When Is A Coffee Filter Not A Coffee Filter?

Both bleached or unbleached paper filters do more than just filter sediment and grounds to make a great cup of coffee, they're an all-purpose tool for many projects around the home, office or car. Here are 21 great Aha! Ideas for you to consider:

1. Because of their strength and sturdy nature, paper filters make a great alternative to paper towels because they're strong, absorbent and, best of all, lint free, so no grainy granules of paper sprinkling your wine glasses or countertops.
2. Their absorbency is particularly useful when frying foods. Rest just-fried foods on them to absorb the extra oil, or recycle the oil (or bacon grease) by straining it through a paper filter-lined sieve to produce a cleaner reuseable oil for the next batch of French fries.
3. Their softness and thickness make them the perfect protector for special plates. Use them to prevent scratches when stacking your fine china.
4. They're even useful for absorbing moisture in iron pans (moisture causes rust!).
5. Non-stick pans love filters; great for preventing scratches when you stack a few in the closet.
6. Filters make a quickie coaster for your hot cup of coffee.
7. Cover plates or bowls with filters instead of plastic wrap when placing foods in the microwave. No plastic fumes!
8. Don't want to mess up the kitchen scale with just-cut veggies? Put the practically weightless coffee on the scale to protect it and leave no residue of plastic or metal taste on the food.
9. Love cinnamon toast? You'll make it more often when you discover how easy it is to mix sugar and cinnamon in a coffee filter. Put equal amounts in the filter, squeeze the top edges together, shake, then leave one edge open a bit and sprinkle on hot buttered toast. Yum!
10. You opened your favorite wine only to realize the cork has crumbled into the bottle. Not to worry. Pour the wine through a paper filter (in or out of its sturdy holder) into the glass and, voila! Your favorite Burgundy has been saved!
11. How can you eat a stuffed pita without it breaking and making a mess on hands, face, and bodice? Easy, slip the pita into a filter, fold the edges down a bit, and keep folding it as you nibble with neat panache! Works for tacos, too.
12. Push the stick end of a popsicle through a coffee filter; catches the drips while you lick your favorite orange or coconut frozen fruit dessert. Love fat dill pickles but don't want the smell on your hands? Cradle the pickle in a filter and eat away.
13. Kids will love eating popcorn out of a filter; just the right size and amount for little ones and no bowls to wash.
14. Gardeners can use filters when repotting plants. Place them over the hole in the bottom of a pot. Water can seep through but dirt cannot. Can be left in (it's biodegradable after all) or remove when the potting is completed.
15. Don't have a funnel? Whether it's putting oil in your car or olive oil into a jar, a coffee filter makes a great filter.
16. Wearing glasses while you read this? Keep a pile of filters handy and keep your glasses clean enough to see even the smallest print on the screen.
17. No time to take your loafers in for a much needed shine? No problem, filters are a lint-free buffer and can also apply polish with great shine. And, you can use filters as odor eaters for your shoes, too. Just put some baking soda into a filter, fold tightly, and stuff them in your shoes.
18. If it's shine on your furniture you want but you're out of dustcloths, coffee filters work every time. No lint residue, either.
19. Great for windows and mirrors in the car or in the home, and great for TV screens cause they won't scratch or leave streaks.
20. Use a filter like a mini-cutting board for chopping veggies or fruits. (Avoid slicing as you'll just cut the filter into ribbons!)
21. Need a flash protector but it's not in the camera bag? Try a coffee filter!