For many restaurants, buying wholesale coffee filters is an absolute necessity. Fortunately, business owners today have many more options when it comes to deciding which type of filter best suits their needs. While the majority of diners and breakfast-lunch operations stand by the disposable paper filters, gourmet coffee chains and upper scale eateries are experimenting with reusable models and even cone filters that do not require automatic coffee machines.

If you're committed to the standard disposable filters, remember that those made with a higher quality of paper help to make better-tasting coffee. Also remember that using the correct size filter ensures a snug fit that avoids an overflow of coffee grounds. As you get acquainted with coffee filters pricing and costs, consider the following options:

1. Check out prices of high quality Bunn restaurant coffee filters.

2. Decide how much to spend when you buy coffee filters that you can use again.

3. Find the best prices on a coffee filter cone.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find great prices on well-known disposable Bunn coffee filters

Filter size and quantity are factors determining the price you'll pay for Bunn coffee filters. The filters range in size from regular, made for coffee makers filling standard size pots to extra large, made for brewers filling three gallon coffee containers. Packages with fewer filters cost more than those with higher quantities. As an alternative to Bunn filters, consider using commercial filters made by other filter manufacturers that fit Bunn commercial coffee makers.

I recommend: Re Stock It carries standard size Bunn filters that range in price from $7.50, for two packs of 500, to $15 for a case of 1,000. Larger sizes and smaller packages range in price from $5, for one pack of 250, and $11, for a case of 250. Coffee Gear USA sells Bunn filters by the case in prices ranging from $15 to $17. Coffee Wholesale USA sells commercial filters that fit Bunn coffee machines at $0.99, for a sleeve of 50, or $12, for a box of 1,000. The Find offers standard size cases of Bunn filters sold by different suppliers at prices ranging from $8 to $28.

Save money when you get the best deal on commercial reusable coffee filters

To drive down the costs of disposable products, some restaurants have turned to using a permanent coffee filter, either one made of polyester mesh or the higher priced Swissgold variety. Some filters come with a three-year replacement warranty. Manufacturers of the Swissgold filters recommend using medium grind coffee in these models.

I recommend: Prices for reusable coffee filters range from $2.50 at Ace Hardware, for a reusable 12-cup filter basket made of polyester mesh, to $13.50 at Nextag, $15 at Aabree Coffee for Keurig quality filters and $33 for the Swissgold reusable at Coffee AM.

Get competitive pricing on cone commercial coffee filters

Cone coffee filters, whether plastic or the gold coffee filter model, allow you to bypass automatic coffee makers altogether. Simply heat water on the stove or in a microwave and pour through a paper-lined cone filter that is fitted over a coffee pot.

I recommend: Single cup cone filters range in price from $3 each, at J&R, to $4 each at Fantes. Larger-size cone filters cost between $3 each, at Fantes, to $11.50 each, at Drug Store.com. Cone filters at Bald Mountain Coffee cost between $18, for a porcelain model, and $33, for the Swissgold variety.

Buying coffee filters can be as simple as placing an order with a local restaurant supplier, or it can be quite an undertaking to find a filter for a specialized brewing machine. With the right resources, though, you can buy coffee filters for your home and business with little effort, no matter your specific application and equipment needs.

Keeping specific needs in mind, take stock of how many coffee filters you'll need each month, how much storage space you have, and any specific brewing quality considerations such as a need for high-flow filters. Before utilizing the resources in this guide, consider the following to help simplify your search:

1. Coffee makers may require manufacturer-specific filters

2. Buy coffee filters in bulk

3. Restaurant suppliers may handle the filters you'll need

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find brand-specific coffee filters, information on equipment directly from the manufacturer

Most restaurant coffee filters suppliers deal in run-of-the-mill filters, but most restaurants employ Bunn-O-Matic coffeemakers in their kitchens, which work most efficiently with high-flow Bunn coffee filters. Specialty cafes with prosumer Krups coffee and espresso machines may also need manufacturer-specific filters.

I recommend: Buy Bunn coffee filters directly from the company, and shop for Krups filters from licensed Krups dealer MarBeck.com.

Buy commercial coffee filters in bulk to save your budget

If your commercial coffee equipment doesn't require its own special filters, register as a wholesale buyer with online coffee suppliers that also offer products to enhance your customers' coffee-drinking experience. You can choose to order filters by the bulk case, or save a little less and order fewer filters. If your storage space is at a premium, set up smaller, regular orders of wholesale coffee filters to suit your coffee-making volume.

I recommend: Buy wholesale coffee filters at Coffee Wholesale USA and CoffeeCow.com.

Convert to an eco-friendly brand or permanent coffee filter to go green, save green

Filters whitened with chlorine bleach can leave a little extra in your brew, in the form of toxic dioxin. Switch to dioxin-free white filters, or take your eco-friendly game to the next level. Replace the waste of disposable coffee filters altogether with commercial reusable coffee filters, espresso filters and even a 24-karat-gold coffee filter cone that boasts the best brew in the business.

I recommend: Find your perfect gold coffee filter and dioxin-free white filters from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. Get one- and two-shot espresso filter baskets from J.L. Hufford Coffee and Tea, or search by model to find a Braun coffee filter in 24-karat gold from Braun's online Factory Outlet Store.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  High-end coffee makers, including prosumer and commercial models, need more than the right coffee filters to make great coffee. Java aficionados swear by filtered, or even bottled, water to make sediment-free jo, and your coffee maker may already have a filter in the water reservoir. Change it frequently for the best-tasting coffee, and clean your machine on a regular schedule to prevent lime scale deposits in your reservoir.

Coffee is considered a must in many business places, which means you should take a few moments to consider coffee filters types and styles. Coffee boosts productivity among your employees and creates a better sense of community. In customer-oriented businesses, such as auto repair shops and beauty salons, coffee also helps create warmer feelings about your company among your clientele. While coffee needn't be expensive, there are some coffee supplies you'll have to restock frequently. These include coffee filters. Choosing the right type can make your coffee more tasty--and save your money.
As you research coffee filters information, you'll find there are three main types of coffee filters. Each has its pros and cons, and only you know what's best for your business. Choose one of the following:
1. Consumer or commercial coffee filters made of disposable paper
2. Long-lasting stainless steel or gold coffee filter products
3. Reusable cloth coffee filters

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Select wholesale coffee filters made of paper

By far the most popular coffee filters are those made of paper. Paper coffee filters are cheap, easy to clean up (just toss them in the trash) and are even compostable. But some coffee connoisseurs say paper filters absorb the coffee's natural oils, thereby reducing the quality of the coffee's flavor. Some coffee drinkers also wonder if paper filters have chemicals in them that change the flavor of the coffee.

I recommend: Coffee Wholesale USA sells several types of paper coffee filters at wholesale prices, including 12-cup, commercial and commercial urn sizes. Instawares Restaurant Supply also has a good collection of paper restaurant coffee filters in one- to eight-gallon sizes.

Choose commercial reusable coffee filters of gold or stainless steel

Swiss gold coffee filters are gold plated (23 karat); connoisseurs say such filters do the best job of keeping the coffee's oils in tact, resulting in better tasting coffee. Gold-colored coffee filters are almost always stainless steel. Both gold and gold tone coffee filters are virtually permanent, making them a nice choice if you're brewing lots of coffee for groups of people.

I recommend: DwellSmart carries "permanent" Swiss gold coffee filters in several sizes for under $25 each. Apex At Home sells stainless steel gold tone coffee filters.

Buy coffee filters of cloth

Cloth coffee filters are becoming popular among those who think paper filters are wasteful. But while cloth filters can last several months, they are difficult to clean, as grinds tend to stick to them. However, cloth does allow the coffee's natural oils to seep through. Bear in mind that cloth filters may have chemicals, just as paper filters may.

I recommend: Healthclassics offers a variety of cloth coffee filters, including coffee filter cone and cup products. GoGoEspresso.com sells cloth filter squares.

So buying coffee filters for the office or work place should be a snap, right? Unfortunately, when it comes to providing these basic staples for a business coffee machine, it's not as easy as you might think. Coffee filter buyers should take a look at a wide array of choices to decide what kind of coffee filters will best provide a business with the quality it needs for the long term. Looking at some basic key terms for coffee filter types will help with those decisions.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Green or eco-friendly coffee filters

Green coffee filters are those that have a relatively positive (or less negative) effect on the environment. Reusable coffee filters are one example of green coffee filters. Others have features that promote ecology, as opposed to the less sustainable paper filters that may include a lot of chemical processing.

I recommend: See green coffee filter choices at websites like Green Daily.

Cloth coffee filters

Cloth coffee filters are reusable filters made from specific thin cloth designs. Some users prefer cloth, while others find it messy. However, cloth is one option that's getting increasing attention in some quarters as a more sustainable choice.

I recommend: See more on cloth coffee filters at All About Coffee Makers.

Titanium filters

Some upscale kinds of coffee makers use titanium coffee filters, which are made from this inert metal with porous holes for filtration.

I recommend: See more on titanium coffee filters and other types at Fante's Kitchen Wares shop.

Gold coffee filter

A gold coffee filter is a reusable filter that uses the precious metal gold in some capacity to provide filtration. These come in various models, including gold with stainless steel and gold lined filters. So, for those who thought a gold coffee filter was a joke, take a look and see how affordable these options can be.

I recommend: See more on gold coffee filter types at WiseGEEK.

Non-bleached filters

Non-bleached coffee filters are filters that were not treated with chemicals to make them white. Bleached filters were long popular for color results, but are now under fire for adding traces of unhealthy additives to the mix.

I recommend: See more on bleached versus unbleached filters at this MSN page.

Melitta coffee filters

Melitta brand coffee filters are made using a proprietary Melitta design to allow for micro-perforated filtering to release flavor in brewed coffee. These specific filters are popular with some buyers.

I recommend: See more at the Melitta product page.