DIY Cloth Coffee Filter vs Aji Filter
Cloth filters have been around for many years and with more and more interest people have been making their own DIY cloth coffee filters at home, but how do these compare to Aji Filters and is it worth spending the extra time making them yourself?
What are Aji Filters Made From?
Aji Filters are made from a hand-loomed cotton sourced via a Social Enterprise in Bihar, India. Both the material and the thread used to stitch it together is made from a 100% natural cotton.
We prototyped hundreds of materials with varying hole sizes and flavour profiles, the final material we selected is neutral tasting and presents a range of different styles of coffees equally.
We found that the size of the holes is just one variable, we also looked at how well the cotton would adhere to the dripper walls when wet and how easy it was to clean.
What material should you use?
When making your own cloth coffee filter you first have to find a suitable material, look for organic cotton or equivalent. The last thing you want is to use something that has been bleached or contaminated with pesticides. You can also look at using other materials such as hemp or blended materials, best to stray away from any plastic based materials as these can melt under heat or leach into your cup of coffee.
How to make your own Cloth coffee Filter?
To make your own cloth coffee filter first gather all of your necessary equipment and materials listed below:
Cotton
Thread
Needle / sewing machine
Pins
Scissors
Download the Free Reusable Cotton Coffee Filter Pattern.
Print the pattern out and cut out your paper sewing patten.
Place the pattern on top of your cotton material and fasten using pins.
Cut out the cotton in the shape of your patten and fold the semi circle in half to create a quarter circle shape.
Next sew the straight edge shut and back-tack at the very start and very end of the stitch, now you have yourself a reusable cotton coffee filter.
How to account for cotton shrinkage?
Just how your clothes shrink so does a cotton coffee filter. This is the very reason as to why we make our filters larger and then instruct you to boil them for 10 mins.
This initial boiling shrinks the cotton to the correct size and helps to remove any naturally occurring starches.
If you are trying to make a cloth coffee filter, test how much it shrinks by boiling a filter and then measuring the ammount of shrinkage using a ruler. Next, add this ammount to your dimensions of the patten to compensate.
Taste Comparison of cloth coffee filters?
Taste is highly based around preference and an individuals experience, some people like clean tasting coffees where as other like strong and fermented coffees. While we struggle to explain if you will prefer cotton over paper we can still talk about taste and describe the differences.
Paper filters are clean and allow for a general expression of each coffee, some are made from a paper pulp where as other filters use natural fibre paired with craping methods. This results in a wide range of paper coffee filters available each with their own drawdown speed and flavour profile.
Cotton filters on the other hand offer a completly different experience and taste profile, the larger holes in the cotton result in a much faster flow rate and more oils to pass through into your final cup. This adds a textural component to your coffee that makes it taste silky and thick in comparison. As well as this there is this creaminess that shines through, particularly for washed and cleaner coffees.
What is the best way to sew a cloth coffee filter?
While most cloth coffee filters are made from a single stitch, this is not the most durable approach and the proof is in the pudding.
We advertise that Aji Filters last 2-3 years where as most cloth coffee filter companies advertise their filters to last 6-12 months.
We pride ourself on quality, Aji Filters aren’t just made from the highest quality cotton available, they are double stitched on every edge. Double stitching shouldn’t be confused with sewing twice on the same edge, it actually refers to sewing an edge, folding it over and then top stitching to create a neat and incredibly strong edge that has been secured twice in 2 different spots.
How expensive is it to sew your own coffee filter?
When looking to make your own reusable cotton coffee filters it can be very expensive, purchasing multiple materials to find the best result is actually the cheapest component. The time it takes is a whole other thing, if you don’t have sewing experience or the necessary equipment this can quickly turn into a rabbit hole but nonetheless a very rewarding journey.
Cloth coffee filter pattern
To make your own DIY Cloth Coffee Filter we have attached a Basic Cloth Filter Pattern, simply download this A4 Document and print it out.
Bennefits of using Aji Filters
Aji Filters have many benefits, they are the most durable cloth coffee filters available, they are packaged in 100% recyclable materials and are a sustainable alternative to paper coffee filters. As well as all of this, we purchase our cotton through a social enterprise whom support the cotton growers and producers in the region of Bihar, India. While we are a small company we have big dreams, we want to employ people who are looking to up-skill and learn how to sew and even aspire to one day own our own cotton farm where we can control and experiment with different sustainable growing techniques and have a more hands on approach to the hand looming manufacturing process.
We are excited for the journey ahead and your support along the way will help us to get there.
