The 6 Best Filters for AeroPress
No one wants their last sip of delicious coffee to be full of sediment. A coffee lover deserves better than that! Especially if you’ve already spent some time in the niche AeroPress world. You know how great this brewing method is. Why not maximize its greatness with some of the best filters available?
Change up the flavor profile of your go-to coffee by experimenting with the best filters for AeroPress.
At A Glance:
- TOP PICK: AeroPress
- MOST VERSATILE: Slimm Filter
- BUDGET PICK: Shibadou
6 Best AeroPress Coffee Filters Reviewed In 2023
Home Grounds has compiled a review of the best AeroPress filters in 2022. We have looked into the materials used, their compatibility with AeroPress devices, and the number of pieces involved.
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AeroPress |
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Perky Brew |
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SHIBADOU |
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The Better Coffee Filter |
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Ameuus |
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Slimm Filter |
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1. AeroPress – Best Overall
Material: Paper
- Compatible Devices: AeroPress, AeroPress Go
- Number Of Pieces: 350
Coming in first with the best coffee filters for the AeroPress is, well, AeroPress! This could not be more fitting (literally)! These paper filters were designed to be compatible with AeroPress and AeroPress Go coffee and espresso makers. Each one of these AeroPress paper filters is 2.5 inches in diameter. Every pack comes with 350 Microfilters made in the USA from biodegradable white paper. The Microfilter material prevents coffee grounds from ever reaching your brew and works better than your average French Press.
Thousands of satisfied customers agree that this is the go-to golden standard for AeroPress coffee filters, ensuring a rich and smooth coffee low in acidity with remarkable reliability. With so many filters in one affordable pack, you’ll have enough for a whole year’s worth of daily coffees and possibly even longer, depending on how many times you reuse them, with no worry of waste (1)!
2. Perky Brew – Best Paper Filter
Material: Paper
- Compatible Devices: AeroPress, AeroPress Go
- Number Of Pieces: 350
As great as the AeroPress filters detailed above are, there’s a reason why Perky Brew has the best paper filters. Not only does Perky Brew make paper filters out of environmentally friendly biodegradable paper that is compatible with both AeroPress and AeroPress Go coffee and espresso makers, but these paper filters are also non-bleached and without chlorine. This gives them that lovely coffee-stained aesthetic that is perfectly suitable for fellow coffee lovers!
Each AeroPress paper filter is able and specifically recommended to be washed and reused many times!
Each pack comes with 350 filters in packaging that features less plastic, and a wider diameter to better fit with the specifications set out as the standard for AeroPress filters. Perky Brew made these packaging changes following customer feedback in September 2019. If Perky Brew puts that much care into its packaging, you’ll feel it through these filters and directly into your cup with great-tasting coffee!
3. SHIBADOU – Budget Pick
Material: Paper
- Compatible Devices: AeroPress
- Number Of Pieces: 1500
If you’re looking for tools to make delicious coffee on a budget, SHIBADOU knows just what to do! Their natural coffee filters are unbleached paper, offering excellent permeability through air and water. They are also clearly embossed, firm, and durable. Every pack has 1500 filters, each being 2.5 inches in diameter and compatible with a standard AeroPress. This easily keeps you going for five years if you use each filter once and over a decade if you reuse every single one!
Shibadou filters remove micro coffee fines, particles, oils, impurities, and bitterness from your coffee. Once they do, you’re still left with an original style of coffee featuring a fuller-bodied cup that is delicious and smooth! This yields a Goldilocks-approved coffee as it will not be too bitter nor too acidic but somewhat just right.
4. The Better Coffee Filter – Best Acid-Reducing Filter
Material: Paper
- Compatible Devices: AeroPress, AeroPress Go
- Number Of Pieces: 60
The last thing you want is an overly acidic coffee, especially if you’re a coffee lover suffering from heartburn, GERD, or any gastrointestinal discomfort. The Better Coffee Filter has 100% compostable and chlorine-free white original paper filters that help with that. Dubbing themselves “the world’s first and only acid-reducing coffee filter,” The Better Coffee Filter’s filters are compatible with AeroPress and AeroPress Go coffee and espresso makers as well as Moka pot coffee makers.
Every pack comes with 60 thick filters, and each of these AeroPress paper filters uses their built-in natural mineral blend to eliminate the acidity of brewed coffee and the concentration of propionic acid, which has an unappealing aroma. This formula removes unwanted acidity. Yet, many organic acids contribute to the flavor notes in coffee, such as acetic, citric, and malic acids.
The price of these filters justifies the quality of their resulting flavors. They were made by a group of highly educated engineers in the USA and validated by the Coffee Quality Institute to enhance the coffee’s body, cleanliness, aroma, finish, and flavor. Enjoy a great clean cup with less acidity.
5. Ameuus – Best Metal Filter
Material: Stainless Steel
- Compatible Devices: AeroPress
- Number Of Pieces: 1
So far, we’ve only been looking at disposable paper filters for AeroPress. But what if you just wanted one reusable metal coffee filter and never worried about rebuying more? Ameuus offers a single reusable and washable stainless steel AeroPress-compatible metal filter. These reusable AeroPress metal filters are easy to clean and durable.
Each Microfilter is designed with over 24 thousand holes, and it is also 50 microns thick and spans 100 microns in diameter per hole, resulting in less ground coffee in your brew. These filters yield a smoother taste by letting through more coffee oils for a rich, bold flavor. Letting in these oils using metal disks is ideal as this gives coffee its body and an overall cleaner cup often missing in coffees using paper filters (2).
“I usually use a metal filter when I want all those oils in my cup of coffee. It doesn’t matter whether the filter pores are coarse or fine, you will always have oils when using metal filters, increasing the body and profile of your cup.” – Ben Jones, 2016 USA AeroPress Champion, Member of the Training & Education Team at Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters
You’ll save a lot of money and hassle over time by investing in a one-time purchase of a reusable AeroPress metal coffee filter for your daily coffee needs.
6. Slimm Filter – Best Reusable Variety Set
Material: Stainless Steel
- Compatible Devices: AeroPress, AeroPress Go
- Number Of Pieces: 3
Are you overwhelmed with these options and don’t know where to start? Slimm Filter offers the best variety of 3 different filters made from high-quality stainless steel metal with a mesh filter, a filter-fine metal filter, and an ultra-fine stainless steel filter, all with varying grind sizes.
Mesh enhances coffee’s sweet and smooth qualities; Fine retains acidity and a full body; Ultra-fine guarantees subtle acidity with no grit.
Why does grind size matter? Grind sizes significantly impact how much sediment gets into your final brew, with smaller holes permitting less sediment from snaking through.
These filters are compatible with AeroPress and AeroPress Go coffee and espresso makers. Save yourself the cleanup and disposability of paper filters by experimenting with different grind-size filters guaranteed to enhance your coffee’s flavor and aroma. The cleanup is a no-brainer, requiring just a quick rinse under hot water or a handy dishwasher.
What Is The Best AeroPress Filter?
Choosing the best AeroPress filter ultimately comes down to personal preference. To discover what that is, consider the following factors:
- The material type it is made from
- The compatibility with AeroPress coffee makers
- The number of pieces to account for
Biodegradable Paper vs Reusable Stainless Steel
The biodegradable paper holds back more oils and sediment from ending up in your brew but may remove too much of that characteristic “coffee-ness” that reusable stainless steel filters retain. If you’re a fan of lighter roasts, paper filters yield brighter coffees that are more on the acidic end, whereas medium-to-dark roast lovers will prefer the bitter brews from metal AeroPress filters.
Paper filters are easier to clean as some sediment may get stuck in the holes of metal filters. When cleaning metal filters, throw out the coffee grounds in the compost, not the sink!
Paper filters are cheap but cost more over time, whereas metal filters have a more significant investment that pays off with long-term use. Ultimately, neither is better nor worse than the other, and both are environmentally friendly methods of coffee filtration.
Coffee Maker Compatibility
All of the filters listed here are AeroPress coffee maker compatible. However, not all of them are listed as able to fit an AeroPress Go. What’s the deal? All filters should fit the same in either coffee maker, but some are advised not to. For instance, the budget pick SHIBADOU does not list itself as AeroPress Go compatible. This could be due to the longer stir stick that comes with an AeroPress Go, which is likelier to scrape down and rip the paper coffee filter at the bottom. An AeroPress Go also comes with a reusable metal coffee filter, so some filter companies like to advertise to AeroPress original owners instead, as Ameuus does.
Another factor to note is that AeroPress and AeroPress Go coffee makers differ in size. An AeroPress Go is smaller with a filter holder only allowing room for storing 20 filters as opposed to an AeroPress, capable of holding 350. This makes the AeroPress Go more suitable for metal filter options, whereas the AeroPress has a greater capacity for paper ones.
How Many Pieces Are Involved?
If you’re relying on reusable Aeropress coffee filters or other metal filters, you only need to keep track of one piece, the single filter, in addition to your AeroPress. This makes things much easier when you’re traveling and trying to minimize the amount of stuff you have on your person, especially with the limited filter storage of an AeroPress Go. Otherwise, you could be handling tens or hundreds of paper filters, an amount that even a standard AeroPress cannot help you with.
You should choose what’s most convenient for you. All of these different filters are compatible with a traditional or inverted method of brewing in an AeroPress coffee maker.
Where To Buy AeroPress Filters?
AeroPress filters are available to be bought online or in select stores. Cafes, in particular, tend to stock up on them, proving how much they understand their clientele. Filters are everywhere. If, however, you’re completely in a bind and have no filters available, try using fruit (3)!
Using orange slices instead of paper filters [makes] for an extra juicy filter coffee.
This still gives you all of the caffeine you need plus that burst of vitamin C in your C-offee!
The Verdict
Home Grounds’ favorite AeroPress filter this year is aptly named AeroPress. These 2.5-inch biodegradable white paper replacement filters were literally made for the AeroPress and AeroPress Go. They’re sure to last you at least a year of daily coffee use and will purify your cup by preventing any grounds or grit from getting into your precious brew.
FAQs
Yes and no. AeroPress and AeroPress Go coffee and espresso makers are compatible with three filter types: a cotton or AeroPress cloth filter, a standard disposable paper disk, and a reusable metal filter. The most common of these are paper and metal filters for AeroPress. Each of these will fit as long as every filter is 2.5 inches in diameter. Larger ones are adjustable by cutting them to fit.
Yes, coffee filters make a difference in taste, although this also depends on personal preference. Using metal filters results in a bolder and richer coffee similar in taste and intensity to a French Press coffee due to the coffee oils that slip in. Paper filters yield a brighter cup both in appearance and taste with sweeter and fruitier notes. (4)
The metal AeroPress filters are reusable indefinitely with care, and they should be rinsed and dried immediately after each use to maximize their lifespan. The paper AeroPress filters have about three uses each before they lose efficacy. But you could get a week’s worth out of one with up to five uses if you feel environmentally conscious. To know when to switch out your paper filter, monitor for sediment buildup in your cup and taste-check regularly.
References
- AeroPress. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved October 21, 2022, from https://www.aeropress.co.uk/pages/faqs
- Guevara, J. (2017, August 30). AeroPress Coffee Guide: How to Brew Different Flavor Profiles. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2017/08/aeropress-coffee-guide-how-to-brew-for-different-flavor-profiles/
- Lee, J. (2016, February 8). VIDEO: 3 Tricks You Never Thought of Doing With Your AeroPress. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://perfectdailygrind.com/2016/02/video-3-tricks-you-never-thought-of-doing-with-your-aeropress/
- Martin, T. (2015, December 8). Paperfilter vs. metal filter: Which makes the best cup of coffee? Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/paper-filter-vs-metal-filter-what-makes-the-best-cup-of-coffee/
