The filter material changes the cup as much as the brewer does.
Paper
Removes oils and fines. The result is the cleanest and brightest cup available, with the least body.
Paper also traps cafestol and kahweol, the diterpenes that unfiltered coffee carries.
Rinse before use to remove papery taste and to preheat the brewer.
Metal
Passes oils and fines. The cup has more body and more sediment, and it can be muddy if the grind produces many fines.
Reusable, no waste, no rinsing. Needs proper cleaning or oils go rancid in the mesh.
Standard in a French press, and available for the AeroPress and most drippers.
Cloth
Passes oils, holds fines. The interesting middle: the body of a metal filter with the clarity of paper.
This is why the Japanese nel drip and the Brazilian coador de pano are prized.
The cost is maintenance. Cloth must be rinsed thoroughly after every use, boiled periodically, and stored submerged in water in the fridge. A dried cloth goes rancid unmistakably.
Which to choose
Paper for clarity and light roasts, and if you want the health-related filtering. Metal for body and convenience. Cloth if you like body and do not mind the ritual.
In an AeroPress
Two paper filters gives a cleaner, slower brew. A metal filter gives a heavier, more press-like cup from the same recipe.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026