A Clearwater company, Melitta USA Inc., that produces about 1 billion coffee filters every year recently celebrated the 107th anniversary of its patent.
“It was the anniversary of Melitta Bentz inventing the filter paper back in 1908," said Jeff Bridges, Melitta's vice president of operations.
Bridges said the official date of the coffee filter patent anniversary is July 8.
"Mrs. Bentz was sitting in her kitchen in Dresden, Germany and she was looking for a better way to make coffee," he said. "Traditional brewing methods allowed grinds and bitter sediments to get into the cup. So, she took a piece of her son’s blotter paper and through experimentation came up with the drip method and that’s still the preferred method amongst coffee connoisseurs today.”
Melitta continues to innovate by being the first company to produce a 100 percent recyclable single-serve coffee capsule, according to Bridges.
"The only problem we have is we can’t make enough. So, if somebody wants to try it in this market they have to go online to get it," he said. "We have something new called measure markings. So, that you have lines to reference when you’re filling the filter with coffee. So, it’s easier to come up with the correct dose."
Bridges said the Clearwater production plant makes enough coffee filters to supply the North American market, the Caribbean and Mexico. Melitta also has a facility in New Jersey where it roasts coffee.
The company always remembers Melitta Bentz and honors its heritage by flying the German flag high above its Clearwater headquarters.
"We never stop thinking about it. It’s always, 'How do you deliver a better cup of coffee for the consumer?' " Bridges said. "Make it more convenient, more environmentally friendly, better tasting."