OUR STORY
Welcome, My name is Liam Hatzipavlis I am the creator behind the Aji Filter. Welcome to our official Aji Filter Website. I'm so happy that you've stumbled upon this page, as it gives me the opportunity to take you on a journey through my heartwarming story of how the Aji Filter came into existence.
Before you knew me as the guy sharing those captivating coffee videos online, my journey commenced in the nurturing embrace of my mother, a gifted seamstress and a master in the world of women's fashion. A spark ignited within me at a young age when around my mother and her grandmother, who generously shared their sewing wisdom and appreciation for fashion and clothing design.
My quest for knowledge led me to the world of fashion and pattern-making, a path that would eventually intersect with the captivating realm of coffee. As I ventured into the coffee industry, my love for the art of pour over coffee and specialty coffee burgeoned, culminating in the birth of Basic Barista, an online coffee equipment retailer. While my primary focus was to curate exceptional coffee drippers and create captivating content around coffee brewing gear, I never abandoned my passion for sewing, always mending my own clothes and fixing my friends clothes whenever they needed.
At Basic Barista, I diligently scoured the market for coffee brewing products that catered to enthusiasts of all levels. Be it the novice seeking budget-friendly coffee grinders or the connoisseur eyeing the $1,000+ Pro-sumer coffee grinder adorned with all the bells and whistles, my mission was to offer a diverse array of choices.
My first encounter with cotton coffee filters unfolded while I was on the hunt for the perfect filter to feature at Basic Barista. I purchased three different brands of cloth coffee filters, only to be left disheartened. Craftsmanship was lacking, and these filters broke down with the smallest amount of use, their cotton quality left much to be desired and paved a path where I knew I could make something better. Our goal was simple, to create a better, sturdier coffee filter that wouldn't unravel after a few uses and most importantly, didn’t give up on taste.
Extensive experimentation with materials and designs eventually led us to a rare and gorgeous hand-loomed cotton, sourced from a social enterprise in Bihar, India. What makes this discovery even more special is that the profits from our cotton support the communities in the producing region, ensuring that our impact reaches far beyond our own borders.
Today, I'm thrilled to share that we've not only honed our design but have been offering two sizes of conical coffee filters since 2021. Looking ahead, our vision extends to introducing filters that cater to an even broader array of coffee brewers, while constantly innovating and reshaping the way people perceive reusable cotton coffee filters.
Thank you for joining us on this journey, and I'm excited to have you as a part of the Aji Filter family as we continue to brew up a storm of change in the world of coffee.
Liam Hatzipavlis
Basic Barista | Aji Filter