Melitta-style No. 1 cone coffee filters for a under a penny per filter
We have 2 coffee makers. One is for a whole pot for both my husband and I, and the other is a one -cup-at-a-time machine, for when one of us (that would be me) just wants a cup of decaf or the like. Our one-cup coffee maker is pre-Kcup craze, but makes a great cup of coffee.
Our cup-at-a-time coffee maker came with a permanent, cone-shaped filter. Permanent, that is, until it developed holes. I searched the web for a replacement, permanent coffee filter that would fit in our machine -- no luck. (Our coffee maker was a hand-me-down 18 years ago, so no wonder I can't find a replacement part today.)
I started buying the paper filters that would work for this coffee maker -- Melitta No. 1 cone-style coffee filters. They come 40 to a box, and typically sell for about $2.50 in a local store, or $1.50, if bought in bulk through Amazon. This gets pricey, at a nickel per cup of coffee, for just the filter.
In need of a cheaper alternative, I began making my own paper filters.
4-6 cup basket style filters sell for $1/150 ct. at Dollar Tree. I can make 2 cone-style coffee filters from every 1 basket filter. And they wind up having the same dimensions as the Melitta product. It costs me 13 cents to make 40 filters, or a savings of $1.37 to $2.37 per 40-ct box. Using a sewing machine, I can make a dozen filters in about 10 minutes.
Here's how I make them.
Take one 4-6 cup basket coffee filter. Fold in half to crease.
Cut in half along the crease.
Fold each piece in half again, making a fan shape.
On the sewing machine, with white, all-cotton thread (I used dark thread here so you could see my stitching), stitch up the long and straight side of the "fan".
Fold the point up about 1 inch. Stitch this fold in place. Your filter should now be of the same dimensions as the Melitta No. 1 filters. They work exactly as the manufactured filters for me.
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I admit it, I'm a bit lazy at times, and don't want to wash out tea balls. So, I make tea blanks, empty filter bags to scoop loose tea into, without the hassle of having to wash up a tea ball later.
I can make 3 tea blanks out of one 4-6 cup paper, basket-style coffee filter.
Then fold into thirds.
I open the filter up and cut 3 equal-sized pieces out of the filter.
Fold each piece in half.
Machine stitch along the rounded bottom edge, then up one side, to about 1 inch from the point.
This is the opening for spooning in tea.
I just keep a bunch of tea blanks in my tin with packets of loose tea, and fill them as I need them. I spoon tea into a blank, fold the tip over, and staple shut.
(For how to add a fun tag, for gifting see this post from last year.)
