24 Tips and Tricks for Coffee Filters

Coffee filters .... I couldn't believe all the things you can use these for. You can buy them at the dollar store and save lots of $$$.  I haven't tried all of these but have tried many and it really works. 1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers. 2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling. 3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish. 4. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust. 5. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter. 6. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter. 7. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale. 8. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods. 9. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes. 10. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter. 11. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters. 12. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease. 13. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers." 14. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics. 15. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors. 16. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews. 17. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car. 18. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills. 19. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash. 20. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage. 21. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls. 22. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout. 23. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book. 24. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc. 10 New Uses for Coffee Filters About 100 years ago, a German housewife named Melitta Bentz punctured the bottom of a brass pot, lined it with blotting paper, and―voilà!―made the first coffee filter. Almost a century later, a perfected version of Bentz’s design is still used. “Coffee filters aren’t as likely to crumple or dissolve in water as typical paper because they have better ‘wet strength,’ thanks to longer fibers,” says Melinda McDonald, communications manager for Bunn, a beverage-equipment manufacturer. “Additionally, the fluted sides and cupcake shape allow substances to flow through the filter freely and prevent grains from flowing over the sides.” Use Coffee Filters to: 1. Diffuse the flash on a camera. When you’re taking a close-up, soften the brightness by placing a coffee filter over the flash. 2. Strain wine from a bottle with a broken cork. Place the filter over a pitcher or a carafe and slowly pour the wine into it. 3. Serve popcorn or other snacks. The filters act as disposable bowls, so there’s no dishwashing. 4. Make yogurt dip. Use a rubber band to secure a paper coffee filter over the mouth of a deep cup or jar. Slowly pour 8 ounces of plain yogurt onto the filter. Let drain for one hour. In a bowl, mix the thickened yogurt with 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers. 5. Heat up leftovers in the microwave. Use a filter as the protective covering over a bowl or a plate. 6. Prevent soil from draining out of flowerpots. When repotting, place a filter at the bottom, over the drainage hole, then add the soil. 7. Prevent scuffs and scratches on fine china. Use flattened coffee filters as spacers when you stack your dishes. 8. Protect hands from Popsicle drippage. Slide the wooden stick of an ice pop through a coffee filter so your hands stay mess-free. 9. Serve pita sandwiches. A circular filter is the perfect size for carrying a sandwich on the go. 10. Clean windows and glass when you’re out of paper towels. Coffee filters leave no lint or other residue.