coffee and instant contain just 0.2–0.6 mg per cup.

What Is Cafestol?

Cafestol is a diterpene, a type of lipid (fat-soluble) compound naturally present in coffee beans. It is one of two such compounds typically found in coffee, the other being kahweol. Both are extracted by hot water but are mostly retained by paper filters — which is why they’re barely present in filtered coffee.

How Brewing Method Affects Cafestol Levels

The way you brew coffee has a huge impact on how much cafestol ends up in your cup:

• Unfiltered methods like Turkish coffee, French press (plunger), and Scandinavian-style boiled coffee retain high levels — around 6–12 mg per cup.
• Espresso, despite its concentrated form, contains moderate levels — around 4 mg per cup — but because it’s consumed in smaller quantities, it’s a minor overall source.
• Filtered coffee (including pour-over, drip, and automatic machines using paper filters) and instant coffee contain minimal cafestol — just 0.2–0.6 mg per cup.

This difference exists because cafestol is not soluble in water alone but dissolves into the coffee oils. Paper filters trap these oils along with the diterpenes, drastically cutting down what ends up in your drink.

Where Does Cafestol Come From? Bean Type Matters

Cafestol and kahweol are found in varying amounts depending on the coffee species:

• Arabica beans contain both cafestol and kahweol, with the two compounds making up about 1% of the coffee bean’s total mass.
• Robusta beans have roughly half the amount of cafestol found in Arabica and almost no kahweol.

In addition, cafestol and kahweol are structurally similar — both are fat-soluble diterpenes extracted by hot water — but cafestol lacks one double bond that kahweol has. This small difference affects how each interacts with your body, especially concerning cholesterol.

Does Cafestol Affect Your Health?

Yes — particularly your cholesterol levels. In the 1980s, researchers found that drinking unfiltered coffee raised serum cholesterol. That effect was traced to cafestol and kahweol.

Studies showed that consuming 60 mg/day of cafestol (or a mix of 60 mg cafestol + 51 mg kahweol) increased serum cholesterol more than other combinations. Pure kahweol’s effect is less clear due to purification challenges and stability issues.

Cafestol was found to be more potent than kahweol in raising cholesterol. This is why coffee that retains more of these compounds — namely, unfiltered brews — is now known to influence lipid levels in the blood.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cafestol in coffee?

Cafestol is a natural diterpene compound found in coffee beans. It is lipid-soluble and extracted during brewing, but mostly removed by paper filters. Unfiltered coffee contains much higher levels of cafestol, which has been linked to increased serum cholesterol.

Does filtered coffee contain cafestol?

Very little. Filtered coffee — including pour-over, drip, and espresso made with paper filters — contains only about 0.2–0.6 mg of cafestol per cup. The paper traps the oily compounds, including cafestol, before they reach your cup.

Which coffee brewing methods have the most cafestol?

Unfiltered methods like Turkish coffee, French press, and Scandinavian boiled coffee have the highest cafestol content, about 6–12 mg per cup. Espresso also contains notable amounts (around 4 mg per cup), but is usually consumed in smaller servings.

Why does unfiltered coffee raise cholesterol?

Unfiltered coffee contains cafestol and kahweol, which are not removed by the brewing process. These compounds interfere with cholesterol metabolism, leading to increased serum cholesterol levels, as shown in studies from the 1980s.

Is cafestol only in Arabica coffee?

No, but Arabica contains both cafestol and kahweol, and in higher total amounts (about 1% of bean mass). Robusta has about half the cafestol and almost no kahweol compared to Arabica.

Does espresso have a lot of cafestol?

Espresso has moderate cafestol levels — around 4 mg per cup. However, because people usually drink smaller servings of espresso compared to filter coffee, it contributes less cafestol overall.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Unfiltered Brewing

For those exploring unfiltered coffee methods like French press or Turkish, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe — bright and floral with citrus and stone fruit notes — or their Colombia Huila, offering balanced caramel and berry tones. For a richer profile suited to bold brews, their Sumatra Mandheling delivers earthy, spicy depth. All three beans shine when brewed without a paper filter, letting their full body and natural oils come through. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.