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With 44% of all Americans drinking between two and three cups of coffee every day, for a combined 146 billion cups per year, disposable components like coffee filters and single-serve capsules produce a lot of waste.

Reusable coffee filters are one way to reduce paper waste, with options available in a variety of materials, including cotton, hemp, metal, and even wood. As coffee lovers, we've scoured manufacturers and researched a variety of brands to track down the most promising possible alternatives to your standard paper coffee filter.

Here are the best reusable coffee filters.

Guaranteed to last up to a year—and replacing, on average, 500 paper filters—the Coffeesock is the leader in simple, environmentally-friendly, reusable cloth coffee filters. 

Made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, which produces up to 94% less greenhouse emissions compared with conventional cotton, this pour-over filter is available to fit all common brew systems, including Chemex, v60, basket, and drip. Organic cotton is a great choice for brewing a perfectly balanced cup as it absorbs some of the oils found naturally in the beans, while letting the acids pass through. The result? A crisp and rich coffee that hasn’t absorbed the taste of a paper filter. Delicious!

When it's time to replace your CoffeeSock you can even compost the old ones.

Want to be able to grab a cup of coffee anytime you’re on the go? This stainless steel filter is made by iconic vacuum flask brand Stanley and is a sustainable solution to your coffee cravings. Designed to last a lifetime, this pour-over cuts out the need to ever buy a filter again and is robust enough for the kitchen and the campground. 

It’s made from recyclable food-grade stainless steel, lauded for its durability, and—unlike plastic—it never leaches chemicals that affect your coffee's flavor. The Stanley Pour Over is built to stand the test of time, particularly as it’s stain and rust resistant. 

The Stanley Perfect-Brew is also available in a set, which includes a double-wall vacuum insulated and dishwasher-safe camping mug. It’s sure to become your go-to backcountry coffee kit.

These refillable filters can replace single-use K-Cups and are compatible with over 24 Keurig models.

Made from BPA-free plastic, DeliBru reusable coffee and tea filters offer an alternative to hard-to-recycle K-cups. Plus, unlike ready-packaged K-Cups, you can fill them with your favorite small scale coffee producer, allowing you to take more control over the environmental and ethical origins of your beans. 

They’re also fantastically easy to use. Just fill them up, pop them in the machine and voila: perfect coffee every time.

Addicted to Aeropress coffee but looking for a paper filter alternative? This disk-shaped filter from Able Brewing is the product you’ve been seeking. Constructed from durable and recyclable food-grade stainless steel, it’s very easy to clean and comes in two different sizes: standard (a thicker disk that makes a full-bodied coffee and is built to last years) or fine (a thinner, less durable disk for a sweet and clean cup). 

The Able Disk even comes in 100% post-consumer recycled and FSC-certified packaging.

Go paperless every morning with these coffee filters engineered to fit most 8- to 12-cup cone coffee makers. Including two filters per pack, these are the ideal buy for those who drink a couple of coffees per day, as you can alternate between them to ensure you always have a clean filter on hand. 

Made from organic cotton and organic hemp (which requires less land and water to grow than cotton), these filters are a sustainable alternative to paper that will last you the whole year. Cleaning is a cinch too: they can be washed with soap, boiled for 10 minutes, or rinsed with a scoop of baking soda.

Achieve a perfect brew each and every time with this stainless steel coffee filter that’s compatible with practically all pour-over makers and drip machines. Since stainless steel doesn't impart any flavor to your coffee, these cone-shaped filters are popular among coffee purists. As such, they fit many coffee makers popular with enthusiasts, including Chemex and Hario V60, plus most ceramic and metal drippers. A BPA-free silicone rim helps the metal filter fit snugly in your preferred coffee marker.

The Ovalware Stainless Steel Coffee Filter is dishwasher safe.

A striking design statement isn't what you'd typically expect from a coffee filter, but this handcrafted pour-over filter from Canadiano fits the description. Carved out of a single block of FSC-certified wood milled in Canada, the Canadiano Walnut Pour-Over Coffee Maker uses an ultra-fine, stainless steel filter for minimalist approach to morning brewing.

There are even different wood grain recommendations, depending on your flavor preferences. Walnut or oak work particularly well with dark roats, while the cherry or birch options are better for light and medium brews. Unlike purely stainless steel filters—which are prized for imparting no flavor—part of the fun with the Canadiano is how oils from your coffee slowly season the wood elements, eventually creating a coffee maker that imparts rich flavor notes based on your unique tastes.

With its fuss-free design the CoffeeSock (view at Thrive Market) is the best way to replace your paper coffee filters with a reusable alternative. Or, if you're looking for an all-in-one replacement for your traditional method of brewing, consider the Stanley Classic Perfect-Brew Pour Over (view at REI), which uses stainless steel to create a clean, uninflected cup of coffee every time.

Removing single-use plastic or paper filters from your coffee routine means swapping them out for something else, which is why buying a reusable filter made from sustainably sourced and environmentally-sound materials is a key concern. Organic fabrics such as cotton and hemp are ideal for replacing paper, as they both require significantly less impactful manufacturing processes than many other alternatives. They’re even more sustainable than bamboo. They also allow the oils from the coffee beans to pass through into the cup, while holding back fine sediment, for a richer flavor without the grit.

If you're willing to tolerate fine coffee particles (similar to what you'd get from a French press), consider stainless steel, which doesn't filter quite as well as fabrics, but offer a very easy-to-use replacement filter. Stainless steel, and other recyclable metals like aluminum, are extremely durable, dishwasher safe, and won't release microplastics back into the water supply.

The style and shape of the filter you need will depend entirely on the coffee maker you use. Pour-over and cone-shaped designs can be used either independently (just with the addition of a cup to catch the coffee) or may fit with Chemex, V60, or more simple coffee drippers; either way, the product description should indicate this. 

Disk-shaped filters are designed exclusively for Aeropresses, while Keurig makers require a completely unique coffee pod that fits like a disposable K-Cup into the machine itself.  

As with the shape of the filter, its size needs to match your coffee maker of choice. Whether it’s an 8- to 12-cup coffee maker or filters a single cup, the size will differ. Again, this should be clarified on the description of the product when you purchase. 

While some disposable paper filters are better than others, disposing of them every day makes a significant aggregate contribution to landfills. Many paper filters are also died using chemical baths, including chlorine, while others are sourced from non-sustainable paper suppliers. If you plan on using paper filters, consider more eco-friendly alternatives from brands like If You Care.

Reusable coffee filters, particularly those made from stainless steel, can last decades. Even if the amount of CO2 produced to make steel is three times that of paper, choosing a filter that’ll last you for life will likely end up being more eco-friendly in the long run. 

This depends on the material your coffee filter is made from. Before you begin, empty your used grounds into your compost or trash can to avoid plugging up your drains. Stainless steel and plastic filters tend to be dishwasher safe, so you can throw them in with your dishes as and when required. Those made from cotton and hemp should be washed in fresh, boiling water for ten minutes or so; add in a scoop of baking soda to help remove stubborn stains.

We can all reduce the waste we produce, one coffee at a time. But, the world of ethical and environmentally-sound products can be a minefield, which is why we make our guides as clear and detailed as possible to help you make an informed and sustainable decision. Author Steph Dyson is more of a tea drinker herself, but is committed to helping consumers make sustainably savvy choices when it comes to their lifestyles.

Buchholz, Katharina, and Felix Richter. “Infographic: How Many Cups of Coffee Do Americans Drink Each Day?” Statista Infographics, Statista, 1 Oct. 2019.

worldsteel. Position Paper Climate 2020. World Steel Association, 2020, https://www.worldsteel.org/en/dam/jcr:7ec64bc1-c51c-439b-84b8-94496686b8c6/Position_paper_climate_2020_vfinal.pdf.

Dietz, Simon, et al. “Carbon Performance Assessment of Paper Producers: Note on Methodology.” The Transition Pathway Initiative, Dec. 2019.

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