Ceramic Coffee Filters: Magical or Maddening?

I first came across ceramic filters about ten years ago in Japan but I heard from a lot of you recently with curiosity to understand why they exist and how they work. I hope this helps to explain the unusual choice of material and the process of how to brew with it.

Colours of Coffee Print details from the background

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[danielsandwich]

James Hoffman: the man who makes me enthusiastically watch reviews of products I’ve never heard of, and have no interest in getting.

[Lady-Lilith]

I love that you addressed the lack of sustainability. The zero waste market is being tapped into by companies that are encouraging different kinds of waste.

[westganton]

I've found that pouring my coffee through an array of crazy straws improves the flavor as well, particularly with Jupiter visible in the night sky during a Waning Crescent moon.

[theshannonlimit]

Coming from a ceramic industry perspective, this looks almost exactly like the material grinding wheels are made from. The material probably contains no clay, and is made from grains of an arc fused mineral (brown alumina grinding wheels are made from aluminum oxide fused by an electric arc at around 2200 degrees Celsius.) This material would be ground, graded to a very consistent grain size, and pressed with some type of organic binder (probably a glycol of some kind) and fired until the particles are sintered together, which also destroys the binder. Firing temperatures for this are probably very high (1300 to 1650 degrees C) the rough surface is necessary for flow, as smaller pores would have a higher capillary force and require significant pressure for water to flow through.
There is much more, but I don't know the finer details of how this particular product is manufactured.

[stepheng]

I used to be a researcher in optics and lasers a few years ago, so I can add some perspective with the physics at least of FIR.

I suspect the claims around FIR are purely marketing. All objects at everyday temperatures emit FIR by a mechanism called black body radiation. The FIR range of the EM spectrum is predominantly what makes up the heat radiation we generally feel near hot objects. Dark coloured materials tend to emit more black body radiation, so a dark ceramic might make it more emissive than some other materials. However, it seems unlikely that this would be particularly meaningful to the brewing of coffee, particularly as water is not even very transparent to FIR.

Anyways, great video!

[oompaloompagrande]

I appreciate just about every part of this review. While I have no idea who you are mystery coffee man, you seem reasonable and covered a lot of the questions I had about this. Thank you

[yajt]

I really appreciate this kind of product review. It’s clear, logical, and the delivery is to-the-point. I also appreciate your pointing out the green-washing. Water waste is often overlooked.

[ycplum]

The second you mentioned a porous ceramic, I knew cleaning will be an issue.

Depending on the water used, you may also get scaling.

[alexblank]

Two videos in less than 24 hours‽ What a rare treat!

[GeoffSayre]

Its products like this that make me love my French-press even more. I don't know if the French-press is super-hip in today's coffee world, but I really enjoy mine. No filters, minimal cleaning, fun to use. What more could I want?
Thanks for making such an informative review!

[SoidHoid]

I really appreciate your perspective that using a lot of water is not "zero" waste. People in developed nations often take water for granted, but there are a lot of resources that go into providing clean water to your home, and water use is not trivial in a cradle to grave analysis.

[LizzBowlen]

The Bripe having a place of honor on the shelf is so important.

[ilikeoversizedcoats]

Just here to say I really appreciate your content! Came across it when I was depressed as all hell during the covid pandemic and quality filter coffee every day is now integral to my self care & a little bout of happiness every day :)

[jackjohnhameld]

James Hoffmann is impressive in his curiosity and commitment to coffee, a knowledge sharer.
Here in Glasgow, the best coffee I have had in two years is filter coffee in an M & S cafe : I have the feeling only James could say why.

[roflcopterannoysme]

Paper filters and coffee grounds to some extent are amazing in compost. The acid can be tricky directly on plants but in compost it's amazing. I can actually use paper filters to create more vegetation and food. This thing is the most surface level good but icebergian awful device I have seen in a long time. It's wild it passed R&D.

[jvebarnes]

Hi James for me unglazed ceramics always taste like stone, as do both clay or stoneware perhaps this is the taste that is added in the brewing. Here's something to try, when it is clean and dry lick around the opening, to avoid where coffee oil residue may be, and see if it has a similarity to the taste you find in the coffee after brewing.

[MrLiguinii]

I like the implication that the people interested in this ceramic filter are also proud owners of bripes.

[robertnewman]

For as iffy as they are, I do love mine for my home bar. I tend to make a lot of clarified milk punches as tiki mixes, and the uniform porosity of these really helps speed up the process and cut waste filters. For most people the filters used are not an issue, but sometimes going through a dozen or more conventional paper filters really ups the waste and costs... this can just be hit with the faucet and your good to go.... essentially using it as a VERY fine mesh strainer works a treat. As far as the odd flavor goes, running some high proof neutral spirit through before firs use really cuts all of the odd pepperiness flavor it has.

[Viniter]

The fact that porous clay can affect the taste of the brew is a well known fact in the world of tea. With certain clays and teas it's actually a highly desirable trait. It then comes down to figuring out the right pairing of clay and tea, and combined with the fact that if you "marry" the two together the clay will absorb the flavour of the tea over time, it can really enhance the experience. I wonder if the same could be true with coffee if this was explored further, however then there's the convenience factor, which will probably make this unpractical. Brewing tea with clay is no more or less practical than brewing with porcelain or glass, but this does seem pretty messy.

[bowieknife]

I totally agree with James about that "taste" I can't get over. It changes the flavour of coffee too much. I have the original one from Kyumon. Hence, I just use it with my drinking water. It does make my already filtered tap water taste better (I could discern the difference 80% of the time in AB testing).