Good morning! I was making my coffee this morning and just thought I'd share a little tid bit with you about why you should switch to unbleached coffee filters. That is, if you drink coffee of course. ;) We all have our vices and well, this happens to be one I'm proud of. Drinking a warm cup of coffee in the morning is more of an aesthetic experience for me than anything. I love the simple experience of enjoying my food and drink.
I found this article. Read through it. Very interesting.
Eventually I want to start talking about endocrine disruptors in your home that are not just in your food. Consider this a preview of things to come. :)
http://spilledingredients.com/2011/03/do-you-take-your-coffee-bleached/
Do you take your coffee bleached?
It’s a small, relatively cheap accessory that helps welcome the day for many of us. I’m not worrying about your multi-vitamin at the moment; I’m talking about coffee filters. Why concern ourselves with the small papery bowls that we jam in our coffee makers while half-asleep? Some of them put bleach in your coffee, that’s why. There’s no way to say Good Morning Sunshine quite like ingesting some bleach when waking up. It’s like saying Screw You to your body and taste buds, straight away with each sip of joe. Top o’ the Morning to Ya, right?
True, coffee has its own downsides. I’m not necessarily condoning it, but an occupied mother who doesn’t drink coffee possesses discipline that I don’t. We all have our crutches, I guess. Sometimes I enjoy my crutch in the afternoon too. The least I can do is make it bleach-free.
As parents or other living, breathing people, grocery deals and shortcuts can be tempting. I’ve gotten many a sweet high by using a coupon. That brown filter in your coffee maker might be here today, gone tomorrow. We’re human, we need reminders – even if we’re using unbleached today, a sweet deal can ruin a sweet thing. When we see the jumbotron case of white filters up against 50 unbleached filters for the same price, we buckle. Knowing what bleach does to your insides, however, should keep you strong. Who’s going to profit from your “deal”? Forge ahead wellness seekers.
Before I get into easy and safe alternatives to bleached coffee filters, it’s helpful to establish why bleach in your coffee is bad. We’ll be on the same page. You can’t even compost bleached filters.
Why avoid bleached coffee filtersIf you missed my fake baking post about bleached flour, bleach is in a whole lot of things named food, and can destroy the pancreas and help your risk of getting diabetes, among other things.
Who cares whether a coffee filter is white or kraft brown? Bleached filters contain chlorine bleach. I could just stop here… but it gets worse. These filters contain tons of dioxins. Almost as toxic as radioactive waste, carcinogenic dioxins build up in your body and in the air. It’s 2011. We know chemicals in the air and in our body are bad. Bleach is terrible. It’s carcinogenic. Using unbleached helps more than you and your family. ***harmonious chord***
We’ve come a long way since 1802, babyThe first patented coffee filter was introduced in France in 1802. A few solid options have come available since then:
Reusable FiltersPerhaps some of these are the more eco-friendly ones. Just be aware of what they’re made with. Some are made with plastic, some stainless steel, some gold-plated metal, even hemp. Many use nylon for the actual filtering. They may leave your coffee tasting tinny.
This eco filter looks great, though I’ve never tried it.
This eco filter looks great, though I’ve never tried it.
Unbleached Coffee FiltersUnbleached or oxygen-bleached filters are both safe, flavor saving options. You can find unbleached paper or bamboo versions, and they’re pretty easy to find alongside the bleached counterparts. They come in cone and circular shapes. Your compost pile will happily accept these. Compost loves coffee grounds sans bleach.
Savor French Pressed CoffeeNo extra filters are used in a French press, but you have to be okay with a semi-metallic flavor in your joe. French pressed coffee –in excess- has also been shown to increase your risk of bad cholesterol, therefore heart disease.
Savor French Pressed CoffeeNo extra filters are used in a French press, but you have to be okay with a semi-metallic flavor in your joe. French pressed coffee –in excess- has also been shown to increase your risk of bad cholesterol, therefore heart disease.
Travel with unbleached filtersOur family stays at hotels, well, fairly often. I love an in-suite coffee maker. Usually these personal coffee makers are accompanied by individual pouches of coffee. They’re cute and easy, I get it. But I’ve never opened one that used an unbleached filter. Why not tear that puppy open and pour the coffee grounds into your own unbleached filter, before pressing “brew now”? A few seconds of extra effort will leave your taste buds and innards grateful.
Don’t forget about the lounge coffeeProvide unbleached filters for your coffee at work, or smooth talk whoever can provide them. I find that bringing coffee from home is easier than bothering with the [probably bleached] coffee in waiting rooms, gas stations, etc. Exercising some self discipline helps too.
Repurpose those bleached white filtersI used to be an elementary teacher. I had a mega stack of white coffee filters to use, and discovered that they make great art projects.
* They make cute butterflies: watercolor paint the filters and let dry. Then bind the middle with a pipe cleaner and/or craft stick, shape two antennae, tie fishing line or string around, and voila – spring butterflies to suspend in the air!
* Designing white filters with markers first, then barely misting with water, makes for a vibrant, tie-dyed butterfly base too.
* Coffee filters make perfect bats too, free Halloween decors anyone?
*No kids or artistic flair? Donate them to a school. Teachers appreciate donations. Politics aside, teachers spend a lot of their own money on teaching materials. Never toss stuff out that kids can get creative with.
* They make cute butterflies: watercolor paint the filters and let dry. Then bind the middle with a pipe cleaner and/or craft stick, shape two antennae, tie fishing line or string around, and voila – spring butterflies to suspend in the air!
* Designing white filters with markers first, then barely misting with water, makes for a vibrant, tie-dyed butterfly base too.
* Coffee filters make perfect bats too, free Halloween decors anyone?
*No kids or artistic flair? Donate them to a school. Teachers appreciate donations. Politics aside, teachers spend a lot of their own money on teaching materials. Never toss stuff out that kids can get creative with.
Go unbleach yourself. And if you fix that pot of coffee after dinner, I won’t bat an eye. In Seattle they call it dessert, I think. You do what you need to do, Mommies and Daddies. Those 21+ coffee drinks once the kids are in bed are fun too
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