Where to get very fine-meshed metal screen?

[Muse]

I visited my brother over Thanksgiving and he has a fancy coffee machine that has a container made from a fine meshed screen that holds the coffee. His machine also grinds the coffee. Well, I'm not going to buy anything like that.

What I have been using for over two decades is a simple stove-top coffee brewer, what they call an espresso brewer, but I'm informed by a guy who knows (worked in a shop that sells coffee machines) that it's not really an espresso device, just a good stove-top brewer. It's like those aluminum ones that are octagonal (I think probably 8 sides) in cross section, except that mine is stainless, made in Italy, and round in cross section. This thing brews up to 16 oz. coffee at once. I figure I've made over 20,000 cups of coffee in this thing! It came with a circular screen-like thing to prevent the grounds from being in the brew, but it's pretty useless, so I don't use that. Instead, I cut regular coffee filters into 2 7/8" diameter circles and use those instead. I always double up. I've cut many hundreds, maybe thousands of these things over the years. I have to replace them every week or two, although I don't keep score.

It occurs to me that I could get some fine-mesh screen material, made out of some non-corrosive but tough metal and cut a 2 7/8" diameter circle and never have to cut circles out of coffee filters again. The process I've been using is with a kind of razor compass I made myself. It's not awful work, but with a metal screen I wouldn't have to do it at all. I'd only have to clean the screen once in a while.

I use the finest grind on the coffee grinding machine where I buy my organic coffee, designated Turkish grind on the machine, so the screen would have to be at least that fine. Where can I get some appropriate screen material? Thanks for any ideas.

 

[SmoochyTX]

Why not just buy a new filter?



ETA - click the smiley

 

[nakedfrog]

Buy one of those gold mesh coffee filters and cut to suit?

 

[Anubis]

yo can buy them IIRC, i forget where, they are sometimes refered to as reuseable filters,

im guessing you want something like this http://www.greendaily.com/2007...usable-coffee-filters/ (quick google for reuseable filters)

 

[RaDragon]

Buy those "gold" reusable filters for coffee makers -- it'll be a waste since you're going to cut it to size but at least you know it's for food consumption.

I'll get you a link in a bit.

[ e d i t ]

here they make them in diff sizes and 2 shapes
Text

 

[calvinbiss]

Try an online laboratory supply company, like Cole Parmer. You should be able to buy screens of all mesh sizes, and believe they even have a sample pack. Pretty inexpensive also.

 

[AMCRambler]

Don't they make individual coffee bags or something similar for the mini coffee makers? I'm thinking it looks like a big round tea bag but with coffee inside instead of tea. Made to drop right into the smal coffee makers. That sounds like what you need without going through all the trouble of making your own filters or modding your coffee pot.

 

[compman25]

head shops sell screens

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Anubis
yo can buy them IIRC, i forget where, they are sometimes refered to as reuseable filters,

im guessing you want something like this http://www.greendaily.com/2007...usable-coffee-filters/ (quick google for reuseable filters)

That wouldn't fit in my machine. I have to have a screen that's flat, very fine, none-corrosive, metallic and that I can cut to a 2 7/8" diameter circle. Or, of course, one precut, but I figure it's not likely I can get that. I'm fine with cutting it myself, presumably with a sharp scissors.

- - - -

Where would I get a gold mesh screen? Would that be 14 carrot gold or something?

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: compman25
head shops sell screens

Yeah, and I'm in Berkeley. I should be able to find them. I wonder if they sell non-corrosive ones. Do I need gold? I realize, that gold is quite non-corrosive, but wonder if it's overkill. Anyway, I'm going to look into that online source that Calvinbiss suggested.

Thanks everybody for the ideas!

 

[RaDragon]

Originally posted by: Muse
Where would I get a gold mesh screen? Would that be 14 carrot gold or something?

Text

and just cut it to size

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: RaDragon

Originally posted by: Muse
Where would I get a gold mesh screen? Would that be 14 carrot gold or something?

Text

and just cut it to size

Thanks. Looks like in order to get a flat circle out of those I'd have to cut a portion that's part of a conical formulation. I'm wondering if once cut, it would assume a flat shape or retain a curve. It has to be flat to work in my coffee maker.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: RaDragon

Originally posted by: Muse
Where would I get a gold mesh screen? Would that be 14 carrot gold or something?

Text

and just cut it to size

Thanks. Looks like in order to get a flat circle out of those I'd have to cut a portion that's part of a conical formulation. I'm wondering if once cut, it would assume a flat shape or retain a curve. It has to be flat to work in my coffee maker.

What about the bottom part of this one?
It looks like it would be flat.

 

[RaDragon]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: RaDragon

Originally posted by: Muse
Where would I get a gold mesh screen? Would that be 14 carrot gold or something?

Text

and just cut it to size

Thanks. Looks like in order to get a flat circle out of those I'd have to cut a portion that's part of a conical formulation. I'm wondering if once cut, it would assume a flat shape or retain a curve. It has to be flat to work in my coffee maker.

What about the bottom part of this one?
It looks like it would be flat.

What he said. ^_^

 

[lokiju]

Maybe you could just order a 3" copper mesh swatch?

From here

I'd think copper would be fine since it is used in plumbing.

 

[Jeff7]

Do you have a brand and model number for this coffee machine?

 

[sjwaste]

Damnit, I thought this was going to be a Futurama thread.

Anyhow, I have one of these machines and the built in metal funnel/screen keeps the grounds out of my coffee. Have you considered buying a replacement?

 

[Leros]

As people have said. They sell reusable coffee filters made out of mesh. Your grocery store might not sell them, but any place like Target or Wal-mart should. Pretty much any place they sell coffee makers.

 

[5to1baby1in5]

I would recommend stainless steel (316 or 304) wire mesh.

Like this!

$5.00/Square Foot

Copper would probably corrode due to acids in coffee.

You may have a plugging problem in the screen if you don't use a paper filter. You may also get small particles of coffee grounds in your coffee since the paper filter takes out smaller particles than the screen will.

Try some pre-cut filter paper. 2-7/8" = 7.3025 cm would this 7.0 cm paper work?

 

[klod]

go here and do a search for Wire Cloth. They have stainless, gold, titanium, etc, up to 1500x1500 mesh. They have a "strainer grade" also.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: RaDragon

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: RaDragon

Originally posted by: Muse
Where would I get a gold mesh screen? Would that be 14 carrot gold or something?

Text

and just cut it to size

Thanks. Looks like in order to get a flat circle out of those I'd have to cut a portion that's part of a conical formulation. I'm wondering if once cut, it would assume a flat shape or retain a curve. It has to be flat to work in my coffee maker.

What about the bottom part of this one?
It looks like it would be flat.

What he said. ^_^

Yeah, but you can't see the bottom in that shot. You assume (unless I'm mistaken) that it's solid, but some other shots of similar coffee insert filters show a plastic ribbing at the flat bottom, so I have to wonder. My thinking right now is to check out "Southside" Berkeley for head shops (there has to be one on Telegraph Avenue, at least there used to be) and see if I can get a piece of flat, fine meshed stainless screen there first. If not, I'll look elsewhere.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
Do you have a brand and model number for this coffee machine?

What it says on the bottom is a little mysterious (fancy insignia) but it appears to say:

VeV INOX
18/10
MADE ITALY
T 6

I bought it approximately 1983-4 at Whole Earth Access Company in Berkeley, CA.

Originally posted by: sjwaste
Damnit, I thought this was going to be a Futurama thread.

Anyhow, I have one of these machines and the built in metal funnel/screen keeps the grounds out of my coffee. Have you considered buying a replacement?

You mean a replacement machine? Don't know that I want to. The machine's great. I switched to a standard drip electric machine for a while but then realized I was wasting my money because the machine was not nearly as efficient at producing a reasonably strong cup of coffee with a given amount of grounds. There are only two drawbacks to this machine:

1. My having to occasionally sit down and cut myself a hundred or so circular filters for it.

2. The stainless does get stained and it's hard to clean, in fact impossible to really shine it (like new) without going to a buffing wheel and stainless buffing compound (which I'm prepared to do in the near future).

Anyway, it's a stalwart machine and has served me well.

Originally posted by: Leros
As people have said. They sell reusable coffee filters made out of mesh. Your grocery store might not sell them, but any place like Target or Wal-mart should. Pretty much any place they sell coffee makers.

I don't often go near a Target or Wal-mart, but probably will within one month. If I don't have what I need by then, I will check them out. Thanks.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: 5to1baby1in5
I would recommend stainless steel (316 or 304) wire mesh.

Like this!

$5.00/Square Foot

Copper would probably corrode due to acids in coffee.

You may have a plugging problem in the screen if you don't use a paper filter. You may also get small particles of coffee grounds in your coffee since the paper filter takes out smaller particles than the screen will.

Try some pre-cut filter paper. 2-7/8" = 7.3025 cm would this 7.0 cm paper work?

That paper would probably work fine, the 7 cm, but at >$14/100 it's pretty expensive. I'd rather cut my own out of coffee filters, but thanks. You may be right that the metal screens would clog and I'm better off with paper. It's not a giant problem to keep cutting them. I don't do it very often, but once I sit down to do it I get in the swing and it isn't an irksome task. Sisyphus would gladly trade me...