DIY coffee maker filter

Why do you need a filter for a coffee maker?

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks all over the world; many people today cannot imagine the morning without a cup of this wonderful, invigorating and tonic.

Modern industry has stepped forward to meet humanity and has simplified the process of creating this drink as much as possible, releasing many machines for making coffee. At home, coffee makers with filters are very popular, as this is the simplest design for obtaining an excellent aromatic drink.

It consists of two containers: Cold water is poured into one, and prepared coffee flows into the second. After turning on the coffee maker, water enters the tube and is heated and turned into steam. Naturally, the vapors rush up the tube and condensate forms at the very end, which has the optimal temperature required for welding, namely 95–96 degrees Celsius. Then this condensate enters the filter, where the pre-filled ground product is located. And this is where ordinary water is transformed into a wonderful and beloved drink - a process called brewing.

It is worth noting that the final result will depend on the quality of the filter.We can safely conclude that the filter in a coffee machine is one of the key parts important for imparting shades and taste to your favorite drink.

Making filters at home

But in life there is always a place for unforeseen circumstances. It may happen that your machine works, but coffee does not come out because the filter element has failed.

There can be a lot of reasons for this: starting from a banal manufacturing defect and ending with ordinary wear and tear “from old age”. So, let's look at what you can do for a coffee maker at home and think about how you can replace the filter material.

From paper

The first and easiest way - this is the creation of a paper filter, since there is no doubt about its availability in the household (paper, napkins, paper towels).

Important! It is necessary to understand that not any paper product is suitable in this case. The first thing you need to pay attention to is that the sheet does not contain any printed matter or drawings, since printing materials often use materials that are harmful or even dangerous for human health, be careful! The second important aspect that needs to be remembered before creating a manual filter is the ability of paper to pass water through itself, so if you take a very dense material, the time it takes for it to pass water through itself can increase very significantly. Or, on the contrary, if you take low-quality cellulose products with too low a density, then, most likely, your newly made filter will simply “disintegrate” from exposure to water rather than perform filtration. Choose something in between for the best cleaning performance.

Reference! Test your sample to see how it reacts with water before you make a filter out of it.

It is worth noting here that it will be convenient to use thick paper napkins or towels as a material. But preference should still be given to high-quality paper towels, since this product is highly porous, and as a result, water passes through it very quickly, trapping large particles. By the way, cutting towels is also very convenient and can be applied to a coffee maker of any size.

From fabric

If you don’t have the paper you need on hand, you can use the second option - these are filters made from all kinds of fabrics (cotton towels, sheets, gauze, bandage).

For example, cotton towels will do a great job of cleaning up your brewed coffee.

Important! It’s also worth paying attention to the fact that towels and sheets can have different colors and, when exposed to high temperatures, can also add unwanted chemical elements to your drink. For better and safer filtration, try to use white or lightly colored materials. An ideal option would be a medical gauze bandage or regular gauze. But due to their specificity, it is advisable to use them in several layers for better cleaning.

Important! The bandage must be rinsed before using it for the first time as a filter material, otherwise you risk getting an interesting “medicinal” taste.

It is worth saying that no fabric will retain all the coffee grounds, but for some connoisseurs of this drink this fact is more of an advantage than a disadvantage, since the coffee will be brighter and richer in aroma.

From nylon

The third option for creating a cleaning filter with your own hands is very unusual, since the material for this product is women's nylon tights. Using them, you will get good results, since they pass water very quickly and filter coffee grounds well. Interestingly, they can be used repeatedly.

Metal filter

And the last option for a home cleaning filter for a coffee maker is to use metal strainers from teapots.

The disadvantage of this method is that the strainers themselves are very small, quickly clog and slowly allow the filtered liquid to pass through. Usually, after using them, this unique drink turns out to have a very weak taste and one might even say simple, it loses its charm.

Disadvantages of homemade filters

But when using the above materials as a filter, you need to understand that this is a temporary solution, although a very convenient one, since you don’t need to wash it after this procedure, you just have to throw it away.

Such devices do not fully perform their functions, so you should not delay purchasing a filter, which can be found in any household appliance store; they are both reusable and disposable.