 |
|
BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters switch from disposable to reusable filters, in a year we'll save enough paper to fill 127 burlap coffee bean sacks.
COCKTAIL FACT
Hawaii is the only U.S. state that produces coffee.
| SAVE TO MY BITES |  |
FORWARD TO A FRIEND:
RATE THIS TIP:
How useful is this tip to you?
(5 is the highest)
home › tip library › Coffee Filters
It's 7 a.m. - did you forget to pick up coffee filters yesterday?
The Bite
Brew-tal. We know some Americanos who start getting frothy at the mouth without their morning cappuccino. Mocha better choice for yourself and the planet, and pick up a reusable filter.The Benefits
- It's grande for the earth. Paper trash (such as regular coffee filters) takes up 40% of landfill space, and the chlorine used to bleach most filters lets off carcinogenic dioxins.
- A thriftier cuppa. Regular paper coffee filters cost only about $10 for a year's supply, but reusable filters save you money in the long run.
- Not taking a latte your time. Reusable options are easy to clean.
Personally Speaking
Jen's used a reusable single-serve coffee filter for her morning cup since her coffeemaker went haywire one morning, and she hasn't looked back since.Wanna Try?
- Swissgold One Cup Brew Filter - this single-serve filter is made from plastic but doesn't require any energy ($18).
- Mr. Coffee Permanent Filter - fits most 10-12 cup basket-style coffeemakers, comes with a 10-year warranty, and can go in the dishwasher. Also: a cone style ($10-$15).
- Hemp Cone Coffee Filter - easy-rinse hemp-cloth filters to fit any cone-filter coffeemaker ($5).
- Green Mountain Paper Basket Filters - if you wanna stay with paper, try ones bleached without chlorine and packaged in recycled paper. Also: cone filters in sizes 2 and 4 ($2/100).
May 28,2008
Sponsor
All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
A Legal High
From last week's Economist:
"THIS drug is peddled on every street corner in America, and is found in every country in the world. It is psychoactive, a stimulant and addictive. Users say that it increases alertness and focus, and reduces fatigue. But the high does not last and addicts must keep consuming it in increasing quantities."
Take a guess at what drug they're talking about...
-Toshio...off to get high...
Biter Comments...
I compost my paper filters too, and I buy them unbleached.
we have been using reusable filers for a long time. never had any problems with drains clogging since we dump the grounds into the compost (one good whack on the side of the can and almost all the grounds come out, leaving very little rinsing). But we have just recently switch to a french press coffee pot with NO filter of any kind required, although there is a bit more rinsing required. the coffes tastes so much better too!
I have a coffee maker that came with a reusable gold filter. Unfortunately my apartment in the city does not have a compost area (though I'm working on it), nor do I have a disposal. As a result, the rinsing of the leftover grounds has caused my drains to drain slower.
I've tried sending boiling water down there, with limited success. Bleach (not green-friendly, I know) works slightly better at clearing the clogs.. but other suggestions would be welcome.
Filter-less coffee makers may create less waste, but the coffee they produce can also raise cholesterol, so they are not an option for people with high cholesterol already.
I got an organic cotton reusable filter handmade by this awesome Etsy seller:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11494128
I just scrape the grounds into the compost container and rinse the rest with a little bit of cold water. It's not big deal and does not clog my pipes.
Beth
I've had a problem with fine grounds filtering through reusable filters... I really don't like the swirl of grounds at the bottom of my cup!
My (unbleached) paper filters all go with the grounds into the compost...
OR you could get a french press coffee maker and skip the filter altogether. It saves on electricity and you can just stick it in the cupboard when you're done with it. no giant noisy coffee maker taking up space on the counter.
I have a well rather than city water. The water is yummy but full of minerals and hardness. I have to use a perk coffee pot as the drip kind clogg up within a few days...so hence no filter worries. In the past, I used a hemp cloth filter...worked fine (until the machine gunked up with hard water which no amount of vinegar could fix).
I've used disposable filters since I was about 16, (yep,loved coffee even then)I'm 31, and last Christmas my husband and I were shopping for Christmas stuff, and we were looking at coffee makers and all that because ours is old, regular no bells or whistles. Anyway to make a long story longer, we saw the reusable coffee filters, we needed to buy filters anyway. My hubby said he's used the reusables before and they're great. I was a little skeptical, I was thinking messy, ugh, cause I usually make the coffee, but we bought one anyway. I WILL NEVER GO BACK, NEVER I SAY, to disposable filters. I take the reusable, dump all the grounds in the garbage, making sure I got most of them, then I wash it in the sink. we have a disposal and I just make sure I run that after dumping what little there is left. I will never go back to yucky paper filters, if you don't dry the holder well enough the filters get wet and decide to move around, etc. Anyway. I've said enough, but GO Reusable COFFEE FILTERS, best thing that's ever happened to me, ( well except the birth of my son) but you get the idea.
First I want to say the we use a reusable filter in our coffee maker. Then dump the grounds in the compost. But there is some rinsing to be done afterwards. I use a cup of baking soda and white vinegar down the drain followed by a pot of boiling water to clear clogs. It has been very successful for the tub drain as well.
Secondly we have been purchasing our coffee from a local roaster who switched the packaging to a 100% biodegradable & compost-able one. Versus the aluminum/plastic? stuff we are use to . It doesn't keep coffee fresh for long. So you have to put in a air tight container. But at least you know that the packaging you throw away isn't going to sit in a land fill for the next century.
Plus there coffee is you plain delicious.
www.centralcoffeeroasters.com
There was an Ideal Bite daily tip to use a French Press instead of a coffee maker, and I've been using that, pretty much ever since, and I say: French Press all the way!
The funny thing about coffee is that it meets all of those criteria, yet I don't think anyone has ever killed or robbed to get it. However, given how some of the people I know act without coffee, maybe I'm wrong.
One thing about coffee vs. cigarettes (which also meet the criteria) is that I've never seen reports that cigarettes are good for your health, but I see reports all the time claiming coffee can be good for you.
Who knows...
Nick from Avvo
free legal advice
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Susan | May 28, 2008 at 05:53 AM