reusable unbleached coffee filters!

 Jeremy and I have been wanting to switch over to unbleached coffee filters for a long time now.  Why have coffee with leached in bleach floating around in it?  Blech.  

We hadn't bought any unbleached (brown) filters because we hadn't found a good price on them, and plus, we didn't have coffee all that often.  But when I saw a picture of a homemade/sewn coffee filter (sold for $7) made out of unbleached heavy cotton, I knew I had to try to make some!  

Above is the pattern I made using one of our cone-shaped filters. (our last one!)  I used a plastic sheet protector to cut the pattern out of and laid the filter on the fold just like my paper filter had. 

 

I bought 1/4 yard of the fabric that was in the utility section of the fabric store... and paid a whopping $1.50 for it.  (I think I had an extra coupon for it.)

 It was enough to make 4 filters. 

I sewed them up the best I could and have used them twice and think they're great!  I read that all you have to do is dump the grounds afterwards, then rinse the filter with cold water and air dry.  The coffee will eventually stain the filter a darker brown.  But I have 3 more waiting to go in the cupboard as needed.  Pretty nifty, I'd say!   If I were to do it again, I'd make them a bit taller compared to a paper filter... that way you're sure the fabric won't buckle from the weight of the water and fold down into the coffee grounds since the fabric doesn't stick to the sides of the coffee maker the way paper does.