Until the 1960’s when coffee was still largely brewed manually, the 100 series of filter papers was common. The sizes 100, 101 and 102 remain a part of the Melitta® range. When doing manual filtration with filter papers of these sizes, one could only estimate how much coffee was in the pot. Size 102, for example, corresponds to the size 1x4®, so is suitable for making four to six cups of coffee.
Aroma Zones
The most recent development featured in Melitta filter papers are the addition of three Aroma Zones to the popular aroma pores. Each aroma zone has a different number of aroma pores, resulting in the coffee passing through each Aroma Zone at a different speed during the filter brewing process. The aroma thus unfolds, is refined, and is then finally rounded off to a perfect finish.
The lower zone (1) has fewer aroma pores, allowing the water to seep through more slowly so that it has longer contact with the ground coffee to develop its aroma to the fullest.
In the middle zone (2), there are more aroma pores, allowing an even brewing process to refine the aroma.
In the upper zone (3), the aroma of the coffee is given its finishing touch. The filter paper here has many more aroma pores and lets the coffee pass through quickly, making sure that undesirable bitter acids don’t have a chance to unfold.
Melitta Gourmet filter papers
In addition to the well-known and popular Melitta original filter papers, Melitta Gourmet filters have been introduced. They have been proven to support the development of sophisticated coffee aromas and contribute to a better cup of coffee. The special feature of the entire range of Gourmet filter papers is the Aromapor®PLUS, an innovation that allows fine coffee oils to pass into your finished brew. It is precisely these coffee oils that carry the more than 800 distinct aromas found in each coffee bean.
The slit-shaped Aromapor®PLUS are larger than the classic aroma pores seen in the Melitta® Original filter papers. The S-shape favours the passage of twice as many coffee oils into the finished brew, letting the aromas better unfold.
There are three versions of Melitta Gourmet filter papers:- Melitta Gourmet
- Melitta Gourmet Mild
- Melitta Gourmet Intense
Melitta Gourmet
As described above, the Melitta Gourmet filter papers have three aroma zones and Aromapor PLUS pores.
Melitta Gourmet Mild
Melitta Gourmet Mild not only has the Aromapor®PLUS but also the special fine Aromasoft® paper. Due to the slightly permeable structure of this paper, the water can run through the coffee filter quickly producing a mild cup of coffee with most of the undesirable bitterness removed. But don’t worry: the Aromapor®PLUS makes sure that enough of the right coffee oils pass through to create an aromatic, but mild cup for your enjoyment.