Bleached and Unbleached Coffee Filters – What are they all about?

When it comes to brewing your own coffee, coffee filters are important. The might be made of paper and cost very little, but they still carry great significance within the coffee making process.

Now, if you are a coffee fanatic, you will be well aware that there are two types of paper filters – bleached and unbleached but which is the best? There are some who will only use unbleached and there are those who will only use bleached but what is it all about?

Why are papers bleached?

We live in a world where everything has to look sort of perfect, and this is true for filter papers. They are merely bleached so that they look good. While it might look cleaner than unbleached, they still do exactly the same job.

Does it have an impact on taste?

Many people believe that there is a difference in taste depending on the filters used. While this might be true, that is more than likely going to be down to the coffee that you drink as part of your coffee subscription. However, for those who drink coffee less often, then the chances are that they are not going to notice even the slightest change in taste. A regular coffee drinker who has a more experienced palate could find that unbleached filter papers give off a paper-related flavour, although that should not be a problem given that papers should be wet before they are used. What is more likely to affect the taste is the way in which different brands make their filters. Many of the cheaper brands will bleach their filters and use a pulp that is inferior to pulp that other manufacturer’s use. These two things can cause the coffee to taste differently. If you are a coffee drinker who appreciates good tasting coffee, then oxygen-bleached filters are often the best choice.

So, Bleached or Not?

So, at this particular moment in time, you might be wondering which filter to choose? If this is the case then there is no need to fret over it too much. There is a slight possibility that unbleached coffee filters could affect the taste of your coffee but to the majority of drinkers, that will go unnoticed. If you have any concerns about the taste then you could double rinse your filters to remove the papery taste that comes with them.

Bleached filters would have been put through some kind of process that involves chemicals, but unfortunately, some of these chemicals can prove toxic. So perhaps it is time to look beyond the normal bleached or unbleached papers and instead, go for those bleached filters that have a TCF chlorine-free label.

In reality, this is a debate that comes down to the individual and personal preference but it is always worth remembering that the quality if the filter paper really does matter. If you choose the right paper, you will continue to enjoy your coffee for years to come.