Customer Reviews

Medelco #4 Cone Permanent Coffee Filter

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Descriptions claims its for use in ALL, not MOST #4 Cone filtered coffee makers. Not so. Doesn't fit my Gevalia coffee maker -- I can't even close the lid. Not worth paying to return it, so I guess I'll cut the top ring and handle off and make it fit or throw it out.

I've been using this filter for about two weeks now. It is my first permanent filter, and I am very happy with its performance. It is solidly built, and with proper care should last quite a while. I debated on the high-end swiss gold filter, but thought the price was too high, so I figured I'd take a chance with this one with free shipping. I can't imagine how much better/different the swiss gold would be if any? I am using a fairly fine ground from a good, flat burr grinder, and have had no issues of grounds/sludge in my coffee. I also purchased a new Zojirushi coffee maker at the same time, so read my review on that as well if you're in the market for a good machine. This filter fits the Zoji perfectly.

I bought the Medelco #4 cone permanent coffee filter as a substitute for a Braun UGSF4 filter. Unfortunately, it's not a really good substitute. Although the Medelco coffee filter will fit in a Braun coffee maker, it's not as tall and tapered as the Braun UGSF4. As a result, it doesn't concentrate the coffee as much when it is moving through the filter so you have to substantially increase the amount of ground coffee that you are using for the same strength of coffee. So while the Medelco is initially cheaper than the corresponding Braun filter, one would end up spending much more money in the long run because you would use more ground coffee. My advice is to search the net (including e-bay) to find a genuine Braun gold filter...even though it will likely be more expensive than the Medelco filter, you'll be much happier in the long run.

I purchased this because, after about 8 months or so, I started noticing tiny holes/tears forming in the bottom of the permanent filter that came from the factory with my Braun coffee maker. It seemed to allow some of the smaller coffee grounds to come through during brewing. This product partially solved the problem. However, a more general issue with these permanent filters is that, even when they are intact, they do not filter as many particulates from the coffee as a paper filter. If you grind your own beans as I do, and your grind is on the finer side, a certain amount of 'residue' is going to come through these filters that would be stopped by a paper filter. Just keep that in mind, and don't drink those last few drops!

A couple of years ago, I received a French Press Coffee maker as a present, and it made coffee that was clearly superior to coffee made in the drip coffee maker. One morning I looked more closely at the coffee in the French Press and noticed oils on the surface and realized that the "moist" look on the beans was possibly oils. When making coffee in the French press, it had no paper filter, and I deduced that this was because there was no paper filter to absorb the oils. This could be remedied in my drip maker with a permanent mesh filter. I went through a couple of these before I finally bought this one, which fits my Zojirushi coffee maker. The quality of my coffee improved as the oils found their way through the filtering. I recommend this filter for all you picky coffee drinkers.

I bought it for a Gevalia coffee maker that I received as a gift. It is a bit too large diameter at the top. Thus it does not sit down in the coffee maker far enough. I cut some of the top to make it fit and use it anyway. I will buy a different brand next time. If you need to cut one, use tin snips as it is very hard and tends to crack even though it has the screen in the plastic.)(Medelco #4 Cone Permanent Coffee Filter

it is a nice idea for saving money and paper, is easy to clean and fits perfectly, but it lets through very fine particles that can make the last cup a little sludgy.
I would recommend this to others, but with the warning not to swirl the pot or drink all of the coffee.

I was getting frustrated discarding paper filters after only getting one use out of them. A permanent filter seems more ecologically sound, and more practical in the long run. This particular one seems to be constructed just fine, and fits my ceramic Melitta perfectly. However, the coffee it "brews" is not quite the same as what I get from paper (using the white Melitta filters). Firstly, hot water runs through this much more quickly, so the end result is weaker. Secondly, it allows a fine grit to pass through which influences taste, not in a better way, and also makes the brewed coffee a little bit cloudy. The fast pass-through seems nice, especially since I do not much like to wait for the paper filter and always have to fiddle with the grounds to get all the water to make its way through. But apparently that bit of stalling allows for better "brewing". I have experimented with slightly clogging the Melitta hole, which helps, but is a hassle. Maybe there is a specific Melitta with a specific hole size intended for permanent filters, don't know. Anyway, this device such as it is is fine, but the concept is a bit unsuccessful. I'm willing to keep testing it for a while to see if I get to the brew I want, but I suspect I'll be going back to paper.

I was skeptical about using this but didn't want to buy filters all the time. This filter is very fine and it was extremely easy to wash. The filter is also ideal for better tasting coffee as paper contains dyes that can alter taste. Gold mesh/stainless steel filters don't affect it. This is budget conscious, taste conscious and eco-friendly the trinity of a good buy. Only complaint is that it doesn't come in smaller sizes. I need a #1 and this sticks far out.

My husband read an article about the traditional paper coffee filters being toxic and non-biodegradable so we agreed that a reusable filter would be a healthier option for everyone. There are never any coffee grounds in the pot, the filter fits into our coffee maker perfectly and is easily cleaned. We are also going to save a few extra bucks a year not having to buy the paper filters. We can only wonder why we hadn't thought of this sooner.