Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011, 5:37am Subject: Re: Flavor of Filter Papers
First off I would always rinse any filter paper with 200-300ml of water as a minimum.
I have always found the unbleached filter papers to have an unpleasant taste and smell - like wet cardboard. In particular the Chemex unbleached get a bad press although I have not found them better or worse than most other unbleached. Try pouring boiling water through bleached and unbleached papers and have a look/smell at the filtered water. Taste if you dare.
I would always go for bleached white filter papers with Filtropa being a preference. The brown "natural" filter papers sell as being more "natural", "less treated" etc. but frankly the bleaching process improves there functionality.
The bleaching process is an oxygen based process, as I understand it. I have never identified a "bleachy" taste specifically from white filter papers, in that these papers are not bleached using chlorine based bleaches eg Chlorox, Domestos that you would use in the home and be familiar with.
No filter paper is going to be entirely neutral, especially when brewing small quantities, but on balance the white bleached papers seem to have less of an effect than the brown ones. If you try the comparison between bleached and unbleached types of filter using plain boiled water, as I mention above, you will surely form your own conclusions.
Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011, 8:00am Subject: Re: Flavor of Filter Papers
My Chemex experience is reverse; I hate the brown ones because they taste like a paper grocery bag, but the white ones are fine (after rinsing with a good 250mL of water). Melitta browns do fine after rinsing, but I prefer the bamboo melittas.
JasonBrandtLewis Senior Member Joined: 9 Dec 2005 Posts: 6,099 Location: Berkeley, CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Elektra T1 - La Valentina -... Grinder: Mahlkönig K30 Vario -... Vac Pot: Yama 5-cup Drip: CCD, Chemex Roaster: No, no, not another...
Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011, 8:59am Subject: Re: Flavor of Filter Papers
FWIW, I have never found a brown filter paper -- regardless of brand -- to be as good as the WHITE filter paper of the same brand, after rinsing in hot water. Chemex, Melita, Filtropa, and others: every WHITE paper yielded noticeably better coffee in the cup than its brown counterpart, all else being equal. This has been echoed by people I've spoken with in coffee bars/cafés and in stores.
jkoll42 Senior Member Joined: 2 Jan 2010 Posts: 465 Location: Pennsylvania Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: VBM DD V3, Gaggia Baby Class Grinder: Cimbali Max Hybrid, Bunn... Drip: Technivorm, Chemex Roaster: Honey Badger 1K, HG/BM
Posted Mon Nov 28, 2011, 11:59am Subject: Re: Flavor of Filter Papers
As above I have always found unbleached to taste worse. The Chemex brown taste exactly like mentioned above - wet cardboard. Filtropia White is my favorite and yields better flavor than the melitta.
Has anyone tried the bamboo filters? I have been curious about them.
Posted Thu Dec 1, 2011, 9:04pm Subject: Re: Flavor of Filter Papers
I've tried Filtropa White vs Melitta Bamboo in a Hario 02 dripper. So far I like Filtropa better. I grind on the fine side and I've noticed fines in the cup with Melittas. Granted I have not used them too many times, this could have been an aberration. Both have a smell when rinsing, the Filtropa smells bleachy. The Melitta has a strange smell, I guess it's bamboo, not really sure. Where do you guys find Filtropa whites besides SM? Williams used to have them but their site says no longer available.
jkoll42 Senior Member Joined: 2 Jan 2010 Posts: 465 Location: Pennsylvania Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: VBM DD V3, Gaggia Baby Class Grinder: Cimbali Max Hybrid, Bunn... Drip: Technivorm, Chemex Roaster: Honey Badger 1K, HG/BM
Posted Fri Dec 2, 2011, 7:09am Subject: Re: Flavor of Filter Papers
I usually order from SM since I am buying green anyway. They do still stock them at WS (as least online) still. In fact, WS now claims they are an "exclusive". They really use that term loosely!
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