How Many Times Can You Use An Aeropress Filter Paper

Did you almost run out of Aeropress filter papers and are wondering if it’s OK to reuse one filter a few times until the new ones show up? 

It’s OK to re-use the paper Aeropress filters up to 5 times on one day if rinsed and treated properly between brews. There are no major drawbacks to re-using Aeropress filter papers a few times while it saves money and resources. A metal filter is re-usable for a very long time. 

How you can re-use your filter paper exactly can be found below. 

Can You Re-use a Paper Aeropress Filter?

It’s possible to reuse a paper Aeropress filter more than once. By rinsing and optionally drying the filter, it’s Ok to use them more than once. If rinsed properly, there won’t be a huge difference in taste or texture of the coffee provided they’re not used too many times. 

Reusing a paper Aeropress filter saves money and resources which is undeniably a good thing. As long as you don’t use them too many times and treat them properly between uses, there aren’t too many downsides to reusing the filter papers.

Most people use a filter 2-3 times on one day if they’re brewing a few cups close together. In that case you only have to rinse the paper carefully and use it again. Because the time in between brews is short, there is little risk for bad things to grow. 

If you want a filter for your Aeropress that’s really reusable, get a metal filter screen. Those are easy to use, clean, dry and can be reused for a very long time. 

If you’re not sure how to use an Aeropress exactly, read this complete beginner guide.

How Many Times Can You Reuse a Paper Aeropress Filter?

There are different opinions on how many times you can re-use your Aeropress filter paper. I personally use the papers 2-3 times sometimes if I want to brew a few different cups after each other. Other people rinse and dry the papers and use it for many days. And others yet use a new paper for every cup. 

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From personal experience I can say that using the papers 3x is perfectly fine and up to 5 is probably OK. I’ve never dried a paper to use for the next day. I don’t have a good spot to dry the papers and I would be worried about mold and/or bacterial growth and the papers being exposed to dirt/dust and insects. 

Using the Paper filters up to 5 times in a single day is perfectly fine. That way there is little chance for mold and bad bacteria to grow. It is also the amount of brews will cause the filter paper to be saturated fully.

The way most people do it is to use one filter for the day and just use it for as many cups as you brew that day. This doesn’t allow for much mold or bacterial growth in between brews. The resistance might get slightly higher after a few brews because the filter gets saturated with grounds and oils. 

Some people report reusing the filters 20-30 times before getting a new one. I would not recommend this for a few reasons;

• Paper filters catch oils and fine grounds in the paper. Letting this get wet and dry over and over again really increases the likelihood something bad will start growing in there. 
• The paper gets saturated and thus provides more resistance.
• The oils caught in the filter get rancid and impart a nasty flavor on your fresh coffee
• You’ll have to be very careful not to tear the filter

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How To Reuse a Paper Aeropress Filter

If you want to reuse a paper filter, what’s the best way to go about it? It’s pretty simple and here’s how to do it;

• Carefully peel the filter off the grounds after brewing.
• Rinse the paper under running water. Try to get as much residue out without damaging the paper.
• Use it again quickly
• Alternatively, leave it in a place where it stays clean and dries quickly. On a wire rack in the sun for example. 

There’s not much else you can do. The most important thing is to make sure to use it again quickly or dry it as quickly as possible to reduce the chance of nasty things growing on the filter. 

Metal Aeropress Filter

If you don’t like the paper waste and having to remember to sometimes order new filter papers, there is a good alternative for you; metal filter screens. 

There are replacement filters screens that are made from metal which are specifically made for the Aeropress. These filter screens are reusable and last a very long time. They replace the paper filters which means you don’t need those anymore. 

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There is a catch though. The metal filter screens do not filter out as much oils and sediment as a paper one. That means you’ll have more residue in your cup and the taste/texture of the coffee will be different. If you like this taste really depends on your personal taste. You’ll have to try it to figure out if you do. By using a filter screen, the taste and texture of the coffee will be much closer to that of a French press so if that’s something you like, a metal filter for your Aeropress will work for you.

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Or maybe the reliability and lower environmental impact (in the long run, in the short run producing metal will use more resources) are more important to you than taste. In that case, a metal filter screen is perfect for you.