# Coffee Filters

Start from the brewer: filter shape and size are a hard fit, and the number on the box is a format code, not a cup count. Then choose paper, which gives a cleaner cup with the fewest cholesterol-raising oils, or reusable mesh or cloth, which gives more body and no waste. Rinse paper first, brown especially.

## How it works

A coffee filter holds the grounds back while the brew drains through; what it lets pass decides the cup. Paper is a mat of fibres with irregular gaps between them, fine enough to stop most small coffee particles (fines) and the oils they carry. Those oils include cafestol and kahweol, two compounds that raise LDL cholesterol, so paper-filtered coffee carries the least of them. Metal and nylon mesh have straight, larger holes, so fines and oils pass: more body, less clarity. Cloth sits between and has to be washed well. In pour-over, how fast water drains through the paper sets the brew time, and pore structure, density and creping (the paper's wrinkled texture) decide that more than thickness does. In one test, unrinsed brown paper shed more into hot water than white; rinsing cleared it. None of this matters unless the filter's shape and size match the brewer's holder. [1] [2] [9] [7]

| Family | What it is | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Paper | Single-use cellulose filters, white or brown, in a shape made for one kind of brewer. | Anyone who wants a clean, sediment-free cup or is watching their cholesterol. |
| Metal or nylon mesh | A permanent insert with open holes, usually gold-tone or stainless steel, washed and reused. | Drip-machine and pour-over owners who want body and no paper to buy. |
| Cloth | A cotton or hemp sock or cone, washed and reused, that filters finer than mesh but coarser than paper. | People who want a reusable filter with more clarity than metal and will keep it clean. |

## How an expert narrows the choice

```mermaid
timeline
  section 1 · Brewer and filter format
    drip machine basket / wedge cone (#1 to #6) / flat-bottom wave : ask Filter size
    V60-style cone / Chemex : ask Filter size, Paper flow rate
  section 2 · Filter material
    metal mesh / nylon mesh : ask Cholesterol-raising oils removed : skip Paper colour, Chlorine-free process stated, Micro-perforated paper, Paper flow rate, Compostability
    cloth : ask Cholesterol-raising oils removed : skip Paper colour, Chlorine-free process stated, Micro-perforated paper, Paper flow rate, Compostability
    paper : ask Paper colour, Compostability
  section 3 · Paper colour
    white : ask Chlorine-free process stated
```

1. **Brewer and filter format.** Drip machine basket or cone, V60, Chemex, AeroPress, or other?
   A filter that does not fit the holder is useless, so this removes most of the catalog at once. Anyone can answer by naming or looking at their brewer.
   If drip machine basket or wedge cone (#1 to #6) or flat-bottom wave: ask Filter size.
   If V60-style cone or Chemex: ask Filter size, Paper flow rate.
   Skip if already known: brewer_owned, coffee_maker_model.

2. **Filter material.** Paper you throw away, or reusable metal, nylon or cloth?
   Material decides clarity versus body, how much cholesterol-raising oil reaches the cup, and whether there is anything to rebuy. It splits the catalog into a large paper side and a small reusable side.
   If metal mesh or nylon mesh: ask Cholesterol-raising oils removed; skip Paper colour, Chlorine-free process stated, Micro-perforated paper, Paper flow rate, Compostability.
   If cloth: ask Cholesterol-raising oils removed; skip Paper colour, Chlorine-free process stated, Micro-perforated paper, Paper flow rate, Compostability.
   If paper: ask Paper colour, Compostability.
   Skip if already known: prefers_reusable.

3. **Paper colour.** White filter paper, or brown that needs a good rinse?
   Colour is easy to answer and roughly halves the paper side, and unrinsed brown paper sheds more into the brew. Over a quarter of Amazon paper titles omit colour, so bullets or the photo fill it.
   If white: ask Chlorine-free process stated.
   Skip if already known: paper_colour_preference.

## What to surface

### Brewer and filter format

The filter shape a brewer's holder takes; a drip machine takes a flat-bottom basket or a wedge cone depending on whether its holder narrows to the bottom. Fit comes before anything else, because a basket in a cone holder or a #4 in a V60 folds, gaps or overflows and lets water bypass the grounds. Brewers named after a brand often need their own format: Chemex papers, V60 cones, Kalita-style wave filters, AeroPress discs. Answers map to values by name; a drip machine maps to basket or wedge cone by its holder's shape. [9] [10] [12] [11] [1] [20] [23] [22]

Values: drip machine basket, wedge cone (#1 to #6), V60-style cone, flat-bottom wave, Chemex, AeroPress disc, paper pod insert or drip bag, percolator disc or wrap.
Question to ask: Drip machine basket or cone, V60, Chemex, AeroPress, or other?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: In the title, as the shape or the brewer name: 'Basket Coffee Filters for 8-12 Cup', '#4 Cone', 'Hario V60', 'Chemex Bonded', 'Kalita Wave'. 'Compatible with Ninja' style phrases name the machine.
When the title only names a machine, map the machine to its format from the brand's manual; the photo settles basket versus cone.

### Filter material

What the filter is made of: single-use paper, or a reusable insert of metal mesh, nylon mesh or cloth. Paper holds back fines and most of the coffee oils, so the cup is clear and low in cafestol. Metal mesh lets fines and oils through, giving more body and sediment, and its holes are so open that grind alone sets the brew time. Cloth sits between and filters well when kept clean, but it is a chore to wash and dry between uses. [1] [9] [7] [20]

Values: paper, metal mesh, nylon mesh, cloth.
Question to ask: Paper you throw away, or reusable metal, nylon or cloth?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Reusables usually say so in the title: 'Reusable', 'Permanent Gold Tone', 'Stainless Steel Mesh', 'Nylon Mesh', 'Hemp Cloth'. A title with no material word is usually paper, but charcoal water filters also match 'coffee filter' and are out of scope.
'Reusable' and 'Goldtone' titles often omit metal or nylon; take the material from the bullets or photo.
Chart: Clarity to body scale.

### Paper colour

Whether a paper filter is white (whitened during papermaking) or brown (unbleached, natural wood colour). In Gagné's 2019 test, unrinsed white papers shed almost no dissolved solids into hot water, while the one brown paper tested shed more until rinsed hot. He measured solids, not taste, and still advises pre-rinsing white paper; Hario and Kalita tell buyers to rinse any paper. His microscope analysis also found more uniform pores in unbleached papers. Neither colour is a safety question. [1] [14] [23] [7] [20]

Values: white, brown (unbleached).
Question to ask: White filter paper, or brown that needs a good rinse?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: In the title when stated: 'White', 'Bright White', 'Natural', 'Natural Brown', 'Unbleached'; over a quarter of titles omit it. Applies to paper only.
When the title omits colour, take it from the bullets or the main photo.

### Filter size

The size code inside a format, such as #2 or #4 for wedge cones, 01 to 03 for V60 cones, 155 or 185 for wave filters, or a cup range for baskets. The number is a format code, not a cup count: a #2 fits 2 to 6 cup electric cones and a #4 fits 8 to 12 cup cones, while an 8 to 12 cup flat-bottom machine needs a basket instead. Smaller baskets come in maker-specific cup ranges, so match the range the machine's maker states. Chemex needs half-moons for its 3-cup brewers and squares or circles for the rest. [10] [25] [27] [9] [12] [14] [22] [23] [29] [7] [11] [21] [20]

Values: #1, #2, #4, #6, 8 to 12 cup basket, smaller basket (cup range as stated), commercial basket, V60 01, V60 02, V60 03, wave 155, wave 185, Chemex half-moon (3-cup), Chemex square or circle (5 to 13 cup), AeroPress disc, pod insert (sized to the machine), percolator disc, percolator wrap, other.
Question to ask: Which size does your brewer take, like #4 or 02?

Used as: filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: In the title next to the format: '#4', 'Number 4', 'Size 02', 'Size 185', '8-12 Cup', '1-4 Cup', 'FSU-100', 'Percolator', 'for Keurig K Cup'.
Where only a machine model is named, take the size from the brewer manual; do not infer a cone size from cup count alone. For a smaller basket, record the stated cup range beside the value.

### Cholesterol-raising oils removed

How much of the coffee's cafestol and kahweol, two oil compounds that raise LDL cholesterol, the filter keeps out of the cup. Paper holds back almost all of these oils, which is why paper-filtered coffee does not raise cholesterol while French press does. Gold-tone machine baskets and other mesh usually let them through, though one study found some metal-mesh coffee as low as paper, so values are typical for the material, not measured. Cloth removes much of them but less than paper. Shown, not asked. [2] [3] [4] [6] [7]

Values: most removed (paper), partly removed (cloth), least removed (metal or nylon mesh).

Used as: shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost none. Look for it as: Derived from filter_material; no listing states it.
Chart: Clarity to body scale.

### Compostability

Whether a paper filter is certified to break down in a home compost bin, only in a commercial composting facility, or carries no certificate. Most paper filters are plant fibre, but certification decides where they can go. Melitta's cones are certified only for commercial composting, which it warns may not exist locally. BPI certifies commercial and home compostability separately. Some fast papers add a plastic-like layer: Hario's Meteor contains polylactic acid. [16] [10] [25] [13] [21]

Values: certified home compostable, certified commercial compostable, says compostable, no certificate, not compostable.
Question to ask: Home compost bin, city compost pickup, or the trash?

Used as: shown on the card, filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: 'Compostable' appears in some titles (If You Care); the certification level is on brand pages or the box.
Look up per product range, not per brand: Melitta's cones are BPI certified but its basket pages claim only a compostable bag, and Chemex says compostable with no certificate. Map 'city compost pickup' to either certified value; 'home compost bin' needs the home value.

### Paper flow rate

How fast water drains through a paper filter with no coffee in it, which sets how long a pour-over takes. Papers that fit the same V60 drain at very different speeds; in Gagné's tests Cafec was slowest, Hario unbleached fastest, and Chemex papers between. Slow paper lengthens contact and can stall when fines clog it. Brands now sell on flow: Cafec labels papers by roast, and Hario sells its far faster Meteor on clarity. Thickness does not predict flow. Pressing an AeroPress offsets a slow filter, so flow matters less there. Shown, not asked. [1] [15] [24] [13] [21]

Values: slow, medium, fast.

Used as: shown on the card, sortable. Data: needs research, backfill cost high. Look for it as: Not a field. Cafec states 'Slower Flow Rate' or 'Faster Flow Rate' in the description; Hario states relative permeation for Meteor.
Only brand claims and hobbyist drawdown tests exist. Backfill the top V60 and Chemex papers, the formats Gagné measured, from those; leave other formats unknown rather than guess.
Chart: Flow versus clogging map.

### Chlorine-free process stated

The process a paper's maker states: oxygen or peroxide with no chlorine (TCF), or chlorine dioxide (ECF). It matters to buyers who avoid chlorine chemistry: ECF cuts but does not remove chlorinated by-products at the pulp mill, TCF brings them to background levels, and researchers disagree on whether TCF effluent is less harmful. 'Chlorine free' can mean either: Melitta footnotes all its cones, white and brown, as elemental chlorine free, and If You Care labels brown paper TCF. Chemex and Hario say oxygen for white. Shown, not asked. [8] [10] [26] [28] [21] [14]

Values: oxygen or peroxide (TCF), chlorine dioxide (ECF), not stated.

Used as: shown on the card, filter. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Rarely in titles. On brand pages as 'oxygen bleached', 'Oxygen cleansed' or a footnote such as '** Elemental Chlorine Free'.
One lookup per brand product range; Melitta's footnote covers its white and brown cones alike. Record 'not stated' rather than infer TCF from 'chlorine free'.

### Micro-perforated paper

Whether the paper has tiny holes punched through it, which Melitta advertises on its cones. Melitta sells its micro-perforations as letting more flavour through. One study of papers from six countries found perforated papers let the most cafestol through among similar-sized filters, but the spread across all its papers was narrow, so the difference is small. The effect is from a single study. [5] [10]


Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: On Melitta brand pages as 'Microfine Flavor Enhancing Perforations'; rarely in retail titles.
Brand-level: set true for Melitta cone ranges that state it, unknown elsewhere.

## Numbers worth computing

| Metric | Formula | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per filter (currency per filter) | `price / pack_count` | Paper is a running cost sold in many counts and multi-packs, so the per-filter price is the only fair comparison. pack_count is the count per pack times any 'Pack of N'; titles such as Melitta's '6-Pack' omit the per-pack count, so take it from the bullets. [20] |
| Brews to pay back a reusable filter (brews) | `reusable_price / cost_per_filter` | Turns 'reusable saves money' into a number of brews, using the paper the buyer would otherwise buy in the same size. It says nothing about how long the reusable lasts.  |

## What you give up

- Go to metal mesh and you get a fuller, heavier cup and nothing to rebuy, but you also get sediment and the cholesterol-raising oils that paper would have kept out. [1] [9] [2] Board branch: "See more paper filters for a cleaner cup".
- Cloth gives most of paper's clarity with no waste, but it has to be washed and dried well after every brew or old oils taint the next cup. [1] [9] Board branch: "See more low-maintenance filters".
- Brown paper skips the whitening step and, in one tester's microscope analysis, had more uniform pores, but unrinsed it sheds more paper solids into the brew than white. [1] [14] Board branch: "See more white papers".
- A slow, dense paper gives a long contact time but can stall when fines clog it, as Chemex warns of a too-fine grind; a fast paper shortens contact, which Hario sells as clarity. [1] [15] [21] Board branch: "See more fast-flow papers".

## How to draw it

**Clarity to body scale** (scale, shows Filter material, Cholesterol-raising oils removed). One line from paper through cloth to metal mesh shows that clarity, sediment and cafestol move together, so a buyer sees the trade in one glance. Coffee Bean Corral and Gagné both describe this ordering. This is a proposal, nobody draws it this way yet. [9] [1] [3]

**Flow versus clogging map** (two axis map, shows Paper flow rate, Paper colour). Pour-over papers placed by how fast they drain and how easily fines clog them; in Gagné's 2019 analysis the unbleached papers sat toward fast and clog-resistant. Used today by Coffee ad Astra, which plots V60-fit papers with clogging index across and flow up. [1]

## Words you will meet

- **Cafestol and kahweol**. Two oily compounds in coffee beans that raise LDL cholesterol and that paper filters hold back.
- **Diterpenes**. The chemical family cafestol and kahweol belong to; health papers use this word for both.
- **Fines**. The smallest particles a grinder makes, which can pass a coarse filter or block a fine one.
- **Drawdown**. The time it takes water to finish draining through the coffee and filter in a pour-over.
- **Wedge cone**. The flat-sided, fan-shaped cone filter used by many drip machines and Melitta-style drippers, sized #1 to #6.
- **Basket filter**. A round, flat-bottomed, fluted paper filter for drip machines whose holder does not narrow.
- **Wave filter**. A flat-bottomed paper with many folds, made for Kalita Wave style drippers in sizes 155 and 185.
- **Pre-rinse**. Pouring hot water through an empty paper filter before brewing to wash out paper taste and warm the brewer.
- **ECF (elemental chlorine free)**. Paper processed with chlorine dioxide instead of chlorine gas.
- **TCF (totally chlorine free)**. Paper processed with oxygen or peroxide and no chlorine compounds; some brown papers carry the label too.
- **Crepe**. The fine wrinkled texture pressed into filter paper, which shapes how water runs along it.
- **Commercially compostable**. Certified to break down in an industrial composting facility, not necessarily in a home bin.

## Where we made a call

- Paper filters remove most cafestol and kahweol; metal and nylon mesh usually do not, and cloth falls in between. (confidence high). Sources disagree. Urgert and Katan, Orrje and Wikipedia agree on paper. Naidoo found some metal-mesh and sock coffee as low as paper and some as high as espresso, so preparation matters; we keep the usual ordering. [2] [3] [4] [6] [7]
- Unrinsed white papers shed almost no dissolved solids in one test and brown paper more, but brands advise rinsing both. (confidence medium). Gagné measured dissolved solids, not taste, with one brown paper, and still advises pre-rinsing white paper, which also warms the brewer and seats the filter. Hario sells bleached and natural papers with one rinse instruction; Kalita says pre-wet. [1] [14] [23] [7]
- Paper thickness does not predict how fast a filter drains. (confidence medium). Our reading of Gagné's caliper and drawdown tables: similar-thickness papers drained at very different speeds. Cafec sells its thinnest paper as its slowest. Density and creping matter more. [1] [15] [24]
- Chemex's claim of 20 to 30 percent thicker paper is not borne out by independent measurement. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. Chemex states it, and Wikipedia repeats it. Gagné's caliper put Chemex bleached paper level with Hario's and Chemex unbleached thinner. We side with the measurement but note one tester and one batch. [11] [7] [1]
- 'Chlorine free' on a filter box can mean chlorine-dioxide (ECF) processing rather than oxygen (TCF). (confidence medium). Melitta's 'Chlorine Free' on white and brown cones carries an 'Elemental Chlorine Free' footnote; the pulp-bleaching definitions separate ECF from TCF. That buyers read 'chlorine free' as TCF is our assumption. [10] [26] [8]
- Paper filters fall under food-contact rules in the US and EU, so colour and brand are not safety questions for buyers. (confidence medium). 21 CFR 176.170 is binding US law for paper touching hot aqueous food. In the EU, Regulation 1935/2004 sets the general duty; Germany's BfR XXXVI/1 on hot filter papers is a recommendation, not a legal norm. Listings rarely state compliance; the reassurance is ours. [17] [18] [19]
- Micro-perforated papers may let more cafestol through than unperforated ones. (confidence low). Sources disagree. One study found perforated papers gave the highest cafestol among similar sizes. Melitta markets the perforations as a flavour benefit. Single study, so low confidence. [5] [10]
- A filter's size number is a format code, so cup count alone cannot pick the right filter. (confidence high). Melitta and Coffee Bean Corral both map #2 and #4 to cup ranges, and Coffee Bean Corral warns that same-capacity machines can take baskets instead. [10] [9] [7]
- 'Compostable' on a filter box usually means commercial composting, not a home bin. (confidence medium). Melitta says its cones are commercially compostable and facilities may not exist locally; BPI runs separate commercial and home schemes. 'Usually' is our reading of the brands checked. [10] [16]
- This register covers filters sold on their own; drippers with built-in mesh, refillable pod cups and charcoal water filters are out. (confidence medium). Our call. Standalone metal drippers belong to the sibling manual-coffee-tea-prep. Amazon returns mesh drippers and charcoal water filters for 'coffee filters', so the pipeline drops them before filling facets. [20]

## References

1. [Coffee ad Astra (Jonathan Gagné), An In-Depth Analysis of Coffee Filters](https://coffeeadastra.com/2019/08/04/an-in-depth-analysis-of-coffee-filters-2/) (specialist review). Supports: Measured thickness and drawdown of V60, Chemex, cloth and metal filters; similar thicknesses drained very differently; Unrinsed white papers shed almost no dissolved solids, one brown paper more; a hot rinse cleared it; Measured solids, not taste; still advises pre-rinsing bleached paper; Unbleached papers had more uniform pores and lower clogging index in microscope analysis; Metal filters pass fines and oils: more body, less clarity; cloth is a hassle to clean; AeroPress brewers can press harder to offset a slower filter.
2. [Urgert R, Katan MB. The cholesterol-raising factor from coffee beans. Annu Rev Nutr 1997](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9240930/) (academic). Supports: Cafestol and kahweol raise cholesterol; hot water extracts them and paper filters retain them.
3. [Orrje E et al. Cafestol and kahweol in workplace machine coffee compared with conventional brewing. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2025](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40089392/) (academic). Supports: Home paper-filtered coffee had the lowest cafestol of the brew methods measured; A fabric filter removed most but not all cafestol from boiled coffee.
4. [Naidoo N et al. Cholesterol-raising diterpenes in coffee in Singapore, Indonesia and India. Nutr J 2011](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21569629/) (academic). Supports: Sock and metal-mesh coffee ranged from paper-like to espresso-like cafestol depending on preparation.
5. [Rendón MY et al. Physical characteristics of the paper filter and low cafestol content filter coffee brews. Food Res Int 2018](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29735059/) (academic). Supports: Micro-perforated papers gave the highest cafestol among similar-sized filters; paper porosity mattered.
6. [NutritionFacts.org, Paper-Filtered Coffee and Cholesterol](https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/paper-filtered-coffee-and-cholesterol/) (primer). Supports: A machine's metal mesh basket without paper presumably passes cafestol like a French press; Paper works mainly by stopping the fines that carry cafestol.
7. [Wikipedia, Coffee filter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_filter) (primer). Supports: Metal, nylon and porcelain mesh do not remove diterpenes; cloth passes more oil than paper; US cone sizes #1 to #6, 8 to 12 cup and restaurant baskets; Melitta also makes disc and wrap filters for percolators; Chemex half-moons fit 3-cup brewers; squares and circles fit 5 to 13 cup; Some baristas rinse paper filters to remove a papery taste; Repeats Chemex's 20 to 30 percent thicker claim.
8. [Wikipedia, Bleaching of wood pulp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleaching_of_wood_pulp) (primer). Supports: ECF uses chlorine dioxide; TCF uses no chlorine and cuts chlorinated effluent to background levels; Researchers disagree on whether TCF effluent is less harmful than ECF.
9. [Coffee Bean Corral, Coffee Filter Sizes Explained](https://coffeebeancorral.com/blogs/coffee-knowledge/coffee-filter-sizes) (primer). Supports: Size numbers are format codes; #2 fits 2 to 6 cup and #4 fits 8 to 12 cup cones; Flat-bottom 8 to 12 cup machines need baskets; check the holder shape; Paper gives a cleaner cup, metal more body, cloth between and needs careful cleaning.
10. [Melitta USA shop, #4 Cone Filter Paper White product page](https://shoponline.melitta.com/products/4-cone-filter-paper-white-100-count) (spec sheet). Supports: #1, #2, #4 and #6 cones with the brewers each fits; Microfine perforations advertised as letting more flavour through; Cones 'Chlorine Free' footnoted as Elemental Chlorine Free; Cones BPI-certified commercially compostable; facilities may not exist locally.
11. [CHEMEX Bonded Filters, Pre-folded Squares product page](https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/products/chemex-bonded-filters-pre-folded-squares) (spec sheet). Supports: Claims 20 to 30 percent thicker paper than most competitors; White paper oxygen cleansed; Squares fit all Chemex brewers except the 3-cup models.
12. [Hario USA, V60 Paper Filters 02](https://www.hario-usa.com/products/copy-of-paper-filter-for-01-drippers) (spec sheet). Supports: V60 02 papers match the 02 dripper and hold 1 to 4 cups.
13. [Hario USA, V60 Meteor Filters 02](https://www.hario-usa.com/products/v60-meteor-filters-02) (spec sheet). Supports: Meteor claims a much higher permeation rate than classic V60 paper; Meteor is made of paper, abaca and polylactic acid.
14. [Hario Europe, V60 Filter Paper 02 Size](https://www.hario-europe.com/products/v60-filter-paper-02-size-box-100-pcs) (spec sheet). Supports: Paper is natural or oxygen bleached; 01 and 03 sizes also sold; Bleached and natural variants share one instruction: rinse with boiling water first.
15. [CAFEC USA, TH-1 Cup 4 Light Roast paper filter](https://www.cafecusa.com/products/copy-of-cafec-cup-4-light-roast-paper-filter-v60-02-lc4-100w) (spec sheet). Supports: Papers sold by flow rate for different roasts; TH-1 is the thinnest, high-density, slower-flow paper.
16. [BPI, Certification](https://bpiworld.org/certification) (standards body). Supports: Separate commercial-only and commercial-and-home compostability certifications.
17. [21 CFR 176.170, Components of paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-176/subpart-B/section-176.170) (regulator). Supports: US rule for paper components and extractive limits where paper touches aqueous food.
18. [BfR, Regulations on papers and boards in Germany (EFSA FIP Network, 2018)](https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/event/180710-p-19.3.pdf) (regulator). Supports: BfR XXXVI/1 is a non-binding German recommendation, not an EU legal norm.
19. [SGS SafeGuardS 133/24, Germany's BfR amends recommendations for food contact materials](https://www.sgs.com/en/news/2024/08/safeguards-13324-germanys-bfr-amends-recommendations-for-food-contact-material-and-articles) (other). Supports: BfR XXXVI/1 on hot filter paper was current and amended in 2024.
20. [Amazon.com search results for coffee filters, pour-over filters and reusable filters](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=coffee+filters) (retail listing). Supports: Titles usually carry format and size; colour and per-pack count are often missing; Smaller baskets are sold in several maker-specific cup ranges; Search returns mesh drippers and charcoal water filters for 'coffee filters'.
21. [CHEMEX, FAQ](https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/pages/faq) (spec sheet). Supports: Half-moon filters fit the 15 ounce (3-cup) brewers and Funnex; A too-fine grind clogs the filter and slows the brew; White paper oxygen bath then hot water; brown hot water only; both compostable.
22. [Hario USA, Flow Paper Filters 50ct](https://www.hario-usa.com/products/flow-paper-filters-50ct) (spec sheet). Supports: Hario's Flow dripper takes fluted flat-bottom type-155 filters.
23. [Kalita USA, Kalita Wave 185 Coffee Filters](https://www.kalitausa.com/products/kalita-wave-185-paper-filter-100ct) (spec sheet). Supports: Wave 185 filters fit the Wave 185 dripper; Tells buyers of these white filters to pre-wet before brewing.
24. [CAFEC USA, TH-3 Cup 4 Medium Roast paper filter](https://www.cafecusa.com/products/copy-of-cafec-cup-4-medium-roast-paper-filter-v60-02-mc4-100w-2) (spec sheet). Supports: TH-3 is the thickest, low-density paper and flows smoothest.
25. [Melitta USA shop, 4-6 Cup Jr. Basket Filter Paper White](https://shoponline.melitta.com/products/4-6-cup-jr-basket-filter-paper-white-100-count) (spec sheet). Supports: Basket papers sold for 4 to 6 cup basket machines; Page claims only a compostable bag, no BPI certificate.
26. [Melitta USA shop, #4 Cone Filter Paper Natural Brown](https://shoponline.melitta.com/products/4-cone-filter-paper-natural-brown-100-count) (spec sheet). Supports: Brown cones carry the same 'Elemental Chlorine Free' footnote as white.
27. [Melitta USA shop, Wrap Filter Paper White](https://shoponline.melitta.com/products/wrap-filter-paper-white-40-count) (spec sheet). Supports: Wrap and disc papers sold to fit percolators.
28. [If You Care, No 4 Coffee Filters](https://www.ifyoucare.com/products/no-4-coffee-filters) (spec sheet). Supports: Labels unbleached brown paper totally chlorine-free (TCF).
29. [Kalita USA, Kalita Wave 155 Coffee Filters](https://www.kalitausa.com/products/kalita-wave-155-filter-100ct) (spec sheet). Supports: Wave 155 filters fit the Wave 155 dripper.