Coffee filters come in various materials, including disposable paper, fabric, and gold-plated filters. They prevent ground coffee from entering the drink, and drip coffee makers typically use them. French presses and percolation types of coffee makers do not require filters. Gold filters can save money over time, but paper filters may result in more flavorful coffee. Unbleached paper filters are a healthier option. In a coffee emergency, a used paper filter can be rinsed and reused once.
Coffee filters come in a variety of different materials, ranging from simple disposable paper filters, to fabric or gold-plated filters that can be washed and used repeatedly. For brewing coffee, coffee filters retain the ground coffee, preventing the ground from entering the coffee. The drink is made by pouring hot water through the coffee filter and grounds.
Not all coffee makers use coffee filters. Percolation types of coffee makers and espresso machines have small metal cups into which the coffee is placed. These tend to do a good job keeping coffee grounds out as well as filters because the holes in the cups that allow the coffee to circulate or flow through are usually too small for the coffee grounds to pass through. French coffee makers also don’t use coffee filters, instead they push the coffee down to the bottom of the pot, so when you pour from a press, little or no grounds end up in the coffee.
Most coffee makers that use coffee filters are drip varieties. The simplest are drip coffee makers, which come in single-sized cups and even large pots. Others are automatic drippers, where again the filter is placed into a conical or round receptacle, then the coffee is placed.
It is important to find the right size coffee filters for your coffee maker. Usually the machine operating directions will tell you exactly what type is needed. The simplest filters are paper, made of bleached white or unbleached paper. These were once the most popular type of filter, but some are concerned about the continued use of paper and deforestation, which has led to the development of both cloth and gold filters.
Fabric filters are a little harder to find. Gold filters can be found in abundance and appear to be made of fine mesh. They may come with your coffee maker, or you may need to purchase one separately. One advantage of gold filters over paper is that you don’t have to keep spending money to buy paper filters. The initial cost is more expensive, but tends to save money over time.
There were some problems with the gold filters and coffee makers like the french press. They cannot leach pesticides and chemicals into the coffee, which are filtered most effectively by paper. You can avoid this somewhat by using organic coffee or switching to paper filters. However, some coffee purists argue that paper filters tend to result in less flavorful coffee, and what’s more, white paper filters can emit chemicals that are just as bad for you. Unbleached paper can help you avoid getting an unhealthy dose of dioxin, which is present in bleached paper.
Another downside to paper filters is that if you run out, you have no way to make coffee. For coffee-drinking veterans, being confronted with no coffee filters in the morning can be a tragic experience. There is a little trick if you are in dire need of a filter and you only have a used one. Carefully drain the coffee from the used paper filter and rinse the filter thoroughly. As long as you do it gently, chances are the filter won’t tear and you can reuse it. Multiple uses are not recommended, but you can usually get away with at least one second use of a paper filter in a “coffee emergency.”
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
