Paper Filters Change the Taste: Bleached, Unbleached and by Material

You replaced the dripper, but you have been using the same filter the whole time — surprisingly many people are like this. In fact, even with the same V60, the genuine white tabbed filter and another brand's cotton-blend taste so different you would think they were different beans.

Bleached vs unbleached: the truth about papery smell

It is widely thought that a white filter = bleached and brown = unbleached, but this is only half right. A white filter is "oxygen-bleached" (low environmental impact, almost no papery smell), while a brown filter is unbleached and retains a lignin-derived "paper smell." When this smell transfers to the coffee, the original flavor is dulled.

Paper thickness and flow rate

• Thin (HARIO genuine, etc.): drains fast, a clean and bright taste
• Thick (Cafec, Sibarist, etc.): drains slowly, stronger sweetness and body
• Cotton-blend (KONO Meimon): passes the oils moderately, a round mouthfeel
• Metal mesh: no filter paper, body maximized

The concrete differences among V60 filters

HARIO's genuine white tabbed filter is standard-speed by design. Cafec ABACA contains plant fiber for high permeability and enhanced aroma. Sibarist Fast is perforated for ultra-high speed, suiting ultra-light roasts. Brew these three in turn with the same beans and you can tell the body thickness changes clearly in three steps.

How to choose without going wrong

Start with the genuine, bleached type. Use it to set your own standard. Then change just one thing and record what changed and how. Change the beans every time you change the filter and you cannot tell what caused the change. Only the habit of comparing under fixed conditions refines your recipe.