Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsNight and day!
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2017
You might be wondering why anyone would pay $13 for a coffee filter that you can only use with a $30 coffee maker. The short answer is because for a total investment of $43, you'll have a world-class single-cup brewing system. I bought an AeroPress for my girlfriend last year for Valentine's Day (not the most obviously romantic choice, I know), and was startled to discover a thriving aftermarket in reusable metal filters.
At the time, however, the AeroPress seemed to present a sufficiently steep learning curve that I didn't want to introduce yet another variable. Fast forward a year and she's used up most of the paper filters. I decided it was time to try one of these things, so I researched all the alternatives and chose this because the company is candid about the type of steel and mesh they use. Virtually none of the competing products disclose these details, and these details matter. The ultra-fine mesh is a wonder to behold—I've never seen metal mesh this fine, and it really does what it claims to: it filters out the grit but not the flavor.
To test this, I had my girlfriend brew two cups of coffee: one with a paper filter, and one with the S Filter. The idea was to do a blind taste test, but that proved difficult because the coffee was visibly different. The cup brewed with the paper filter was MUCH lighter and more translucent. The cup brewed with the S Filter, meanwhile, was darker and thicker. It looked, in other words, like a proper cup of black coffee. It seems the paper filters absorb the oils that give coffee its distinctive look and taste, leaving you with slightly bitter caffeinated water. If you've been using the paper filters, you owe it to yourself to try one of these—it's night and day.
