Are You Concerned about Microplastics from Espresso Machines?

ForkSnorter on 25/11/2024 - 06:44
Last edited 25/11/2024 - 07:08

I recently started thinking, our morning coffees seem to be exposed to a lot of plastic in the brewing process, including the plastic water reservoir, the tubes that carry the water (even after it's heated to a very high temperature), and even the portafilter has a big slab of plastic that the espresso falls onto before it falls into your cup/glass. Apparently the plastic in the portafilter is intended to prevent your espresso from cooling down too much.

I guess there is also the concern that most plastics also contain various additives, which can leach out into liquids.

From what I've seen, the only thing that can be done to reduce this plastic exposure in a standard espresso machine (e.g. Breville/Delonghi) is to remove the piece of plastic from the portafilter. But it is the rest of the components that concern me.

In this age where we are exposed to microplastics from so many different sources and studies are finding microplastics in people's brains and heart tissue, as well as identifying potential health issues associated with microplastics exposure, do you think it is safe to be having 2 or 3 coffees per day from a plastic espresso machine for the rest of your life?

Poll Options

  • 233
    No, I've never thought about it.
  • 17
    No, there is no risk.
  • 29
    No, there may be risk, but I'm not concerned.
  • 3
    No, I accept the risk.
  • 7
    Yes, there is a risk, but I'm going to die young anyway, I may as well enjoy myself.
  • 9
    Yes, I'm concerned about the risk, but I can't give up my morning cappuccino.
  • 27
    Yes, I have switched to a different type of brewing process (e.g. drip, pour over, French press).
  • 21
    Yes, I'm paranoid about microplastics, and I try to limit my exposure in whatever way possible.
Food & Grocery Coffee Machine

Comments

      • Cluster on 26/11/2024 - 14:32
        +1

        If you have an old house you'll have copper pipes, otherwise everything built in the last 15 or so years is plastic.

        And the pipes that lead to your house are all plastic lined.

        • Ghost47 on 26/11/2024 - 19:31

          Pipes are made of PVC aren't they? I'm going to go ahead and assume PVC pipes leach a whole bevy of hormone-disrupting chemicals into water, how splendid.

  • DEvok on 25/11/2024 - 20:41
    -1

    Everything contains micro plastics, from supermarket to restaurants, it's part of our daily lives, just like COVID just deal with it, are you just gonna stop food consumption? Then grow a farm, these plastic won't be going anywhere and eventually evolution will teach our body's to remove these excess materials if not already when we take a dump. There are far a lot more concerning things we should be worried about than this, just my 2 cents.

  • Ryxxi on 25/11/2024 - 23:43
    +1

    Well if anything hot comes in contact with plastic, the substance has a high chance of containing microplastics. The more dangerous stuff is the non stick coatings.

  • Windows98 on 25/11/2024 - 23:59

    Haven't we reached a point where there's already microplastics in all our drinking water and fish?

    • Ghost47 on 26/11/2024 - 19:28
      -1

      Yes, and on top of that they've also been found everywhere from the oceans to the peak of Mt. Everest to our testicles and our brains and placentas. There's really no escaping them and it's not really surprising. Studies have shown tyres to be a source of microplastics for example, just think about all the cars, trucks, buses etc. driving around everywhere all over the planet, and then think about the rainwater that would wash whatever is on the road into the soils, rivers and streams.

      It's sad how badly humans have polluted the planet. We've destroyed nature at the cost of capitalism.

      • Windows98 on 26/11/2024 - 22:39
        +1

        We've destroyed nature at the cost of capitalism.

        It's the nature of humanism. We are unfortunately a virus on the planet.

        • mrdean on 27/11/2024 - 06:58
          -2

          Not true at all. We've probably been infested & taken over by parasites who are the "virus". We've been tricked into thinking we are the problem.

  • gentlekoala5906 on 26/11/2024 - 07:36
    +2

    There's so many micro plastics in everything we it why not just enjoy coffee ☕

  • OzPeter on 26/11/2024 - 08:36

    Good interview to watch on microsplastics: https://youtu.be/rObAX1r8r0s?si=vEazuD3ojXz0ZlR0

  • Jaspa7 on 26/11/2024 - 10:58
    +1

    But you merely adopted the microplastics; I was BORN in it, moulded by it…

  • Purp on 26/11/2024 - 11:52
    -2

    Don't get hyped into it. No surprise they started pushing this when covid started to die down.

  • figarow on 26/11/2024 - 11:56

    Dont drink it, easy fix.

  • haemolysis on 26/11/2024 - 14:38
    +1

    For human health, studies haven't demonstrated a significant concern. There is lot of hype about plastics being found in certain fluids/tissues, but little, if any, suggestion of actual harm… just that… "well, it's there lol." And it's not like we "need more data" either: this has been going on for decades now. Minimal disease burden has been demonstrated.

    By all means I'd rather it not "be there" at all. And I'm not saying the risk is zero. Just that.. it's clearly minor, and there are bigger things to be concerned with.

    • peejay on 27/11/2024 - 17:52
      +2

      Agreed. Also, I'd love to know how everyone has skipped over the question of "Is this a problem?" and arrived straight at "How do we deal with the problem?"

  • Brick Tamland on 26/11/2024 - 17:46

    If sufficiently worried you could buy a better coffee machine.

    My machine has no plastic in the Portafilter, all brass. It has a brass boiler and brass piping. The reservoir is plastic but hey how crazy do you need to get.

    • OzHan on 27/11/2024 - 12:13

      However, the household plumbing pipes are made from PET plastics. and wait, microplastics are already present in tap water.

      • Brick Tamland on 27/11/2024 - 12:22
        +1

        Those are filtered out by the coffee grind

        • OzHan on 27/11/2024 - 12:37
          +1

          lol no, coffee grounds don’t filter out microplastics. While coffee grounds may trap some particles, microplastics are so tiny (1um) that they can pass through typical coffee grounds (200 to 600 ums) and into your cup. actually, coffee beans themself can contain microplastics from packaging and processing equipment.

          • Brick Tamland on 27/11/2024 - 12:41
            -1

            @OzHan: Hmmm, well it's not not filtering out some microplastics.

  • DiscoJango on 26/11/2024 - 17:51
    +1

    I identify as a micro plastic

  • Ghost47 on 26/11/2024 - 19:35

    I voted for "Yes, I'm concerned about the risk, but I can't give up my morning cappuccino." even though I'm more of a "Yes, I've considered this kind of thing before, but most machines probably have plastic parts somewhere so I'll do what I can to minimise any plastic/chemical leaching into the water", e.g. not leaving water sitting in the tank for a long time.

    • OzHan on 27/11/2024 - 12:15
      +1

      To avoid microplastics, you’d essentially have to give up breathing and eating not just your morning coffee, as they are now everywhere. They are already present in the air, water, and food.

      • Ghost47 on 28/11/2024 - 15:43

        Yes, exactly. I think I read that they have even been found in vegetables now surprisingly as well, because they're taken up by the roots.

  • trapper on 27/11/2024 - 12:38
    +1

    Microplastics are different issue to chemicals leaching out of plastic.

    There are no microplastics coming from inside your expresso machine. There may be a small amount of chemicals leaching out, but this is a separate issue.

  • jaimex2 on 27/11/2024 - 12:41

    I don't have a cheap espresso machine, its mostly stainless steel. I think the only plastic is the water reservoir and food grade hose and both are not exposed to the sun.

  • junet on 27/11/2024 - 13:53

    You could try filter coffee. Easy setup get a Kalita 102 ceramic dripper, Hario or Kalita glass coffee server and paper filters from Daiso. Check if there’s plastic inside your kettle, most of them have plastic and just use a stainless steel milk pot to pour the hot water.

    A lot cheaper than an espresso machine with no plastic.

  • ThadtheChad on 27/11/2024 - 19:06

    Mate… microplastics are literally everywhere. At this juncture embrace the suck and maybe avoid being a carebear about this.

  • kaleidoscope on 28/11/2024 - 09:19

    Given how everything else in the food industry is handled/ packaged/ prepared/ cooked/ served/ consumed/ reheated etc in the, this is probably the least of your worries.

    Just take your coffee however you like and get on with your day champ!

  • Counter Intelligence on 20/12/2024 - 10:19

    The media and science has caught up to us again.

    What was originally thought to be conspiracy theory is now widely reported in the media.

    ‘One of the great human crises’: Warning after microplastics linked to lung, colon cancer

    Thank you Angus Dalton

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