AeroPress Stainless Steel Filter XL

Metal filters like this often are too porous, so the water goes through too fast, but this one was if anything slower than a paper filter. It worked very well.

Love this in my AeroPress as I hated using the paper filters. Just a quick rinse and you don't even need to remove it from the base. High quality.

This is a very sturdy filter so unless you're straight up abusing it, the mesh should hold up for a long time. Make sure you make your ground slightly coarser than when using a paper filter, otherwise, you'll be getting a very gritty cup of joe. Even with a slightly coarser grind, you will still have some ground stuck in the filter, so make sure you clean it before the ground dries up and gets stuck. The description doesn't tell you this but you pretty much have to use the inverted brewing method for it to work, otherwise, your coffee would not brew at all and the water would just instantly leak through. For anyone who has not tried the inverted brewing method, it's not hard but may take a little bit of practice. The AeroPress and its standard paper filters changed my life but this filter changed my life all over again. Instead of that super clean coffee, you get a nice full-bodied coffee with a great mouth feel and a lot more flavor. If you don't mind a little extra cleaning or the inverted brewing method, this is definitely a good buy.

Works great!

It's a challenge to issue a blanket statement that this filter is bad. For 99.9% of coffee drinkers I've met throughout my life, this filter is bad. I have met a single coffee drinker that wanted coffee colored water flavored water. This is perfect for him, as the water will just rush through it and absorb absolutely no flavor. There are some comments suggesting an invert brew process, this is both irresponsible from a consumer-to-consumer standing and just not actually a solution. The solution is the manufacturer actually develops a product instead of paying an intern to gin it up in SolidWorks and then off to the races with production. Whatever percentage of the "filter" I have covered with polyimide tape there transforms it into a mostly functional item though it adds a not insignificant amount of resistance plunging the coffee. IF AeroPress spent more than 30 seconds on product development (this is assumed to not be the case) the assumption is that time was spent making it easy to plunge rather than making it actually work. There is relatively little room in my perceptions to be more even-handed on their product development team but they brought it most of the way there. There isn't much to actually do for product development to bring this to the finish line. Getting rid of the branding, at least where and how it's situated as AeroPress is cut into the surface of the filter, would be the solid step forward. It's almost certainly a petty nitpick, but they aren't entirely clean edges and you're scrubbing and rubbing this thing on a daily basis. By far the most important angle they abandoned or never considered is just actually figuring out your waterflow impedance. There are so many holes in this "filter" and they just immediately pass through any amount of liquid poured in that it obviously needs more testing. I'm unsure, but the assumption is these parts are stamped. Stamping tiny holes is cumbersome, I'm not oblivious to the challenges but they must be overcome to actually be a marketable product. A typical, modern corporation would have (and should have per shareholders) manufactured 2-5 different impedance "filters" and sold them individually at this same price point - knowing for damn sure people are going to end up needing multiples to find their brew. They didn't do this. A moral corporation from yesteryear would have designed the same 2-5 impedance filters and thrown them in the same packaging with no or marginal price change. This is , obviously also, not the case. They do have a restricted flow filtration cap, a cap they charge $25 for. So then, clearly, that is VITAL to this metal filter. If it's vital to this filter, it should probably be included. It is not, though it is sold in a bundle together. This isn't a review of that flow control filtration cap nor did I buy it or was it clear when ordering the metal filter that I'd have impotent coffee without this. This is a minor annoyance. I consider this to be a gamble, investing in owning any of their products. There isn't a lot to talk about. I've covered the actual user experiences I've had. I'm now going to actually just throw shade at AeroPress. I stand by the above as being more fair than not, and I'm baffled by the overwhelmingly positive reviews. If you read farther, I stand by it as being an irate outburst at a mostly harmless company just trying to get you quick and easy coffee and I would favor you take it as entertainment than a negative towards the product. "Keep Pressing: Designed for use with AEROPRESS coffee makers, our metal filter is an alternative to paper filters for those who enjoy a fuller bodied cup of coffee; Get consistent, grit-free results no matter what brand or blend you use" This is what I'd call a Product Description As Lies. There is no fuller bodied cup of coffee, there is colored water. There is no consistent, grit free results - the holes are gigantic and even at a large granule grind I have pure silt at the bottom of my mug. Because the filter just flushes fluid through too rapidly. This is not an alternative to paper filters, you should either buy those instead or get an actual french press. "Fuller Bodied Coffee - The reusable AEROPRESS metal filter allows oils to pass through for a somewhat fuller-bodied cup of coffee, whereas the paper micro-filter keeps out those oils for a cleaner flavor profile" They double down on their fuller bodied coffee here. They think it's so much fuller bodied they need to mention it twice. Despite making coffee colored water. If those oils are beneficial to any flavor palette, it's wasted with this filter regardless. "About AEROPRESS: Smart design and creativity have always been the heart of what we do, and we are now squarely focused on inspiring even more coffee lovers around the world to revolutionize their coffee routine; Designed in Silicon Valley, Made in the USA, Materials used in AEROPRESS coffee makers are free of BPA and phthalates" I'm offended by this entire snippet of product description. They made a filter that filters nothing out, while declaring smart design as being central to their culture. Being BPA and phthalates free is neato burritos, if you aren't applying polyimide and silicone adhesive into the "filter" to make it a filter. Also please don't. One it's expensive tape, I have it because I'm weird. Two it's a silicone adhesive. They're both extremely resistant to heat, well over what I'm brewing coffee at, but hey don't voluntarily contaminate foods/drinks with these. In short, my design is also terrible but I needed a flipping cup of coffee and was PRESSED for time. I'm done with my meandering efforts to convey that this product isn't for you. I hate paper filters, I think you should also have an opposition to paper filters. I strongly suggest you stick with paper filters for your AeroPress, or buy a french press.

I prefer the stainless steel over the processed paper filters. This filter works as good as the paper and is easy to clean.

Does not work the way it should. Grit gets through and the water flows through so fast. For two servings of coffee, it isn't abnormal to have the water filter through so fast that it's akin to a mug of the coffee concentrate. That shouldn't be happening. Paper filters are better. I gave this a good try for several months. I really do appreciate a sustainable approach. But if you love your coffee, this is not the way to be a bit more sustainable. Obviously, this wasn't SO bad that I couldn't put up with it for a few months. But today I really got down to my last straw with this filter. Some people will find this filter to be an acceptable option. But if you are a snob about your coffee, don't get this. For a more sustainable approach, I'll make two servings of the coffee concentrate and drink a cup of coffee a day. Store the portion for the next day in a small container in the fridge.

Nice product, easy clean, I use it mostly for loose leaf tea, sometimes for espresso.