FOOD NEWS
Why You Should Start Wetting Your Coffee Filter Before Each Brew
By Dawn Hammon
Whether you use an automatic drip machine or cultivate your brew via pour-over, wet the paper filter before brewing your coffee for a perfect cup of joe every time.
Wetting your coffee filter before each brew creates a more uniform temperature. Before adding grounds to your filter, run hot water through the paper and over the filter holder.
Dry paper is absorbent and can suck up the initial blast of flavors produced when the water hits the grounds, sacrificing those flavorful first drops of java.
A dry coffee filter perches within the filter holder rather than creating a seal to contain the grounds. Moistening the paper creates a barrier around the edges of the filter.
A wet filter performs more consistently than a dry one. When you add water to the grounds in a dry filter, it rushes through quickly, producing a watery result.
However, after the grounds and the filter are saturated, the water pools inside the grounds and travels through the coffee more slowly to extract maximum flavor from the brew.