First off coffee filters are seemingly simple, but in-depth there are a lot more to say about them. It is because trendy ways to make coffee now spring up like mushrooms from French press to stainless steel filters, bleach to unbleached filters, and paper to permanent coffee filters, and more. How do you choose the right coffee filters? And do you use your coffee filters the best you can?
If you know only a few of them, it could simply make you overwhelmed. But you are not alone; even some long-life coffee lovers do not know all around about the coffee filters. That is because we can easily overlook things around us; as such as the coffee filters.
Upon hearing it all, do coffee filters sound like a complex subject? So let we dive it in! At least after reading this article, you will obtain what you ever wanted to know and things you do not know about the coffee filters.
Contents
Here Is Everything You Need To Know About Coffee Filters
Below are some of the points that you may need to know about coffee filters. Now lets’s get to it!
What Exactly Is A Coffee Filter?
Paper filters are probably what most of us think coffee filters are made of. But that is not true as now there are many trendy different ways that we can make our coffee to more than the paper filters. Also, many of us know how to measure coffee into filters, pour in hot boil water, and press in the button to get coffee drips. However, not all coffee filters are made equal. Hence, the type of coffee filters you choose for your morning or everyday ritual coffee collides with your overall coffee experiences. Let’s dig right into the different types of filters and how each works with your coffee.
Knowing The Different Types of Coffee Filters
Choosing the right coffee filters can be pretty confusing. It is because choosing the right coffee filter may go beyond sensory experience of the sizes, shapes, aroma, and taste. Thus, by understanding the basic types of coffee filter, you have less of problems of what coffee filter to choose for coffee at home or office.
Paper Filters
Paper filters have often been the most common filter for coffee fanatics because they are affordable and the package allows you to use them for a pretty long time. For many popular opinions, paper filters make coffee thinner and more bearable. Moreover, it only takes a few steps and minutes to brew your coffee. Also, it does not need cleanups but at the same time it produces paper waste.
If you consider having paper filters, you also need to know that many filters available vary from sizes, shapes, layers, and processing. The bleached and unbleached filters as such we need to know well about them to make an informed decision. That answers why there are white papers and brown paper filters. So what is the difference between these two?
- Bleached VS Unbleached
The Bleached filters are basically going under process and later the paper becomes whitened which can be done through a little amount of chlorine. It is still debatable that the chlorine substance for bleaching is unsafe for our environment. But still the bleached filter is ideally opted for a better brew and less issue of papery taste.
Unbleached filters are not naturally bright white. They have a brown look but are more eco-friendly. Another big difference is that if you use an unbleached filter to brew your coffee, you will feel a slight taste of paper in your coffee. But it can be simply solved with a few extra steps. First, place a filter in your coffee maker, second slowly pour hot water to wet the filter, and last use that water from the filter to brew your coffee.
Which one is better; bleached or unbleached filters? You are in your uncertainty. However, despite the greater debate, it significantly comes down to your preference of quality, processing, and environmental impact. The fact is that no matter what filters you choose, neither of them changes the taste of your coffee.
Permanent Coffee Filter
First things first, permanent filters are even more cost-saving than paper filters and especially are environmentally friendly. Although paper filters cost around 3$ per package seem economical, the permanent filter that costs more at a time is a long term investment. With a permanent filter, you can brew your coffee countless times and will never have to worry about replacing filters. Permanent coffee maker filters are available in varieties of materials, shapes, styles, and sizes. For the material, there are cloth, cotton, metal, steel, double-layer mesh, and more. Basket, cone shapes, gold filters are the most picked and reviewed styles of drippers. If you are an individual coffee maniac, you go camping, own a small café, you will find many choices of portable permanent filters on the market.
Brewing your coffee with a permanent filter could probably give a slightly different taste from the paper filters. In an essence some popular opinions justify that coffee brewing through a permanent filter is heavier, darker, and more aromas.
Paper Filters and Permanent Filters in A Nutshell Comparison
Paper Filters
- Flavor profile: light, crisp, bright, sometimes papery
- Wash-up: easy and quick
- Waste paramount: high, paper-waste
Permanent Filters
- Flavor profile: heavy, dark, rich, and aroma
- Wash-up: a few minutes, but some are not easy to clean up
- Waste paramount: zero, eco-friendly
- Long term cost-saving
In a nutshell, no matter whatever filters you choose, you need to be aware that each filter will give slightly different experience overall other than the sensory expectations. In a greater calculation, choosing the right coffee filters also requires you to understand your needs and purpose.
Problem solves! Now you are ready to make informed decisions and are sure what filter to choose for brewing your coffee.
Coffee Filters Without Coffee
You must be wondering what a coffee filter without coffee is. This is going to be the best part of all that you can reap the practical keys take-away from this article.
Did you ever know that rather than just making your coffee, the coffee filters can do a lot more useful things to our daily life? Here are some common and clever ways to use coffee filters without coffee at home.
Paper coffee filters or others can be a very handy household in many ways. Using paper filters to make you coffee is not only economic but you also make them helpful in a lot of ways after the brew. However, most of us probably throw them away after every use.
- Control odors
Having smelly shoes, stinky drawers, or a refrigerator? The used paper coffee filters can control the odors well. All you need to do is add some baking soda into the paper filter and then tight it with a string or rubber band. You can add extra drops of essential oil to keep it fresh and scent.
- Clean your glasses & Dust off your electronic screens
Next time when you clean your glasses, vases, jars, try using a coffee filter instead of a tissue. It is because good quality coffee filters are made from 100% virgin paper, so you can use them to clean up your glasses without leaving lint. Besides, you can use them to safely polish mirrors, TV, and monitor screens. Whether it is your television screen or your phone, coffee filters work as good as almost any special screen-cleansers out there.
Out of cotton wool pads? More than that, for ladies, you can use the paper filters to remove your nails polish. For a quick and brilliant idea without a brush, you can also use a paper filter to polish your shoes shine.
- Serve snacks, bowl
A basket filter does not look handy but we should not take it for granted. It becomes a perfect makeshift bowl for popcorn, candy, chips, and other movie night favorites. You can also add your DIY ideas to make it more unique and romantic.
- Carry messy food
A cone filter has the perfect size for carrying or serving a pita, cookies, or other hot pocket on the go.
- Wrap fruits or glasses materials.
If you think plastic is not safe, next time collect your used paper filters and save for wrapping your fruits and vegetables. That way, they can be kept longer in the fridge or in good quality when delivered. Another thing, it is said that extra protection never hurt. Thus, you can also use a paper filter to wrap your glasses, materials, crafts, and souvenirs. The Christmas ornaments as such, wrap them neatly with paper filters and keep for use next year celebration.
There are many more household uses that you probably have not known or thought of. So keep searching on or doing it yourself with your coffee filters in which it is fun, creative, and saving the earth.
Conclusion
More or less, you came this far to take home what you have not known or what you ever wanted to know about the coffee filters. Whether you are in consideration of choosing a coffee filter or want to dig in what else you can do with your existing filter, we hope we have got you covered. Despite the explanation and comparison, there is no coffee filter the best outweighing the others. No matter what filter you have in mind; they have their own benefits and downsides.
The real overall experience really depends on your preferences, needs, and goals. Still, each filter will leave you with slightly distinctive experience. The best achievement of today is that you have learned some helpful buying guides and brilliant ideas for uses for coffee filters the best you can.
8 Coffee Filter Life Hacks By CrazyRussianHacker
References
- 25 Clever Uses for Coffee Filters That Have Nothing to Do with Coffee| TASTEOFHOME|
- The Complete Guides to Choosing the Right Coffee Filters| ROASTYCOFFEE|
- Difference Between Paper and Permanent Coffee Filters| THESPRUCEEATS| Mariette Mifflin
- The Differences Between Cloth, Paper, and Metal Coffee Filters| JAVAPRESSE| Garrete Orden
