Which Type of Coffee Filter Should You Be Using? | Coffee Science 

What's your go-to filter? Have you thought about trying different types?

It's not possible for there to be a metallic taste in the water from steeping that filter, since that would mean that not only is the water dissolving the stainless steel, but it's doing so at a drastic rate if there are enough metal particles in the water for you to taste them after only four minutes, which it obviously can't do. If it could, things like stainless steel kitchen sinks, cookware, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the top of the Chrysler Building in NYC, wouldn't last very long. In reality, when stainless steel appears to be in contact with water, particularly 300-series like that filter is made of, water doesn't/can't actually touch the stainless steel, because stainless steel is always encased in an invisible passivation layer of chromium oxide which forms a barrier between it and water or oxygen, which is why it's very rust-resistant (exposure to water and oxygen are required for rust to occur). Chromium oxide is insoluble in water, and even if it were soluble in water (which would make it ineffective at protecting stainless steel from rust), it couldn't impart a metallic taste to it because it's not a metal to begin with.

For those concerned about LDL cholesterol (the bad kind,) I learned that paper filters reduce the coffee oils that contribute to LDL. I switched from a Moka Pot and French press to a Chemex and saw my LDL drop significantly over the past year.

Having watched a few of your videos, I especially like your pace, and the thoughtful content. Don't change anything.

Never let a cloth filter dry - it encourages mould and all sorts of off flavours. Best to clean it, put it in water to keep it wet and refrigerate

love the tele

I would have liked you to talk about the impact on brewing times, which seems important to me because besides the porosity of the filter, it is the second component which has a major influence on the taste.

I've mostly used paper, but more recently have been transitioning to cloth as my go to. Paper filters are super convenient, but I like the original V60's which are hard to come by and I seem to go through them pretty quickly. Also I've found that I prefer the cup I get with cloth. The mouthfeel, aromatics, and flavor profile feels like the right balance. I do notice (as you pointed out), there is a strong cloth taste/aroma at least on first use. I've found that it needs more than just one boiling. I actually wash new filters thoroughly a couple times with dish soap, then boiling them twice. I've had better results doing that. Maybe not 100% gone at that point, but too weak to affect the cup. By the way I make my own. You can usually buy a yard of premium quality muslin cloth for around $10. I can make 10-12 filters from that. I just cut them into squares that when folded, roughly match the size of a paper filter. I then use the paper filter to round out the cloth. Although I've never purchased any (e.g. Nel), I imagine that the muslin I use has a tighter weave, and that what you get sits closer to paper filters than to metal (rather than right in between). To use, I just fold it Chemex style and either drop it into a V60 or clip it on to a drip stand. Because they have no stitching and are flat (not shaped into a cone) it's actually much easier to clean, almost like cleaning/rinsing a wash cloth. Also I rotate between 5-6 at a time, so they stay fresher and are more readily available than if I only had one. I then deep clean in bulk, basically just boiling the batch a couple times for 15-20 minutes each. Overall, I would say that it does seem inconvenient and makes a simple cup of coffee more complicated. But I don't mind the additional work because for me, the resulting cup has been superior.

Video: What type of filter should you be using? 9 minutes later: use whatever you want. alrrrrright....

I buy natural/brown filters for my Aeropress. My wife uses a 4-cup automatic coffee maker. She'd use brown filters, but they seem nearly impossible to find. They are available on Amazon for the steep price of $11.30/50, about 21.5¢ ea. By comparison, the bleached filters for the automatic cost $4.80/200, or about 2.5¢ ea.

Thanks! I’ve been using a mesh one because it’s reusable. Maybe I should try paper filters for cleaner coffee to see if I like that better :) thanks for good info!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful video and I agree with another poster, "don't change a thing!" I have been using brown paper filters for years, worried about the bleached ones. What I did not know was that the brown ones can make your coffee taste more like paper. I would love to know if using the bleached coffee filters would have any effect on your health.

good presentation. Some brand recommendations would be helpful.

Last month I purchased a Farber Ware perculator. I have been fitting a regular bleached coffee filter by folding it, cutting a hole in the middle and then wetting After the Brewing is completed the coffee is diluted. I even use fine ground espresso. The regular grind ( courser) coffee was even more diluted. Is there an extremely thin coffee filter that keeps the cholesterol and the chemicals out? Thanks😊

Mmmm!!! Coffee filter tea!! My favorite. I’m on a natural brown filter diet tho!

With reusable filters it's important to examine how likely the filter is to clog. I have used metal pour overs that are unusable after a year due to coffee particulate getting jammed in the filters.

Thanks for the video! Aside from taste, etc. is bleached more harmful compared to unbleached paper filter or they are the same?

Awesome

Thank you for your coffee filter analysis. It is very informative. However, I think, the rate of water running through the filter is more crucial in affecting the taste of the coffee. The faster-running filter will give you a more acidic taste.

wonder how the bamboo Melitta filters compare. Next consider repeating this but using coffee and yeah "blinding"

I personally use a paper filter inside of a cloth filter so it removes more of the oils yet does not have all the hassle of cleaning the grounds out of a cloth filter.

Ran out of coffee filters and used a paper towel and I noticed it filtered a lot more oils and micro particles than a proper coffee filter. How can that be?

Comment Coffee ☕ every time he say's filter.

I thought the video was going to involve actual coffee. brewing.

*Armenian/Greek/Turkey coffee laughs at this video**

I can't believe the first reusable filter, wire mesh.