12 Best Coffee Filters of 2021

You can spend a lot of cash getting the perfectly roasted beans and a top-notch grinder and a lot of time mastering the brewing technique, but if your coffee does not run through the correct filter, it will still not come out right.

Finding the best coffee filter might not sound like a priority for many coffee drinkers, but if you are serious about getting your brews right, the filter should be a key element.

Filters will not only trap the coffee grinds but also absorb the oils in the coffee and hence determine everything from the strength of the coffee to its flavor. And this is regardless of the brewing method that you are using.

A good coffee filter is one that will deliver flavorful beverages and is also convenient and budget-friendly. In this piece, we explain the important things to consider when choosing a filter and also provide recommendations by reviewing 12 top-rated coffee filter models.

12 Best Coffee Filters – Review

• Size: #4
• Material: Paper

These top rated coffee filters by Melitta are designed to ensure that you get rich and flavorful coffee and that you will never end up with grinds in your coffee.

What makes them great for enhancing the coffee flavor is the fact that they include some micro perforations designed to ensure you get maximum flavors from the grinds by allowing some of the oils to pass through.

Also, there are some handy measurement markings that will make it easy to pour the right amount of grounds without using measuring tools.

Users will also love the double crimped seal as it has been designed to ensure that the filter will not burst so that you never end up with grinds in your cup of coffee.

These paper filters are not pure bamboo as they are made with about 60% bamboo, but they are still more eco-friendly than most others that use other kinds of papers, and so this should not be a significant concern for the environment-friendly coffee drinkers.

• Size: #2
• Material: Paper

With a total of 700 filters in the pack, it will be a long time before you need to buy paper filters with these ones by Connaisseur Rockline.

Besides being cheap, these filters are also effective in filtering as they will deliver a sediment-free coffee. And despite trapping most of the oils, the coffee that you get is still full-bodied.

Also, the filters have a textured design that will be very useful in keeping them in place when making coffee as they will hardly ever drop down even when full of coffee grounds.

These filters are quite thin which might be a turn off for some coffee lovers, but the good news is that they are still effective in trapping sediments, and for a single use filter, the thinness should not be a big concern.

• Size: #1
• Material: Paper

For the many coffee aficionados that prefer to make their beverage using the pour over method, these paper filters will be perfect.

What makes them some of the best paper coffee filters for pour over is that they come in a perfect cone shape and will fit most pour-over setups perfectly and remain in place even when full of grinds.

These paper filters also offer an excellent price per piece and the pack will include 100 pieces to ensure you have enough for several weeks.

The flow rate is also perfect and the thick and strong construction will ensure that the paper filter will not burst when making coffee.

Given that these paper filters are made from natural paper, coffee can sometimes have a slight paper taste, but this is an easy problem to fix by first wetting the filter with hot water before you start making coffee.

• Size: #4
• Material: Cloth

While different types of coffee filters come with their advantages, the cloth paper filter like this organic one by Bolio tries to offer most of the advantages that you get from others like paper and metal filters.

The cloth filter is made from an organic hemp material with a natural resistance to mildew and bacteria to make it safer to use and has a lot to offer besides being more eco-friendly.

This easy to use filter can be reused hundreds of times which this saves you money. But the best thing about it is that it will trap even the micro coffee chips and still allow most of the coffee oils to pass through. And so you will always end up with more flavorful and richer coffee.

Also, unlike many other cloth filters, it has a cone shape that makes it great for pour-over coffee making and will fit most pour over coffee makers.

For a one-piece coffee filter pack, it might look a little pricier but the fact is that it is reusable and will save you more cash in the long run as it will be a long time before you need a replacement filter.

• Size: #6
• Material: Paper

Chemex is one of the most famous coffeemaker manufacturers, and you can always trust them to have top-notch coffee filters for their coffee makers. These classic filters have been designed for their popular pour over coffee makers and will give you an easier time when making coffee.

The well-made paper filter uses a thicker material that helps to keep bitter elements out of your coffee and will ensure you always end up with a brighter and grounds-free coffee.

This widely compatible coffee filters will fit most other cone-shaped filter coffee makers, and they come pre-folded to make them more convenient for users.

Besides being a little pricier per piece, there is almost no other shortcoming with these coffee filters, but given that they are a top-notch quality product from a reputable brand, you can be sure they will be worth the extra cost.

• Size: #4
• Material: Paper

Bunn 6001 is a commercial grade coffee filter that will be perfect for those that want something that can make larger volumes of coffee at a go.

These are highly durable paper filters that offer a highly consistent filtration and when using them, you can always be sure of ending up with clean and flavorful coffee.

Also, the thicker paper material used to make is designed to be more resistant to common paper filter problems such as tearing and shredding even when wet.

These filters will also not overflow even when filled with grounds to the top, and the flow rate should also be good enough for most coffee lovers.

Despite this being the priciest filter option among our coffee filter reviews, it still offers a great value given that it is a 500 piece pack.

• Size: #4
• Material: Paper

With a faster flow and more efficient filtration, this Mr. Coffee basket filter will not only give you an easy time when filtering but also deliver a clearer and more flavorful coffee.

The fact that it is also biodegradable and compostable also helps to make these some of the best coffee filters as it means they will be more eco-friendly.

Also, they will be useful for almost all coffee drinkers because their design and size allow them to fit most basket-style coffee makers. And the fact that they also make coffee with zero overflows is an added bonus.

These paper filters are quite thin and hence easier to rip when wet which can cause a mess, but this should be an easy problem to fix by simply dumping the filter out directly from the basket without lifting it.

• Material: Plastic/metal

Keurig brewers make some amazing coffee and are also some of the most convenient ones. But, if you want to enhance your brewing experience when using one of these brewers, you need good filters like these ones by Fill N Save.

They are some of the best reusable coffee filters out there thanks to their durable and BPA-free plastic and stainless steel micro mesh materials. And they are also widely compatible filters that will fit most K-carafe brewers.

The filters have been designed to be straightforward to use and come in a sturdy and leak-proof design to ensure you never end up with grinds in your coffee, and they are also dishwasher safe to simplify cleanup.

The deeper design of these filters might come with many advantages, but it also means that cleanup will take extra effort as the grounds are hard to get out. However, tapping it a little on the side of the sink and rinsing it under the kitchen faucet should solve the problem.

• Size: 3.5 inches
• Material: Paper

Being the cheapest item among our coffee filter reviews, these Melitta disc filters are designed to ensure you can still get top quality coffee filter without spending a lot of cash.

Besides the affordable price tag, these are also high-quality filters that do not have any chlorine, and there are plenty of them on the pack to ensure you have enough for several weeks.

The filters are designed to work on almost all percolators, and they are super easy to use and will deliver a rich and great tasting beverage that is less bitter as they will trap most of the oils that cause bitterness in coffee.

While these coffee filters might not make coffee completely grounds-free, you can be certain that the coffee will have way much fewer grinds than what you get when using filters from other brands.

• Size: 5-10 cups
• Material: Metal

Many coffee lovers prefer to use metal filters as they are more economical and environment-friendly. Besides this, with this stainless steel filter by Barista Warrior, you also get more filtration efficiency.

It is made from a high-quality laser cut fine mesh that offers dual filtration to ensure you end up with fewer grinds on your coffee.

The coffee filter is also widely compatible with most pour over coffee makers, and it will deliver better tasting and more flavorful coffee as it allows all the oils and nutrients to pass through.

There is also a non-slip silicone ring at the top to keep it more stable, and it is also dishwasher-safe to make clean up easier.

Like many other fine mesh filters with dual filtration, this filter seems to clog a little too easily, but the good news is unclogging is also super easy as you only need to run hot water through it.

• Size: 6-12 cups
• Material: Metal

As you shop for the best metal coffee filter, you will need to consider everything from the build quality and filtration efficiency to its ability to keep grounds out of coffee. EZway's Universal Gold Tone delivers all this and much more.

The top-notch quality permanent filter is made from a highly durable stainless steel material, and it is oval shaped and stretchable to fit everything from basket to the conical-shaped machines.

Because the filter does not trap the nutrients and oils, it will always deliver rich and full-bodied coffee. Also, the closely woven design ensures that you end up with fewer residues in your coffee, and the stronger grip ensures it will remain in place.

This coffee filter will still not fit some coffee makers given that it does not have a universal fit, but the good news is that it will fit most of the common and standard size coffee makers.

• Material: Paper

It is always nice to have an easy way of making coffee on the go, and with these disposable single-serve filters by TrulyAll, getting your caffeine-fix should be an effortless task.

These are compact and more travel-friendly coffee filters that will be perfect for everything from hiking to camping and regular travels.

They are made from highly durable material with ultra-fine non-woven fibers to ensure that you always get more flavorful coffee that is sediment-free.

Also, these filters are more straightforward to use, and you can also use them to brew directly over your coffee mug and they will be ideal for both coffee and tea.

Filtration seems a little slow with these filters as they have some ultra-fine woven fibers, but if you want a relatively faster flow rate, you can try adjusting your coffee grinds to something coarser.

How to Buy the Best Coffee Filter

Given that your choice of coffee filter will affect everything from the coffee flavor and taste to the coffee making experience, you cannot afford to make the wrong decision.

But, the good news is that there are several types and models of filters in the market for all kinds of coffee making methods. And to choose the best you only need to take the following factors into account.

1. Bleached or Unbleached Coffee Filter

There is always a passionate debate ongoing among coffee lovers on whether to use bleached or unbleached coffee filters.

While there are as many coffee lovers that swear by the unbleached filters, there are those that cannot use anything besides the bleached filters. Understanding how they differ should help you make a more informed choice

Bleached Coffee Filters

The popular white colored filters are a result of bleaching given that the natural color of the paper is brown. To make the bleached filters, the paper is either chlorine or oxygen bleached.

Oxygen-bleached filters are more environment-friendly than the chlorine bleached ones. But, generally bleached filters pollute the environment more than the unbleached types.

Unbleached Coffee Filters

Unbleached coffee filters will not have that striking white appearance of the bleached types, but they are a more natural and environment-friendly product.

When discarded, these paper filters will break-down without adding chemicals into the ground. However, they can give your coffee a slight paper taste if you do not wet them before you start brewing.

2. Types of Coffee Filters

Before getting to the point of choosing between the bleached and unbleached paper filters, you will first need to pick between three common types of coffee filters which are paper, metal and cloth filters.

Paper

Paper filters are what comes to mind when you think of making coffee, and this is rightfully so given that they are the most common. These are tightly woven and highly absorbent filters that will trap even the smallest grinds and most of the oils in the coffee.

While the paper filters will give you a grounds-free beverage, they will also trap most of the flavorful oils and this leaves you with a thinner and milder drink.

However, paper filters also make clean up easy as you only need to dump the entire filter with the grinds in it. But, while this can be convenient, it also means that the coffee making process will produce a lot of paper waste.

Metal

Metal paper filters will not be finely weaved like the paper filter, and so they will allow most of the oils to pass through for a stronger and more flavorful coffee. But, this also means they will not catch the tiny grinds, and so they can end up in your cup of coffee.

These filters are also washable and reusable which makes them more cost-effective and environment-friendly.

However, despite being highly durable, metal filters can be tedious to clean because they trap grinds, but a thorough rinse in a tap should do the trick.

Cloth

Cloth coffee filters might not be as common as the paper or metal filters but they are still widely available and an incredible choice.

In a nutshell, cloth filters will give you the best of both worlds as they are finely weaved to trap all the grounds but will barely absorb the coffee oils.

When using a cloth filter, the resulting brew is clean and sediment-free and with rich aromas, that come from the oils.

Cloth filters are more durable than the paper filters as they can be reused but not as long-lasting as the metal types. And they are more tedious to maintain as they have to be washed between brews.

3. Size

While coffee filters will come in different sizes, the right one for you will depend on your brewing method and size of the coffee maker you will be using.

Note that for coffee making methods like the pour-over, the paper filter has to be the right size to accommodate enough grounds and ensure a nice flow.

The size of the filter also matters when using metal filters for brewing methods like French press as the filter has to be the right dimensions to work with the plunger and beaker. But, most coffee makers will include descriptions of the right filter size to use.

Paper filters which are the most common types will come in 4 common sizes which are #1, #2, #4 and 6. The size is often measured according to the top diameter. For example, #1 size filters are those with a top diameter of around 2-1/4 inches.

4. Eco-Friendliness

You also need to think about eco-friendliness when choosing a filter. While paper filters might be biodegradable, they will only be used once which means that they involve a lot of dumping and many will end up in landfills.

Also, the bleached paper filters undergo extra manufacturing which means they have chemicals that will leach into the ground when they end up in landfills.

Metal or mesh filters, on the other hand, are reusable and most will last for many years while cloth filters will only be used a few times before discarding.

In general, metal filters are often the most environment-friendly while the paper filter are the least and cloth filters are somewhere in between the two.

Conclusion

No matter what coffee-making method you prefer, using the right filter makes a huge difference on the coffee quality and taste that you get. And so you should never settle for anything short of the best coffee filters.

And to choose the best ones from the many options out there, you will need to decide on the type to use and also consider other factors like the size, environment-impact, and the cost.

In this piece, we have made things even easier for you as we not only explain the important factors to consider but also go further and provide some fantastic recommendations with our in-depth top 12 coffee filter reviews.