Coffee has been a popular drink around the world for hundreds of years, helping people to wake up each morning, get a much-needed afternoon boost, or relax with friends over a cup and desert.
The first thing to choose is whether you want to use a basket-shaped filter or a cone-shaped filter. Basket-shaped filters allow the water to filter over the coffee grinds more evenly and also allows the water to spend more time in contact with the grinds. Cone shaped filters are better at preventing the coffee grinds from spillage and make for an easier clean up.
The next component of choosing the perfect coffee filter for your coffee machine is to select either a metal coffee filter, a paper coffee filter, or a cloth coffee filter. The most commonly used filter is the paper type. They are very inexpensive for a large pack and can be used easily. Once you are done brewing your cup of coffee, you can simply throw away and replace with a new one. However, the drawback of this type of coffee filter is that some coffee aficionados believe that the paper’s absorption affects the flavoring of the brewed coffee. Additionally, environmentalists are not supporters of the paper coffee filter, as it contributes to excess waste. Paper coffee filters are available in bleached and unbleached paper. Many consumers have become concerned about the health risks associated with using bleached paper, and the unbleached version provides a solution to this problem. Metal coffee filters are a good choice due to their durability, as most are made from stainless steel. This type of filter does require a bit of cleaning up: rinsing between each coffee brewing and a periodical heavier cleaning to remove any coffee or mineral build-up. Cloth coffee filters, although the least popular, allow the coffee’s natural oils to seep through and are also quite environmentally friendly.
Once you have selected the perfect coffee filter, you will have to decide which type of coffee machine to use, as there are quite a number on the market. If you typically only brew coffee for yourself, you may want to consider a small four-cup model. These are great space savers and you will no longer have to worry about brewing too much coffee and having it go to waste. Another option is to buy a model with many bells and whistles, such as automatic shut-off and programming to have your coffee automatically start brewing each morning at a certain time. Additionally, you may consider a version that has a built in coffee grinder, to always give you the freshest cup of coffee.
By spending a little time deciding on the perfect coffee filter and coffee machine, you will be well-equipped to brewing the perfect cup of coffee.
