Can I Use a Paper Towel for a Coffee Filter?
Coffee drinkers need coffee filters to brew their morning java—but what if you’re in a bind and you don’t have any coffee filters on hand? Can you use a paper towel as a viable alternative? Let’s take a look.
Using Paper Towels as Coffee Filters
Paper towels don’t work as great as coffee cones, but they can be used in a pinch. Just make sure you’re using unbleached paper towels—bleached paper towels can impart negative flavors to your coffee.
Here’s how to use paper towels as a coffee filter:
- Start with a high-quality unbleached paper towel
- Cut a diameter of the paper towel slightly larger than the size of your coffee maker
- Fold the edges up slightly, so your grounds don’t spill out the sides
- Pour your filtered water and ground coffee into the paper towel
- Let the mixture steep for the recommended amount of time and enjoy!
Pros and Cons
Using paper towels as coffee filters does come with some potential drawbacks, but overall it can do the job and save you in a pinch. Here are the pros and cons of using paper towels as coffee filters:
- Pros
- Convenient
- Cost-Effective
- Eco-Friendly
- Cons
- Imparts strange flavors to your coffee
- Can be messy and difficult
- Cannot filter out some larger particles
The Bottom Line
Using a paper towel as a coffee filter is a viable option when you don’t have any coffee filters available. Just make sure you’re using an unbleached paper towel to avoid imparting any negative flavors to your coffee. And keep in mind that this method isn’t fool-proof, and does come with potential drawbacks.
