Are Cloth Chemex Filters Any Good?

Chemex is known for its simple, elegant pour-over brewing process that produces a clean, flavorful cup of coffee. The Chemex uses proprietary bonded paper filters that many fans swear by, but can a reusable cloth filter produce an equally great cup of coffee?

In my experience, cloth Chemex filters are a cheap, environmentally friendly alternative worth considering for anyone who likes Chemex coffee but wants to experiment a little bit. Let’s learn how cloth filters compare to Chemex’s proprietary filters.

Why Use a Cloth Chemex Filter?

Cloth Chemex filters offer some clear advantages over their paper counterparts. The most obvious is cost savings. A pack of 100 Chemex paper filters can set you back $15-$17. If you make Chemex coffee every day, that’s at least $45 per year on filters alone.

A cloth filter costs around the same price but can be rinsed and reused again and again for months or even years. For the frugal coffee drinker, cloth filters pay for themselves quickly, usually in less than three months.

Cloth filters are also more environmentally friendly. Opting for a reusable filter substantially cuts down on waste, which reduces your carbon footprint. If you’re an environmentally-conscious coffee drinker, reusable filters are the way to go.

With that said, cloth filters aren’t perfect. Some manual labor is required to keep them clean. You’ll need to rinse the filter thoroughly after each use and allow it to fully air dry to prevent mold growth.

Cloth filters also allow more coffee oils and tiny grounds to flow into your cup, producing a cup with more body but less clarity. Whether this is an advantage or disadvantage depends on your taste preferences. I like it, but many people are drawn to Chemex specifically because it produces such clean cups of coffee.

The way I see it, the pros and cons of cloth filters are:

How Does a Cloth Chemex Filter Work?

To understand how cloth Chemex filters work, we first need to understand how Chemex’s proprietary filters work. The thick, bonded paper filters are what give Chemex the clarity and brightness it’s known for. The dense paper traps fine grounds and coffee oils, producing a cup that is light-bodied and clean. Cloth filters, on the other hand, contain larger pores that allow more coffee oils and micro-sized grounds to pass through. The end result is a cup with a bit more richness and body, though perhaps slightly less clarity.

The cloth material also absorbs and retains more heat than paper, leading to increased extraction during the brewing process. More solubles are dissolved from the coffee grounds, resulting in a cup with a more complex flavor profile. However, the increased extraction can more easily lead to over-extraction with cloth filters if you aren’t careful.

When switching from paper to cloth, I’ve found that I need to grind my coffee a bit coarser and shorten my brew time slightly to prevent over-extraction. But once I get everything dialed in, I find cloth Chemex filters can make a delightful cup of coffee. The layers of flavor shine through beautifully while still retaining Chemex’s signature clean finish.

Cloth Filter Coffee Quality

So how does using a cloth filter actually impact your cup of coffee versus paper? As mentioned above, cloth filters allow more coffee oils and micro-sized grounds to flow into your finished brew. This can be a good thing, adding richness and body to a cup that otherwise might taste thin or watery with paper. The added oils also help bring out coffee’s aromatic qualities.

However, some find the increased body comes at the cost of clarity and brightness, which is one of the Chemex’s main draws. Too many fines and oils passing through can muddle flavor definition instead of enhancing it. This is subjective, though, and cloth filter coffee still retains far more clarity than a cup from a French press, for example.

Much depends on your specific brewing parameters too. When switching from paper to cloth, taking care to grind coarser and using a slightly shorter brew time minimizes the risk of muddled flavors. And starting with a high-quality light or medium roast coffee helps. Dark roasts run more risk of excessive bitterness with too many fines in the cup.

Personally, I enjoy the sweet, velvety mouthfeel a quality cloth filter imparts. The subtle flavor layers shine through beautifully. To my taste buds, paper Chemex filters now seem to produce a cup that is a bit hollow and harsh in comparison. But as always, taste is subjective!

Which Cloth Chemex Filter is Best?

When it comes to reusable cloth Chemex filters, you don’t have a ton of options, but they’re all fairly similar. I’ve had good experiences with several different options available on Amazon. Most of the reusable Chemex filters you’ll find are made from natural fiber textiles like cotton, hemp or bamboo, so they don’t differ too much.

In my experience, the original CoffeeSock is the best cloth filter for Chemex. It holds its shape well, is relatively inexpensive, and isn’t so porous that you lose the clarity that Chemex is known for.

The hemp and bamboo filters are also great natural fiber alternatives, though I haven’t noticed much difference in the cup quality compared to the cotton CoffeeSock. If you want a hemp filter instead, I’ve gotten good results with this one:

There are a ton of reusable filters for Chemex available online, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding one that works for you. I’ve tried the two above with good results, but your mileage may vary, depending on what you’re looking for.

Bottom Line: Should You Use a Cloth Chemex Filter?

So after all this, who should actually use a cloth filter in their Chemex? In my opinion, any Chemex fan looking for an environmentally friendly alternative or anyone who finds that paper Chemex filters make too light and thin of a cup. The tiny bit of added body and richness from a cotton filter like the CoffeeSock improves the flavor while still retaining much of the clean characteristics that make Chemex coffee shine.

However, hardcore Chemex purists who value brightness and clarity above all may still prefer paper filters. Their tight weave removes all oils and fines, preserving just the pure, flavorful compounds that make it into your cup. And those who don’t want to fuss with cleaning a reusable filter will also prefer tossing paper after each use.

For most home brewers though, I think cloth Chemex filters are certainly worth trying. They produce a flavorful cup of coffee and reduce the waste associated with your morning coffee habit. Just be prepared to grind a bit coarser and experiment with slightly shorter brew times to get the best results.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Benefits of a Cloth Chemex filter?

The main benefits of using a cloth Chemex filter are cost savings, environmental friendliness, and producing a cup of coffee with more body and richness compared to paper filters. After the initial purchase, a cloth filter can be reused again and again for months or years before needing replacement. This saves money compared to buying packs of disposable paper filters. Cloth filters also reduce waste, since they don’t end up in landfills like billions of single-use paper filters do each year. In the cup, cloth filters allow more coffee oils and micro-fine grounds to pass through compared to paper filters. This imparts a velvety mouthfeel and enhanced aromatics.

Who Should Use a Cloth Chemex Filter?

Cloth Chemex filters are great for anyone looking to reduce waste or save money compared to paper filters. They are also excellent for those who brew with a Chemex but find the cup a bit thin or hollow with paper filters. The slight increase in body and flavor clarity from cloth filters improves the flavor. However, hardcore Chemex fans who value extreme brightness and clarity may still prefer paper. Cloth filters require rinsing after use too, so those seeking maximum convenience may also prefer tossing paper filters.

Do Cloth Coffee Filters Make Good Coffee?

Yes, cloth coffee filters can absolutely make delicious coffee! When used with proper technique in the Chemex or other pour-over devices, many coffee enthusiasts find cloth filters produce a cup with more pleasing mouthfeel and aromatics versus paper. The increase in subtle coffee oils and fine grounds imparts a velvety texture and helps highlight coffee’s flavor nuances. The key is using a coarser grind size and optimal brew time to prevent over-extraction. When dialed in, I find cloth-filter coffee to taste sweeter and more complex than paper-filtered coffee. The difference is subjective, but cloth filter coffee is certainly capable of making a high-quality cup.