How to Choose Filter Paper for Pour-Over Coffee?

With their myriad shapes and designs, different filter cups often become subjects of comparison. This easily leads to one problem: overlooking the crucial role of the filter paper—the true workhorse of filtration.

Although filter paper represents a small portion of the investment in pour-over coffee, the right filter paper can significantly impact coffee flavor. Popular terms we often hear like "fit" and "paper taste" are closely related to filter paper. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will share how to select the right filter paper!

Filter Paper Shapes and Styles

Currently, the most popular filter paper styles on the market are mainly divided into three types: conical filter paper, fan-shaped filter paper, and flat-bottom filter paper!

We can select the appropriate filter paper based on the filter cups we use. For example, conical filter cups like V60 and Kono use conical filter paper; fan-shaped filter cups such as Melitta and Kalita use fan-shaped filter paper; flat-bottom filter cups use flat-bottom filter paper. There are also special filter cups like Origami that can accommodate both conical and flat-bottom filter papers.

Filter Paper Sizes

Typically, when purchasing filter cups and filter papers, we see numerical indicators like 01, 02, which correspond to the size of the equipment! 01 represents small filter cups/papers for 1-2 servings, while 02 represents large filter cups/papers for 3-4 servings.

Using small filter paper in large filter cups can easily lead to overfilling with water during brewing, causing coffee liquid and grounds to overflow from the filter paper and drip into the lower pot. Conversely, using large filter paper in small filter cups can affect the pouring method and create inconvenience. Therefore, when purchasing filter paper, it's essential to consider the size of your filter cup!

Unbleached vs. Bleached

This is the most controversial aspect when selecting filter paper. As the name suggests, it refers to the raw materials used to make the filter paper. Both are made from virgin wood pulp, with one being bleached and the other unbleached. Unbleached filter paper is direct-from-production paper that hasn't undergone bleaching. While using it doesn't raise health concerns, it has one major disadvantage: too much paper taste! Without thorough rinsing with hot water, the paper taste will infuse into the coffee, creating undesirable flavors. Therefore, to preserve the "original taste" of coffee, most people avoid unbleached filter paper.

As mentioned above, bleached filter paper is also made from virgin wood pulp. It doesn't have much paper taste (or none at all), allowing it to effectively preserve the coffee's original flavor. However, because it's bleached, people often worry about potential toxicity. In reality, with technological advancements, many major brands use advanced enzymatic bleaching, which utilizes bioactive enzymes for the bleaching process! This is a technology widely used in the medical field, so the level of harm can be considered negligible.

Filter Paper Texture

Different brands produce filter papers with varying textures! For example, FrontStreet Coffee once purchased a Spanish-made filter paper that cost about 3 yuan per sheet—ten times more expensive than the commonly used Kono filter paper! These papers perform differently in terms of softness and flow rate.

Interested friends can purchase several popular filter papers on the market to compare and find the texture that suits their brewing preferences. As for FrontStreet Coffee, we tend to prefer softer textures with faster flow rates. Just follow your preferences!

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FrontStreet Coffee

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