In 1908, an innovative incident in a German kitchen revolutionized the way people drink coffee, thanks to Melitta Bentz, a housewife who grew tired of bitter-tasting, grounds-filled coffee. Seeking to improve the clarity and taste of her brew, Bentz repurposed her son’s blotting paper from his school notebook as a makeshift filter. She punctured holes in a brass pot and lined it with the paper, creating a simple but effective system to separate the coffee grounds from the liquid. This rudimentary device significantly improved the quality of the coffee, filtering out the grounds and allowing the full flavor of the coffee to be enjoyed without the bitterness caused by over-brewing.
Recognizing the potential of her innovation, Bentz took her idea to the next level. With only 72 cents of start-up capital, she founded a company in Dresden. She patented her invention and began to sell her coffee filters, which quickly grew in popularity. Initially, she made these filters with her husband and two sons in their apartment, selling door-to-door and demonstrating the clear benefits of her method. As demand grew, so did her business. The company was named Melitta, after its founder, and continued to flourish even through difficult times, such as economic depressions and world conflicts.
Today, Melitta Group is still owned and managed by descendants of Melitta Bentz. It's remarkable to think that what started as a small, home-based operation has transformed into a global enterprise. The company produces billions of coffee filters annually, distributed worldwide. Beyond filters, Melitta has diversified its products to include a variety of coffee and non-coffee offerings, but the simple, effective design of the original Melitta coffee filter remains largely unchanged and beloved by coffee aficionados around the world. The legacy of Melitta Bentz endures, showing how simple solutions to everyday problems can brew up extraordinary success.
