Why You Should Consider Rinsing Your Coffee Filters

Last week Serious Eats did a post on all of the elements that can affect a cup of coffee. When you really get right down to it, there are only two ingredients in a pure cup of joe: ground coffee beans and water. But have you ever thought about what might be lingering in your coffee filter?

Serious Eats contributor Erin Meister has thought about it a lot. She says,

"Paper filters come with a host of taste contaminants all their own. From the basic papery flavor they can contribute themselves (just the nature of the beast, sadly) to the slightly dirty or woody taste that can come from any dust that might settle inside them, paper filters are a subject of much discussion and disagreement among incredibly discerning coffee lovers: To rinse or not to rinse?"

Meister says if you're going to rinse, the best method is to flush paper filters out with hot water before beginning to brew a cup of coffee. You don't need to soak them — you just need to run them under water long enough for any remaining chemicals, particles, or dust to work its way through before your morning coffee does.

• Coffee Filters: You Should Clean Them at Serious Eats

Intelligent or overboard? What do you think?

(Image: Sarah Rae Trover)

Comments (12)

Or you could just get a reusable filter and avoid the issue altogether.

We just clean the plastic filter component with soap and hot water after each use. Also, the underside of some drip coffee makers tends to collect residue. My husband is a stickler about cleaning that. :)

I rinse or "wet" mine done when making coffee at home. I think the coffee tastes better.

I used the horrible wasteful filters for a long time. Does rinsing them really do any good? I hate to say it, but coffee is said to have carcinogens as well. I switched to a French press, and felt great about getting away from the paper filters. The coffee tastes wonderful. And although I considered quitting, I simply cut down and buy shade-grown and organic so as to perhaps avoid some pesticides.

Wetting your filters also makes better coffee...simple science.

I rinse mine (by just pouring some hot water through once it's in place) when I make pour-over coffee. As a bonus, since the water's going straight into my mug, the heat warms it nicely.

Like @thegreencat, I use the metal reusable filter that came with my coffeemaker (and if you've bought even the cheapest of coffeemakers (like ours) in the past decade or 2, it comes with one!) and just dump out the grinds and give it a wash every morning. Why waste money and paper on filters?

another reason to love my french press

I've recently discovered that using paper filters reduces the "bad" cholesterol when making coffee...if that helps anyone decide to stick to paper! http://www.texasmedicalcenter.org/root/en/TMCServices/News/2007/07-15/Paper+Filters+Reduce+Cholesterol.htm

The metal filter for my coffee maker never worked properly--I kept getting grounds in the pots so I made some simple reusable fabric filters out of muslin. They work just as well as paper ones. I rinse them after use and then once a week boil them all and/or soak them in an oxygen bleach to break up the coffee oils that accumulate. No waste!

i'll try it in the morning and see if there's a difference.

wow, it does make a difference - for those who need to use a paper filter anyway.