Steel strainer is a sustainable and practical alternative to a paper filter when making coffee
Passionate about coffee, the group creates a stainless steel filter that produces a greater quantity of the drink, making better use of the beans
The paper coffee filter looks harmless, but far from it. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the use of a filter produced with industrially bleached paper is sufficient to exceed “acceptable levels” of dioxin (a toxic substance that causes several complications to human health and the environment - see more here) for a lifetime. A logical solution would be to return to the good old cloth strainer, but it is undeniable that it is not very practical.
Another alternative is the filter created by the company Able Brewing, made of stainless steel, and which has precise holes (cut by a photochemical process), allowing a constant flow of the drink while minimizing the amount of sediment. It also has a black plastic ring that reinforces the device, allowing, according to the manufacturer, a thinner filter and a clean cup. And it's still practical: it fits on most supports, and to clean it, just wipe it off with a cloth or wash it in hot water. But the biggest advantage is that it doesn't harm the environment.
After going through Kickstarter, a crowdfunding site (crowd financing) and raising around US$ 150,000, while intending to acquire only US$ 5,000, Able Brewing's filter paper is in its third version, it is a success and is sold by several e-commerce sites around the world, again according to the manufacturer.
How to use
First, you need to put the coffee powder inside the filter (if the bean is ground in small parts, the coffee has a chance to taste better). Then, after placing the filter on a container, it is necessary to slowly distribute the water through the filter, otherwise the water will not stay in the funnel long enough and the drink may be weak. To get more details about the product, better understand how it works and find out how to purchase it, visit the official website. Also take a look at the video below (in English):
Alternatives
If you are not interested in purchasing this new filtering option, there are old methods that might work. The first, as already mentioned, is to use the old cloth strainer which, despite not being very practical, does not go through the artificial whitening process, and can be reused several times. The second is the production of coffee in the Italian coffee maker, created in 1933, which does not require a filter. The other options are related to electric coffee makers - they also don't need a filter, but they use energy instead of the heat of the fire.
Remember that, after enjoying the coffee, there are several ways to reuse the coffee grounds (Learn more in "Coffee grounds: 13 incredible uses").
