Let’s talk about how coffee filters can be reused because people ask how to make coffee with the least possible environmental impact.
You must have heard the problems of solid waste production due to coffee capsules. Now, I tell you about the incredible uses and reuse of coffee filters, to continue enjoying your cup while you collaborate with the environment.
Are Coffee Filters Reusable?
It is worth clarifying that there are coffee filters made of paper, metal, cloth, and plastic. In principle, the use of paper as a filter occurred in the chemical industry. But its inventor was Melitta Bentz who used it to lessen the bitter taste of coffee.
Coffee is an ingredient that despite staining the paper can be rinsed from the filter, left in a condition to be reused in a coffee extraction or some other use. As you will see, paper filters are thin, absorbent, but resistant. It is made of vegetable fiber, generally conical in shape and white in color, and may well be used for other purposes.
Bleached Filter Paper And Non-Bleached Filter Paper
The first thing that comes to mind that which is the best filter that you should buy? Anyone passionate about coffee must have listened to the bleached and non-bleached filters.
Bleached filter papers have undergone the process that makes them white as you know that raw paper is not white. Bleached filter papers are processed and are also not good for the environment. They are discarded for use in the making of coffee.
On the other hand, non-bleached filter papers are raw and haven’t gone through the manufacturing process. There is one important thing that you need to be reminded of. When you strain your coffee through non-bleached filter paper it will end up having some taste of paper with it. To avoid this from happening, you should follow some ground rules. That is, you should place your filter paper in a coffee maker and then pour over some quantity of water to make it wet and after that, strain the coffee.
Reuse The Coffee Filters
Without fear of being insensitive to the palate of exquisite connoisseurs, I tell them that coffee filter can be reused in several extractions before discarding them. Paper filters stand up to various uses, even when damp. Here you have the first idea to reuse the coffee filters.
In the morning after making your coffee, you remove the grounds (I’ll tell you later what to do with this too). You rinse it with plenty of water, removing any residue, and let it hang to dry to drain the excess water.
The next day you will find it dry and ready to be reused in your coffee maker.
Benefits Of The Coffee Filters
Taking too much coffee might be not good for your health. Coffee contains many other harmful substances. One of them is Cafestol, which is known for raising the blood cholesterol level in the body as you are up for the usage of the coffee filter which is specially made of paper. That might help in straining the cafestol from the coffee.
Let’s talk about the cost, if you want some inexpensive coffee then permanent coffee filter paper is preferable. On the other side, if you want some oil-free and less fatty coffee then a paper filter is good for your health.
Other Uses Of The Coffee Filter
The paper coffee filter can be reused to filter another type of liquid in the kitchen, such as used oil or undesirable residues in some other drink, such as when the teabag breaks during the infusion. So for that, you can put some loose tea in the middle of the filter paper. That will be served as a homemade teabag.
- The essential use of the filter paper is that you can put them between the fragile plates to protect them from scratching.
- They serve as the packaging of aromatic species to make home air fresheners, you close it by tying a ribbon or placing room purifiers.
- Believe it or not, used paper filters are ideal for polishing black or brown shoes.
- If you remember the benefits of coffee masks and their repairing effect, you will not hesitate to use a used coffee filter to relax and beautify your skin.
- Well washed and dried, you can recycle coffee filters to make garlands or for children to reuse in their crafts, art projects, or DIY.
- On the other hand, if you love gardening and keep watering your plants, but whenever you water your plants that dirt and mud come out with the water. If you put some filter paper in the mud it will lessen the dirt.
What Can Be Done With The Coffee Leftovers?
The coffee grounds or residue can be used to make a facial mask, some use it to exfoliate certain areas of the skin. Instead of throwing it away, the coffee residues serve as fertilizer for the plants.
Put it together and mix it with the potting soil and you will soon see an improvement in its leaves.
Finally, you can also choose to use different methods of preparation of coffee such as the espresso machines, the French press, the metal filters, or fabric, such as the average coffee, the Italian or Moka coffee; as well as those for portable use such as the AeroPress.
After all these things, one of the best things that you can do is to make coffee candles. If you love coffee, you’ll be enjoying making coffee candles at home with the coffee leftovers. When you add the candle-melted mixture with the coffee leftovers after molded into the candles and when they burn up, they give light with aromatic coffee fumes.
How Many Times Coffee Filters Will Be Used?
There are no such rules about the usage of the filters again and again. The most important thing is that filters can be used not more than four or five times.
I am an Italian coffee lover that pushed for the love of this “amazing drug” decided to come to London to study about coffee and its different extraction procedures and tastes.
