Able KONE: Reusable Stainless Steel Coffee Filter Compatible with Chemex

Transitioning from the paper Chemex filters. This is a beautifully made filter. The titanium wrap is so fine I almost thought it was a clear plastic that had to be removed. Fortunately I didn’t. The filtering time is almost the same as with paper and it does make a nice flavorful cup of coffee. I feel like it’s a lot cleaner option over filtering through paper. There was a slight bit of fine sediment at the bottom of the carafe but that’s not objectionable to me since I used to use an old fashioned perk. I’m not crazy about the clean up, it does tap out pretty well, but the trade off is that you have to wash out a few grounds.

This filter is the BEST. Actually, it’s my second one, purchased for summer residence. I am so glad I found it offered for sale again, since the first was purchased several years ago, under a different brand name. But, thankfully, they are the same! We use it daily with a Chemex, for pour overs. It works well with or without a paper filter. It cleans up so well! I think it is of utmost importance to have a SINGLE LAYER. I can only imagine what gets trapped inside the layers of the two-layer filters. (I am constantly on the lookout for potential sources of mold, having taken years to get over a mold illness brought on by working in a water-damaged building.) To summarize, all these points are excellent: flow rate of pour (brew speed), ease of use, perfect fit with Chemex, overall design looks & feels beautiful, nice craftsmanship, no chance of mold growing between layers. If it cost more than some of the others, I don’t care! It is worth it.

I bought the mini and a knockoff V60 to put it in. I concur with other reviewers, it doesn’t sit perfectly and can wobble or shift while pouring. It also likes a rather fine grind, which results in some grit at the bottom of your cup, about the same as a French press. However, with that said, I really like French press coffee and find it interesting to get the body and mouth feel of one from a pour over. It’s made well; construction is clean and precise. Seems durable. Double layer cones inevitably get clogged up and you’ll be grinding boulders to keep your pour under 5 minutes. The Kone is the slowest single layer I’ve used, and I mean that in a good way. Others are like a colander. Overall, I’m happy with it, and the small quirks are livable.

This is a solid product from Able Brewing, it works well with my 6-cup Chemex and KitchenAid Pro Line Burr Grinder. The secret to brewing good coffee with this, as other have pointed out, is the grind. Using a medium fine grind is what I've found to work the best. The cup of coffee that this produces strikes a good mix between a Chemex and a french press, there is very little sediment and it lets more of the oil from the beans into the coffee. The main reason I got this was to reduce the amount of paper filters I went through (on average about 2 per day). Over the course of a year this should pay for itself, but still it's a rather pricey investment. The fact that it's made in the USA made it easier for me to justify, that and watching a few interviews with Able Brewing made me realize how much they love the craft of making good coffee. One tip I would throw out there is to use an Aeropress funnel as a way to let the Kone drip dry after it's been cleaned (I found this tip on a coffee blog and can't claim credit for it). Despite how expensive it is, I'd recommend the Kone to anyone who enjoys their Chemex or Hario and is looking for a way to cut down on the amount of paper filters they use, or to someone who is looking for a new way to brew coffee with their Chemex/Hario. UPDATE (12/9/2015) The Kone has been holding up great, little signs of wear, it still works perfectly. It cleans easily and the brew time has not slowed at all since original purchase. The Kone filter has saved me quite a bit of money (I brew a batch 2-3 times a day). I highly recommend this if you are a frequent coffee drinker, it's a great value.

So let me start off by saying, this thing is nicely made. Like smooth, polished material; none of the cheap feel you get from similar products. The surface is clean and smooth as a mirror, with the perforations barely being felt at all when you run your finger or them. I was impressed by all of this when I unboxed it. But that’s where the good qualities kinda stopped. I have a 40oz (8-cup) Chemex and the filter kinda just teetered around at the top of it. It’s hard to get a picture of but I tried to include one here. The filter just didn’t quite fit the chemex right. Upon use of it, the filter allowed fairly easy water flow into the bowl of the chemex with no noticeable clogging whatsoever, which is what I was looking for with this filter. But the downside is this rapid flow means it basically just let all the coffee into the bowl too. There was a heavy layer of grounds on the bottom of the bowl and that is not acceptable for me. I’ve never had that issue with the paper filters and can’t stand having to chew my coffee, therefore I returned this item to get a refund. Cleaning with relatively easy btw, knock grounds in trash, rinse filter, allow to dry. All very straight forward, just not for me. Two stars on the review mostly just because this thing is really that well made. It’s impressive. But then it’s not.

La qualità si paga. Made in usa. Il miglior filtro per chemex, ottimi i materiali, spedizione un po' lunga ma ne è valsa la pena. Aggiungo: associata a chemex 6/8 cups ci sta perfetta

Es un buen sustito para los filtros de café, sin embargo si deja pasar algo de sedimento, si no te molesta el residuo de cafe, cómpralo. Si eres muy purista y quieres la taza limpia que ofrece un chemex por ejemplo, es mejor continuar con los filtros de papel. ACTUALIZACIÓN MAYO 2021 Ya lo había actualizado pero no publicaron el cambio, ya no lo recomiendo para nada, se cayó la parte de abajo, no es que lo lave de manera agresiva, simplemente se desoldó, ya es un cono completamente inservible. Por el tiempo ya no pude devolverlo. Mejor quédense con los filtros de papel, ni modo, quieres disminuir tu uso de desechables pero con estas opciones no se puede.

Great coffee every time and so convenient. A worthwhile investment once you get your head around why it might be so.

Solid product, works as advertised. Don't worry about buying paper filters again.

Made in China, contains plastic. It was difficult to get a refund, and took a long time.