Braun Universal Gold Screen Coffee Filter Review

How many times have you gone to the pantry only to find yourself staring into an empty box of coffee filters?  You know, that green and red box?  I hate those moments.  There was a time that I was pretty proficient at taking a paper towel square and fashioning a coffee filter out of it.  But then guys who forget to pick up coffee filters are often the same guys who forget to pick up more paper towels.

Now there was a time when to compensate for these failings I might go down to Costco or Sam's Club and pick up a pallet of both paper towels and coffee filters.  But not any more.  A more practical solution and a real space saver (who has room for pallets anyway?) is the Braun Universal Gold Screen Coffee Filter. 

What is it?

It's simply a permanent cone shaped coffee filter that is made of a gold-plated stainless steel mesh fit into a plastic frame. It fits virtually all drip coffee makers that take a no. 4 cone filter.  The Braun filter has a fold down plastic handle that helps you remove the filter when it's heavy with wet grinds.

So instead of grabbing a wet soggy filter out of your coffee maker and trying to get it over to the garbage can without spilling it, you simply rise it out either directly into your sink or garbage disposal.  Don't worry about the grinds in your drain.  If you let the water run for a few moments, they actually help to keep your drain clean and clear.

Rinse the filter with tap water and it's ready to be put back into service.  It's pretty convenient.  And, at about $9.99 it's cost-effective.

A couple of things I've noticed

When used with a really fine grind it's not unusual to find a fine silt on the bottom of the near empty coffee pot.  This might bother some, but I simply rinse it out.  It usually doesn't present a problem unless you're trying to squeeze the very last drops of coffee from the pot.

After about a week's worth of coffee making, the coffee may begin to taste a little bitter.  This is actually a product feature.  It's the filter's way of telling you to  Wash me!  That's right, rinsing may work on a pot to pot basis but depending on how many pots you brew you do need to wash the filter to remove all the accumulated oils.  Simply drop it into the top rack of your dishwasher and run it with your next cycle or apply a little liquid detergent to it and wash it by hand.  Remember to rinse well.

The Green Aspect

While you'll never find me way out their at the lunatic fringe of the Green Movement, I do believe strongly in being conveniently green.  Whenever I find alternatives that allow me to reduce waste, pollute less or just make better use of resources that come at no expense to my life-style, I jump on them.  Why not?

This seems to be one of those products.  If you're a coffee drinker, pick up one of these filters and join me in saving our forests one coffee filter at a time! 

Regards,

Rudi