When it comes to hand-brewed coffee, the first thing that comes to our mind is to use a combination of filter cup + filter paper, but in hand-brewed coffee, the filtering equipment is more than that.

In addition, there are also coffee filter cloths and coffee filter nets. So what effects do these three different coffee filter devices have on the taste of coffee? Let's discuss it together!

01 Coffee filter paper

When it comes to brewing coffee, paper filters are probably the first choice of filter that comes to mind, and can be found in most household cupboards. Paper filters are tightly woven and highly absorbent, so they will filter out most of the oils and fines. This is both a good thing and a bad thing.

Without oils and fines, the coffee will have a light and clean taste, making it a more approachable beverage without sediment.

But without these substances, coffee will lose some of its flavor and aroma; the lack of fine powder will make the acidity in the coffee more obvious and stronger.

Paper filters were invented at a time when people could only drink bad coffee. Today, paper filters have become the most common coffee filter. Many coffee drinkers find that paper filters make coffee thinner and easier to taste, so people enjoy the light, crisp, bright and clean taste of coffee after brewing.

Filter paper is the first choice for many people, and it is also very easy to clean up. You just need to throw them in the trash. Although it is convenient, it will produce a lot of waste paper.

02 Metal filter

Metal coffee filters have the exact opposite characteristics as paper coffee filters, as the finely woven paper filter is designed to absorb the natural oils and fines, so some of these fines and oils will appear in the final coffee.

Coffee's natural oils contain most of the more than 800 flavors in coffee, and these small and subtle taste differences are almost unnoticeable, but they greatly enhance the overall flavor experience of coffee. When coffee oils are present, many aromas and flavors can be identified, including blueberry, rose and many lighter, sweeter aromas.

Fine powder will make your coffee taste stronger, you will feel the mellowness in the coffee, but the taste of the coffee will lose its purity and cleanliness. Fine powder cannot completely reduce the acidity of coffee, but it will indeed reduce your taste buds' perception of the sharp and stimulating acidity.

Sometimes, when using a metal filter to make coffee, you will find a thin layer of fine powder sediment at the bottom of your cup after drinking the coffee.

Don't worry, this is completely harmless and you don't need to drink it if you don't like the gritty taste.

03 Coffee filter cloth

Flannel cloth is the least common of the three types of filters. Its fine woven texture captures all coffee grounds, even tiny fines, but it is less absorbent and does not absorb water or coffee oils.

Coffee made with flannel filter cloth has a clean taste without any sediment, and you can feel the rich aroma of aromatics and high perceived acidity in the oil. The oil that is not filtered clean will increase the mellowness of the taste.

The filters need to be cleaned several times after each brew to ensure that the oils and fines of the coffee are cleaned and that there is no rag smell. Technically, they can be used for more than 100 brews before they need to be replaced.