Should you use a paper filter or stainless steel filter? While your answer will majorly depend on your preference, this blog post will focus on why you should opt for a stainless steel coffee filter as opposed to a paper filter.
Cost
Using paper filters will eventually cost more in the long run than if you were to use stainless steel coffee filters. A paper filter may cost as little as a $0.10. However, assuming that you only use one filter per day to brew a cup of coffee, then over the course of a year you may end up spending between $18.25 and $36.50. These figures may double or triple if you use multiple paper filters every day.
A stainless steel filter on the other hand is reusable and one can last for more than seven years and costs between $6 and $60. Therefore, using a stainless steel metal filter offsets the amount of money you would have spent on paper filters and you will never run out of coffee filters when using stainless steel filters.
Taste, quality and appearance
Paper filters are finer than stainless steel filters. They trap most of the coffee oils and capture the micro fines. Micro fines are the smallest particles you can find in coffee. Thus, the outcome of using a paper filter is a lighter cup of coffee in flavor and appearance (more translucent).
A stainless steel filter is not as fine enough as paper and it does not trap everything poured through it. This means the most important extracts that make up coffee such as the micro fines and oils can pass through the filter. These oils in particular bring out the flavor and aroma of the beverage, which improve the coffee giving it a much richer and bolder taste.
The micro fines on the other hand, which manage to slip through the holes of the filter give the coffee a darker and a cloudier look. Usually, coffee brewed using stainless steel filters usually forms a bit of sediment that settles at the bottom of your cup.
Environment
Everyone needs to be concerned about the environment and needs to do what they can do minimize the damage on the environment. As far as preserving the environment is concerned, stainless steel filters are the obvious choice here. Paper filters are not environmentally friendly like their metal counterparts. The fact that they are not reusable means that they could add to the waste stream and pollute the environment if not well disposed of. Paper coffee filters also contribute to deforestation since they are paper made from trees.
The stainless steel versus paper coffee filter debate has been going on for quite some time now and will not stop anytime soon. As you have seen, there are obvious differences between both filters and the type of coffee they create. However, the stainless steel filter remains the favorite because it makes a more robust cup of coffee, costs less in the long run and has lesser impact on the environment.