What Is Cafestol? Coffee Fact You Should Know

If you’ve ever switched from Turkish coffee to pour-over and wondered why your cholesterol test results changed, the answer might be hiding in your filter—or lack of one. Not all coffee affects your body the same way, and certain brewing methods leave behind natural compounds that can impact heart health. One of those is cafestol, a substance found in varying levels depending on how you brew your coffee.

Cafestol is a diterpene compound found in unfiltered coffee—like Turkish or French press—at levels around 6–12 mg per cup. In filtered coffee, that drops to just 0.2–0.6 mg per cup, making it nearly negligible.

What Exactly Is Cafestol?

Cafestol is a diterpene, a type of organic compound that’s fat-soluble and occurs naturally in coffee beans. It’s one of two such compounds in coffee—the other being kahweol—and both belong to a broader class called diterpenes. These substances are not soluble in water but dissolve in coffee oils. That’s why they end up in your cup when you don’t use a filter that catches them.

Cafestol and kahweol are structurally very similar. The only difference is that kahweol has one extra double bond. Both are extracted by hot water during brewing, but only unfiltered methods allow them to make it into your final drink.

Why Does Brewing Method Matter?

The amount of cafestol in your cup depends entirely on the brewing method. Methods that don’t use a paper or fine filter—such as Turkish coffee, French press (also called plunger coffee), and Scandinavian-style boiled coffee—allow these oily compounds to pass through into the brewed coffee. In these methods, cafestol levels range from 6 to 12 milligrams per cup.

On the other hand, filtered methods—like pour-over (using a V60 or Chemex), drip machines with paper filters, and espresso (to a lesser extent)—trap most of the cafestol in the filter. That’s why a typical cup of filtered coffee contains just 0.2 to 0.6 mg of cafestol. Even espresso, which is more concentrated, only delivers about 4 mg per cup because you generally drink smaller servings.

Here’s a rough comparison:

• Turkish, French press, boiled coffee: 6–12 mg cafestol per cup
• Espresso: ~4 mg per cup
• Pour-over, drip, paper-filtered coffee: 0.2–0.6 mg per cup

Where Does Cafestol Come From in Coffee Beans?

Cafestol is found in raw coffee beans, but not all beans contain the same amounts. Arabica beans typically have both cafestol and kahweol, and together these can make up about 1% of the bean’s total composition. In Robusta beans, however, the level of cafestol is about half that of Arabica, and kahweol is almost absent.

Interestingly, while both compounds can raise serum cholesterol levels, cafestol is the more potent of the two. Studies show that a daily intake of 60 mg of cafestol (or a mix of 60 mg cafestol and 51 mg kahweol) raises cholesterol slightly more than 64 mg of pure cafestol alone. However, because kahweol is harder to isolate and less stable, its individual effect on cholesterol remains unclear.

Does Cafestol Affect Your Health?

Yes—primarily your cholesterol levels. Back in the 1980s, researchers discovered that drinking unfiltered coffee was linked to increased serum cholesterol. This effect was traced back to the presence of cafestol and kahweol. These diterpenes interfere with the body’s ability to regulate cholesterol, leading to higher LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in frequent drinkers of unfiltered brews.

Because filtered coffee removes nearly all cafestol, it doesn’t carry the same risk. That means switching from a French press to a V60 or using a paper filter in your drip machine can significantly reduce your cafestol intake—and potentially impact your cholesterol profile over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is cafestol in coffee?

Cafestol is a natural, fat-soluble diterpene compound found in coffee beans. It’s part of a group of compounds that are not water-soluble and are mostly removed by paper filters. It’s present in higher levels in unfiltered coffee.

Does filtered coffee contain cafestol?

Very little. Filtered coffee methods like pour-over, drip, or espresso (with a paper or metal filter) remove most cafestol, leaving only about 0.2 to 0.6 mg per cup. Espresso has slightly more due to the small serving size—around 4 mg per cup.

Which coffee brewing methods have the most cafestol?

Unfiltered methods like Turkish coffee, French press, and Scandinavian boiled coffee contain the highest levels of cafestol, about 6 to 12 mg per cup, because they don’t use a filter that blocks the oily compounds.

Is cafestol bad for your health?

In high amounts, cafestol can raise serum cholesterol levels, particularly LDL cholesterol. Frequent consumption of unfiltered coffee, which is high in cafestol, has been linked to increased cholesterol. Filtered coffee reduces this risk.

Do Arabica and Robusta beans differ in cafestol content?

Yes. Arabica beans contain both cafestol and kahweol, often making up around 1% of the bean. Robusta beans have about half the cafestol and almost no kahweol compared to Arabica.

Why doesn’t espresso have as much cafestol as French press?

Espresso is made with a metal filter that allows some cafestol to pass through, but because the serving size is small—usually around 30 ml—the total cafestol per cup is lower, about 4 mg. French press passes far more through, resulting in 6–12 mg per cup.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Unfiltered Coffee Lovers

For coffee drinkers exploring unfiltered brews like French press or Turkish coffee, FrontStreet Coffee’s PWN Golden Mandheling offers a refined experience with notes of toasted bread, pine, caramel, and cocoa. Its full body and rich mouthfeel stand up well to bold brewing. For a more classic Indonesian profile, try the Lintong Mandheling, which brings herbal and woody tones with spice, dark chocolate, and a sweet finish. Both beans are single-origin Arabicas from Indonesia and showcase the complexity that pairs interestingly with unfiltered methods. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.