Nothing ruins a slow Sunday brew quite like discovering the filter doesn't fit. Most pour over drippers are designed around one specific filter, and the wrong one can change how the coffee drains. Here's which filter fits which brewer, what the cone sizes mean, bleached vs. unbleached paper, and reusable metal options, with each product described from its own listing.
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Match the filter to the brewer: V60 02 filters for a V60 02, Chemex Bonded for a Chemex, Kalita 185 filters for a Wave 185, and standard AeroPress filters for any standard-size AeroPress. For electric cone makers, #2 fits 2-6 cup machines and #4 fits 8-12 cup machines, per Melitta. Paper typically gives a cleaner cup; metal gives more body and less waste.
Quick fit chart
| Brewer | Filter | Fit notes (per the maker or listing) |
|---|---|---|
| Hario V60 size 02 | Hario V60 02 paper filters | Size 02 is for 1-4 cups |
| Chemex | Chemex Bonded filters (squares or circles) | Fit all Chemex coffeemakers except CM-1, CM-1C and CM-1GH |
| Kalita Wave 185 | Kalita Wave 185 filters | Kalita says to match the filter size to the dripper size |
| AeroPress (standard size) | AeroPress micro-filters or the AeroPress metal filter | Fit AeroPress Original, Clear, Go, Go Plus and Premium |
| 2-6 cup electric cone makers, 1-cup cones | #2 cone filters | Per Melitta |
| 8-12 cup electric cone makers | #4 cone filters | Per Melitta, also fit most 1-cup cone pour overs |
What the #2 and #4 sizes mean
Cone filter numbers are about size, not quality. Melitta says its #2 filters are designed for 2-6 cup electric cone-style coffee makers and 1-cup non-electric cone brewers, and its #4 filters fit 8-12 cup electric coffee makers with a cone-shaped filter, plus most 1-cup cone pour overs. Flat-bottom basket machines are a different shape altogether and take basket filters.
Brand-name drippers have their own numbering. V60 filters come in 01, 02 and 03, and Kalita Wave uses 155 and 185. The rule is easy: match the number on the filter to the number on the dripper.
Bleached vs. unbleached (white vs. natural)
White filters are whitened; natural (brown) ones aren't. The listings for Hario's white V60 filters and Kalita's white Wave filters both say they're oxygen-bleached. People commonly rinse natural filters with hot water before brewing to cut any papery taste, and the rinse warms up the brewer too. Past that, it's mostly preference, plus whether you want the unbleached, compostable options some brands offer.
Paper vs. metal filters
Paper holds back more of the coffee's oils and fine particles; metal lets more through. AeroPress puts it this way for its own filters: paper absorbs oils for a cleaner, brighter cup, while its stainless filter lets flavorful oils pass for more body. Metal is reusable, so there's less paper going in the trash, but you'll be rinsing it after every brew.
Filters by brewer
Hario V60 (size 02)
Hario V60 Paper Filters, Size 02, White, 100 ct
- Oxygen-bleached paper, per Hario
- Size 02 fits cone-shaped 02 drippers, 1-4 cups
- 100 single-use filters
Hario V60 Paper Filters, Size 02, Natural, 100 ct
- 100% unbleached paper pulp
- Size 02 fits cone-shaped 02 drippers, 1-4 cups
- 100 single-use filters
Chemex
Chemex Bonded Filters, Natural Squares, 2 x 100
- Made in USA from North American materials, per Chemex
- 20-30% thicker than other filters, per Chemex
- Fit all Chemex except CM-1, CM-1C and CM-1GH
Chemex Bonded Filters, Circles, 100 ct
- Circle version you fold into a cone yourself
- 20-30% thicker than the competition, per Chemex
- Fit all Chemex except CM-1, CM-1C and CM-1GH
Squares come pre-folded. Circles you fold yourself (Chemex prints the steps on the listing). Either way, Chemex says the three-layer side goes toward the spout.
Kalita Wave 185
Kalita Wave 185 Paper Filters, 100 ct
- Size 185, for the Kalita Wave 185 dripper
- Made in Japan and oxygen-bleached, the listing says
- Wave-shaped sides designed to work with the Wave dripper
AeroPress
AeroPress Paper Micro-Filters, 350 ct
- Fit AeroPress Original, Clear, Go, Go Plus and Premium (standard size)
- White, chlorine-free paper, per AeroPress
- Biodegradable and compostable, per AeroPress
AeroPress 316 Stainless Steel Reusable Filter
- Reusable 316 stainless steel, per AeroPress
- Fits standard-size AeroPress models
- Lets more coffee oils through than paper, per AeroPress
Cone filters for electric makers and 1-cup cones
Melitta #2 Cone Filters, Unbleached, 100 ct
- Fit 2-6 cup electric cone makers and 1-cup cone brewers, per Melitta
- FSC certified and BPI certified compostable, per Melitta
- Made in the USA, per the listing
Melitta #4 Cone Filters, Unbleached, 100 ct
- Fit 8-12 cup electric cone makers and most 1-cup cone pour overs, per Melitta
- Unbleached, made in the USA
- Double-crimped seams, per Melitta
If You Care #4 Cone Filters, Unbleached, 100 ct
- Unbleached, totally chlorine-free paper
- FSC certified
- 100 #4 cone filters
Reusable stainless filters (Able Kone)
Able KONE Reusable Filter for Chemex
- Stainless steel filter made to fit Chemex
- Single-piece welded, photo-chemically etched stainless steel, per Able
- Rinse and reuse; no paper waste
Able KONE MINI for Hario V60 02
- Stainless steel filter sized for the Hario V60 02
- Same single-layer etched design as the full-size Kone, per Able
- Lets more oils through than paper, per Able
What to remember
If you remember one thing, make it this: the filter follows the brewer. V60 02 filters for a V60 02, Chemex Bonded for a Chemex, Kalita 185 for a Wave 185, and standard AeroPress filters for any standard-size AeroPress. For electric cone makers, #2 fits 2-6 cup machines and #4 fits 8-12 cup machines, per Melitta. Paper usually gives a cleaner cup; metal gives more body and less waste.