We drink a lot of coffee in our house and each time after making coffee, we threw out the paper filter along with the grinds. Since I didn't like wasting so many paper filters, I tried the resuable (Mr. Coffee) plastic coffee filters with the mesh, but I found the fine grounds found their way through and made a mucky sediment in the bottom of the coffee pot.
I decided to come up with a way to use the disposable and the reusable at the same time, and also save on throwing out the paper filters every time.
Here's what I do: First, I put the paper filter into my basket where the filter goes, then put the reusable plastic filter inside it it, and then I put my normal amount of coffee in it and turn on my coffee maker.
Once the grounds are cool/cold, I lift the basket out, and holding onto the sides so the basket, paper, and plastic filters don't separate, I turn them upside down and tap the grounds out into a small plastic container to recycle in my compost bin. (or tap the grounds out into your garbage can)
Once most of the grounds are out, (again holding onto the sides) I run it upright under hot water sloshing it around, pouring it out and rinsing it again until the water runs clear. Then I put the basket/filters back into the coffee pot and it's ready to use again. This way, I can use the same paper filter about 4-5 times over the period of 2 days before disposing.
By ann from Goulais River, Ontario
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Cowboy coffee: put grounds into your cup. Pour in hot water. Wrap with something, a tea towel, an old sweater, whatever, for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour through a metal strainer into a second cup. Makes good coffee, no disposable filter. Just wash the metal strainer and you are done.
Cowboy coffee, though best for flavor, isn't filtered, and thus contains more harmful chemicals that can drive b/p up up up. Occasionally though it's fine.
I have reused coffee filters in a pinch, when I discovered I had used my last one. I find the water goes through the pre used filters so slowly, it's more of an inconvenience, unless I'm completely out of filters.
I do EXACTLY the same procedure! Necessity is the mother of invention and great minds... etc. I think our next step would be to find a permanently reusable cotton filter to use with that plastic or metal basket. Perhaps cheesecloth folded over? Something that would not affect the flavor. Another way I save $ is by doing seond and third pourings of hot water through my grounds: I place the Melita cone over a Ball jar or Mason jar. The coffee gets progressively weaker, but I don't mind for myself to drink throughout the day.
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