Is there anything better than a rich, delicious cup of steaming coffee first thing in the morning? For most folks, a perfectly brewed cup of coffee is the ideal way to start the day. Using freshly ground coffee beans and a high-quality coffee maker is the way to ensure your morning brew is satisfying every, single time. No matter what kind of coffee maker you use – electric, a French press, or any one of a number of other types – the goal is the same: consistently good coffee that gets you ready for a busy day. Coffee is the world’s most popular beverage, enjoyed on social occasions as well as first thing in the morning. People love gathering over a steaming cup of Joe to talk about everything from family events to world issues. Getting together for a coffee is a much-loved ritual the world over. It’s enjoyed by almost everyone, at lots of different times throughout the day.
The oldest way of brewing coffee is with a paper filter, known as the drip method. You simply boil water, put the right amount of coffee grounds into the filter, and pour the water over. Voila! A great cup of coffee that’s fast and simple to make. But did you know there are other coffee filters to choose from? In this article, we offer up important information to help you choose the coffee filter that’s right for you.
What is a coffee filter?
A coffee filter or a coffee dripper is a device, made of different materials, over which you pour water to make coffee. Boiling water slowly drains through the coffee grounds into the pot or carafe. Brewing coffee this way is known as a drip coffee. Electric coffee makers use filters too, though they start with cold water, which heats during the brewing process. These methods allow the flavors in the ground coffee to transfer to the water as it drains through to the pot. Using a coffee filter traps oil and sediment, so the coffee tastes terrific but not harsh, as it might sometimes in coffee makers that don’t use filters. With a French press, for example, you simply pour boiling water into the pot in which the grounds are loose and wait for them to settle at the bottom.
In other words, the filter lets the water come into contact with the ground before it drains into the pot. And it traps unwanted particles that negatively affect the taste of your coffee. A coffee filter lets the good stuff through, and traps the bad – look at it that way!
Although there are one or two coffee makers that don’t require filters – like the French press we mentioned earlier – most of them do, whether they’re the drip kind or electric. Filters are made of one of three different materials, and that’s what we’re delving into in this article. The three most common coffee filters available are made of cloth, paper, or metal. We do a deep dive into each kind and offer insight into how each coffee filter affects the taste of your coffee.
How do coffee filters affect the coffee’s taste?
Before choosing a filter, you need to understand how different materials affect the flavor of the coffee. What a coffee filter is made of is the single most important factor you should take into account before purchasing one – the importance is as much as the quality of the coffee beans you buy. Most people don’t consider whether a coffee filter is easy to use, as they all function in pretty much the same way. But how do they affect the taste? Now that’s important!
The first factor you should be aware of is the size of the filter’s pores. If the pores are large, some coffee grounds may come through, which lends a rich flavor to the coffee. Second, the material itself also impacts the taste. Oils from the coffee grounds are absorbed into the material, and that helps keep the bitterness from overwhelming the flavor. Coffee filters definitely ensure that flavor and richness are at their peak.
Ultimately, you should ask yourself, “Which factors matter the most to me?”. Do you want your coffee to be light and smooth, or full-bodied and rich? Some folks prefer their coffee strong and dark, while others like it light and easy to sip. The choice is yours! Two other factors you should consider are how the coffee filter you choose impacts the environment, and how it impacts your pocketbook. How easily it cleans is something else you should think about before settling on your choice of the coffee filter.
What options of coffee filter material you can choose from?
As mentioned previously, there are three coffee filter options to choose from – paper, metal, and cloth. Here is a clear explanation of the benefits (and drawbacks) of each kind of coffee filter.
Paper coffee filters
These are the most common coffee filters in use today. You simply put one into the cone and sit it atop your pot, once you’ve measured out the correct amount of coffee. Then, you pour boiling water into the cone. Most of these units have a plastic cone and a glass coffee pot, like the Melita design. However, some cones are made of ceramic or stainless steel, both of which are more eco-friendly than plastic.
Paper coffee filters are highly absorbent because they’re so tightly woven. They are extremely effective at trapping oils and other particles, making your coffee smoother and much less bitter. Coffee oils can raise your cholesterol levels, so if that’s a concern, you might want to consider purchasing paper coffee filters. Weigh the economics of this type – you have to keep buying them – with the health benefits it offers.
Metal coffee filters
Metal coffee filters have larger pores than paper filters. That means that this type isn’t as effective at retaining oils and other particles, which means your coffee will be stronger and a little more full-bodied. It’s the oils that give coffee that big “mouth feel,” that sense of richness and boldness you may really like. Oils also boost coffee’s aroma. If these features are important to you, a metal filter is probably the way to go.
Furthermore, a metal filter is reusable – you just dump out the ground and wash it with warm water. There are two shapes of metal filters on the market today – one is shaped rather like a mesh cone, while the other is round, almost like a basket. Choose whichever one is best suited to your pot’s design.
The mesh material in a metal coffee filter comes in a single and double-layer design. You can use these filters with or without a stand, which is really convenient when brewing coffee outdoors, like on a family camping trip. This type of coffee filter is becoming increasingly popular, partly because it’s easy to use and makes great coffee, and partly because it is more eco-friendly than paper filters.
Cloth coffee filters
This type of coffee filter is the least common kind available today. These filters are made of tightly woven cloth fibers that trap all the ground, even the tiniest particles. But a cloth filter doesn’t trap all the oils, which means you’ll get a clean, rich mug of coffee with no sediment. It creates a mid-level mouth feel of coffee – robust and aromatic.
So cloth filters have a lot going for them – they let the delicious aspects of coffee grounds through yet trap the less appealing elements. These features make for a great cup of coffee! Yet this type of filter has a substantial drawback – it’s a nuisance to clean. It’s more eco-friendly than paper, of course, because you can use them repeatedly. But you’ve got to empty the grounds out, wash the filter and hang it up to dry. That can be inconvenient, especially when you’ve got a busy schedule and are rushing out the door every morning.
What are other substitutes for coffee filters?
Believe it or not, there are three things you can use in a pinch if you haven’t got a proper coffee filter. These alternatives are paper towels or napkins; a cloth dish towel, a finely-meshed colander, or a sieve.
A paper napkin or paper towel
Did you wake up one morning and realize you were out of paper coffee filters, or your metal one got a small tear in the mesh while in the dishwasher and you forgot to buy a new one? Not to worry! A paper towel or napkin functions in much the same way, and you can use one anytime you’re caught without your usual filter. We don’t recommend that you do this very often, however. These paper products may contain bleach or other harmful materials that you shouldn’t ingest too frequently. But if it’s a choice between using a paper towel and going without your morning cup of coffee, go for it! Using a paper towel as a coffee filter in an emergency isn’t going to do you any harm. Just be sure to replace your coffee filter when you go to the grocery store next!
Finely meshed sieve
Everyone has a sieve in the cupboard – they’re a must-have for straining pasta, for example, and a whole host of other food prep tasks. If you place it over your coffee pot, it will stand in nicely for a proper coffee filter, providing the weave is tight enough to trap the grounds in the sieve. The boiling water poured over the grounds into a sieve may not make the rich and bold coffee you’re used to, but it does the job just fine in a pinch!
Cloth dish towel or a cloth napkin
Either of these items stands in quite well for a proper coffee filter. They work in much the same way as a cloth coffee filter does, meaning they trap the grounds and let you make at least one enjoyable pot of coffee. However, the grounds stain the cloth, so be sure you don’t use one of your good napkins! Like the other substitutes we mentioned, you should use this method only when it’s an emergency. It does the job, but it’s not ideal, so go get a new coffee filter as soon as you can!
Conclusion
Brewing a satisfying cup of coffee is an incredibly enjoyable moment in your morning routine. Sitting down with a freshly brewed pot of coffee is a delightful ritual shared by millions of people around the world every day. Having the right coffee filter is key to making rich, tasty coffee.
Each type of coffee filter we’ve discussed here has fans, and those folks swear that their choice makes the best pot of coffee possible. But there isn’t just one perfect coffee filter – the one you choose depends on how strong you like your coffee, and what type of coffee machine you use. Does a potent aroma matter a lot to you? Or is helping the environment a top priority?
Do you see how different priorities impact your choice? This is one of those decisions that should be made with your priorities and preferences on the top of your mind. We’ve given you the info, and now you can make the right decision based on your individual tastes.
We love hearing from our readers. Let us know in the comments section which type of coffee filter you decided to buy.
Happy brewing!
