Customer Reviews

Frieling USA C104943 Cilio Porcelain No. 4 Coffee Filter Holder

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Well, first off, let me say that I'm happy with this purchase. The cone is solidly constructed and appears to be high-quality. The handle is not "linguini thin" as one reviewer said. It is normal, by my standards (I was pleasantly surprised). It is not made in USA however, as the headline/name suggests. It is a German product. No biggie--still a well-manufactured item.

One reviewer commented that the drain hole is too large, and they get weak coffee. Please look online to see how to make coffee using a filter cone. I've been using filter cones for years (the yucky plastic kind until I got my ceramic cone!) and this is my method: run water through the paper filter first. Put coffee (plenty) into paper filter/cone. Now this is imperative--pour just a tablespoon or two of hot water onto the grounds. Wait. Let the coffee "bloom" for at least 30 seconds. One minute is better. Then slowly pour more water in.

Okay that's my review. Cheers and happy coffee drinking!

I had a difficult time comparing this to the HIC version that's significantly cheaper. I ended up getting both, and this one is the one I'll keep. I've uploaded some product photos to help others make the comparison.

- Weight and thickness: the HIC is significantly heavier and thicker than the Frieling Cilio. I like the lighter weight of this one.

- Number of drain holes: HIC has three, Frieling Cilio has one larger one. No noticeable difference in draining time.

- Outer diameter of bottom rim: this is the ring that helps keeps the filter holder in place on your carafe. Frieling Cilio has a smaller diameter (2 7/16") vs. HIC (2 3/4"). My carafe opening diameter is also 2 3/4" which makes the HIC very awkward and unsteady. Your carafe needs to have a larger diameter opening than the bottom rim on the filter holder.

Small differences, but they add up. I like the Frieling Cilio much better; it's worth the extra cost.

I bought size six and LOVE it. Just what I needed. I wanted to get away from heated plastic. And this is just the ticket. It's hard porcelain. Shiny and white. Makes great coffee with a number 6 paper filter. Yes, yes. You must use a paper filter. But paper is not plastic; and I was trying to get away from plastic. Great product.

***Final Update*** I sent it back because the cracks spread around the bottom inside of the cone. Hoping I had received a rare lemon, I replaced it with the same model. The second one I received had a ridge of un-glazed ceramic running halfway around the upper rim; this ridge was rough and sharp enough to cut fingers. I've concluded that quality control is poor for this item and I've changed brands to the less expensive model available on this site.

Also note that nowhere on the packaging or the item is the place of manufacturing stated.


***UPDATE*** I've taken off a star because tiny cracks in the glazing are already starting to form inside the cone in one bottom corner. I have treated this like a baby the ONE WEEK that I've had it. If it gets any worse, I'll ship it back!


Being able to control the temperature and the flow of the water makes a MUCH better pot of coffee than any of the electric drippers.

This cone has one hole. Mine sits securely on top of a 4 cup Mr.Coffee carafe or a large coffee mug. Very stable. The Melitta #4 filters fit perfectly. Flow is just right with store bought and home-ground coffee.

My only misgiving is the linguine-thin handle. The ceramic is otherwise as solid as a coffee mug, and the handle should be thick too.

I got tired of replacing the Mr. Coffee coffee makers I would buy every 4 years when they broke, and went looking for something that was easy to use, never broke, was easy to clean, and had no plastic to leach chemicals into my hot coffee. This is it.

It's well made, has not given me any problems, and makes the best cup of coffee. It is to be used with a paper cone filter. It hols the filter, but doesn't replace a filter.

First, which size should you choose? Multiple the "number" by 4 and that's about how many ounces of coffee you can make at one time. #4 makes about 16 ounces. You can make less of course, but note that the #6 is going to be very big and much heavier than the #4. Also note that the #6 filters aren't everywhere like the #2 and #4. However, you CAN put a smaller paper filter in, though the capacity will be that of the smaller filter. So you can buy a #6 and put in a #2 filter and make 8 ounces of coffee.

Now, how is it that your local coffee shop's coffee is so much better than yours at home? Here are the secrets that they use but you don't. First, they grind their coffee a little courser than you would. Second, they use a lot of coffee per cup: 1.5 scoops. But the thing that really stands out is the fact that their filters are HUGE, so the water sits in the grounds for a lot longer than your Mr. Coffee and that pulls a lot more flavor out.

So how can you get exactly the same results? Here's how I do it. It sounds complicated but it's very easy and very fast. And you can buy fairly inexpensive coffee and it still tastes great.

Use 1.25 scoops per # of your filter. #4 filter: 4 x 1.25 = 5 scoops. Grind it coarser than you should for a cone filter, by about a full number on the grinder. But grind it into a pyrex measuring cup or other heat safe, pourable container.

Heat up the water in a pan or teakettle on the stove (you can start heating the water before you grind the coffee so that the water is heating while you are measuring and grinding). For me that means filling the mug nearly full of water, pouring it into a pan an heating the pan on the stove. When it boils take it off. Water boils at 212 degrees, but the ideal coffee brewing temperature is 190-195. So I run it under a cold water tap for about a half second to bring the boiling water temperature down to ideal coffee brewing temperature..

Next pour some of the water from the pan into the pyrex with the coffee in it, filling the pyrex about 2/3 full. If you still have water left over, put the pan back on the stove and cover it.

Note that you could do it in reverse using a microwave: put the water with no coffee in the pyrex and heat it in the microwave, then add a dash of cold water when it boils and finally add the coffee. The problem with doing it this way is that the container might get too hot to be comfortable. If you use a pan to heat up the water, that won't happen.

Next, take a chopstick or other wooden utensil and stir the coffee in the pyrex with the water until the top is smooth and has no clumps.

Put the holder over your container (I put it right on top of my mug) and put a paper filter in the holder. Pour the coffee mixture from the pyrex into the filter, as soon as you can after you finish stirring the lumps out of it. If there is more water left in the pan, pour it into the pyrex and carefully (so you don't burn yourself), swirl it around to pick up any remaining coffee grounds and pour it into the filter, being careful not to overflow the filter.

Now you are ready to walk away and let it drip. At this point, I clean the chopstick and the pyrex.

When you can no longer see a pool of water in the coffee filter, it's ready to add cream, sugar, etc and drink. It's every bit as good as coffee you get in a coffee shop.

I bought this after reading the generally favorable reviews and thought I'd come back and address some of the common issues:

1. The drain rate on the No. 2 filter holder (and presumably the rate on the other size holders with one drainage hole)-- I have plastic Melittas with both one and three holes, and both drain at a good rate (not too slow, yet not so fast as to result in weak coffee). This holder has one hole, and the drain rate is the same as my plastic models-- just fine.

2. The holder handle is sufficient for the weight of the holder-- I didn't find it too thin or at all unstable.

3. The box the holder came in screams "Asia", but it has German words on it. Nowhere does it say either "Made in China" nor "Made in Germany". I can only hope that I haven't traded my BPAs for a lead glaze. :)

4. Because porcelain is more slippery than plastic, the filters don't stay put so well in the holder despite the inside ridges. This isn't really a problem, and the filter drops to the bottom once you put the coffee in.

5. My holder had no deformities or glaze imperfections.

I miss being able to "tap-tap-tap" the plastic holder on the top of my coffee cup to get the coffee back into the center of it after having one cup. I always add a little more coffee and use the filter again for my second cup. I can't do this with porcelain because of the break-factor. The holder is also more slippery on the top of certain cups. All in all I think it's still worth it, assuming this thing is made with food-safe glaze.

Bonus! I bought the No.2 size holder to make single cups, but I learned long ago to buy (Melitta) #4 filters for the No. 2 holder. These stick up over the top and are easier to handle and also absorb a little of the water and prevent some spillage of grounds into your cup if you get careless or overzealous pouring. The base size is the same as the #2 filter-- they're just taller.

Simple product, NOT plastic, works great. As long as you can boil and pour water, you are good to go and will have a delicious cup of coffee. I bought the #2 and use filters from Peets (which I picked up at the coffee shop here in town.) I did agree with one reviewer who noted that the country of origin is listed no where on the packaging. The box it was in, however, has that distinctly flimsy China quality.

These are wonderful little devices for making fantastic coffee. You use boiling water which releases more flavor than drip coffee makers. We had been using plastic cones prior to purchasing these, but I was worried that plastic was leeching into the hot water, so we upgraded to porcelain. They make better coffee than drip makers & take up no counter space, you can wash them in the cup rack of your dishwasher, and they do not absorb any flavor, so you get only the fresh, pure taste of your coffee every single time. This is what they use in the high end coffee shops in our neighborhood, but now we have it right at home.

This is very well designed and worth the price! It's much nicer than the plastic models and porcelain holds the heat as the coffee brews. The size is very generous for holding the #2 filter.

Had to move away from the plastic drain from Melitta - they had a porcelain filter and carafe but you couldn't buy a filter alone - so i got this one. works well and I'm happy to get away from heating plastic - not healthy.