A semi-permeable paper, filter paper allows smaller molecules to pass while trapping unwanted larger molecules. People use filter paper to separate impurities from liquid or air. In laboratories, filter paper helps separate insoluble impurities from a hot solution. In the home, people use filter paper for making coffee. According to Harvard School of Public Health, using filter paper when preparing coffee removes a substance that could increase cholesterol levels, making the brew healthier.
Measure the diameter of the filter paper. According to the Journal of Chemical Education, the diameter of the filter paper should ideally be 1 cm less than twice the diameter of the funnel.
Fold the filter paper in half, and then in half again. The paper should look like a quarter of a circle.
Open the filter paper.
Fold one of the four quarters of the filter paper circle in half so that the filter paper becomes cone-shaped.
Place the filter paper cone in the funnel and pour the solution you want to filter.
Grind your coffee until the grains are medium-fine in size.
Wet the filter paper with hot water to minimize the amount of coffee oils that will be trapped in the paper.
Place the coffee in the filter paper.
Turn on the coffee maker and wait for your coffee to finish brewing.