Coffee filters: natural or bleached?

[taxlady]

I sometimes see both colours available at the supermarket. Last pack, I had to go to the health food store to get the unbleached ones.

 

[justplainbill]

Years back, over my wife's objections, I bought about 1200 Melitta unbleached paper cone filters. We grind enough coffee daily for 4 to 8 cups and use 1 to 2 filters per day.

 

[Alix]

So many questions and so many smart aleck comments running through my head whilst reading this thread. I'm being good though, not going to start any kind of stuff today.

I have a crapload of both types of filters floating around my house. I typically bought the bleached filters because I could get them uber cheap at Costco. Any unbleached filters are the leftovers from when Mom moved into assisted living. I use neither one for coffee at the moment as my Keurig is doing the job just fine and it has a tiny little meshy thing.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Please explain.

Rinsing coffee grounds down the kitchen sink is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Alix]

Rinsing coffee grounds down the kitchen sink is a recipe for disaster.

Why?

 

[Andy M.]

Rinsing coffee grounds down the kitchen sink is a recipe for disaster.

Been doing it for decades, both with had without a food waste disposer. Never had an issue. I stopped throwing grounds in the trash because of the smell they generate.

You can dump coffee grounds down the drain or in the trash whether you use a metal mesh filter or a paper one. You seemed to be equating a metal coffee filter with roto-rooter issues.

 

[taxlady]

My mother swore by putting coffee grounds down the drain. She said they absorbed grease and help keep the drains running well. When someone told her that their plumber said not to do that, she replied, "What do you expect? He makes more money if you don't do it."

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Rinsing coffee grounds down the kitchen sink is a recipe for disaster.

I never put anything down the drain that can be more easily thrown in the trash. I'd rather go to a bit extra labor taking out trash than pay the drain man. I'm not buying the story about the grounds cleaning the fat. I avoid putting fat down the drain too, although at least lye helps clean fat clogs, but does nothing for coffee grounds.

 

[justplainbill]

Coffee grinds are acidic. Acid and brass do not go well together.

 

[Andy M.]

Coffee grinds are acidic. Acid and brass do not go well together.

Not a lot of brass in plumbing these days. Besides, lots of acidic items go down the drain and no one has issued warnings on them.

 

[Dawgluver]

I put my coffee grounds along with the (bleached) coffee filters in the compost bin, along with veg scraps and egg shells.

 

[taxlady]

I put my coffee grounds along with the (bleached) coffee filters in the compost bin, along with veg scraps and egg shells.

I do that when it isn't winter.

 

[Dawgluver]

I do that when it isn't winter.

I keep a covered pail on the counter, then empty outside in the compost heap.

 

[taxlady]

I keep a covered pail on the counter, then empty outside in the compost heap.

I'm just not up for keeping a path to the composter cleared through the snow.

 

[GLC]

I do that when it isn't winter.

I do it, except on alternate Tuesdays when the moon is full and the wind is out of the east, UNLESS a dove has pooped on my car during the night. In that case, on the way to the compost bin, I fling it at the dove.

 

[FrankZ]

I'm just not up for keeping a path to the composter cleared through the snow.

Kathleen bought a Natures Mill composter and it sits in our pantry. I have to empty the bin to a bucket outside every few weeks.

 

[Dawgluver]

Kathleen bought a Natures Mill composter and it sits in our pantry. I have to empty the bin to a bucket outside every few weeks.

It really does cut down on garbage, we have like 1/4 trash can to put out each week, compared to neighbors who don't recycle or compost, and who put out 3-4 or more full cans.

Coffee grounds make for great compost too!

 

[taxlady]

Kathleen bought a Natures Mill composter and it sits in our pantry. I have to empty the bin to a bucket outside every few weeks.

Very nifty. I don't think I will be getting one of those just yet. The Canadian places seem to sell versions that start at $399.

Maybe I should try worm composting.

 

[taxlady]

It really does cut down on garbage, we have like 1/4 trash can to put out each week, compared to neighbors who don't recycle or compost, and who put out 3-4 or more full cans.

Coffee grounds make for great compost too!

Coffee grounds can be used as mulch without even composting them. So can tea leaves.

Yeah, I notice the difference in the amount of garbage we put out in winter. But, we do the recycle thing as well, so it really isn't huge amounts of garbage.

 

[Dawgluver]

Very nifty. I don't think I will be getting one of those just yet. The Canadian places seem to sell versions that start at $399.

Maybe I should try worm composting.

TL, I just have a nice looking copper pail with a lid. It merely sits on the counter, and doesn't do anything else other than hold scraps till we dump it. I think I got it from Gardens Alive, but any small container with a lid would do.