Melitta Bentz (1873-1950) changed the world of coffee with one simple, yet elegant, invention–the coffee filter.
Melitta Bentz (1873-1950) changed the world of coffee with one simple, yet elegant, invention–the coffee filter.
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This month, we’re talking about Innovators — from inventors to activists. These women dared to think differently, forging new paths that helped shape the world we live in today
If you’ve ever had a cup of pour-over coffee, it’s in large part thanks to the woman we're talking about today. She changed the world of coffee making with one simple, yet elegant, invention - the coffee filter.
Let’s talk about Melitta Bentz.
Melitta was born on January 31, 1873, in Dresden, Germany, into a family of entrepreneurs. Her dad was a publisher and a book salesman, and her grandparents owned a brewery.
By the time she was in her thirties, Melitta had married Hugo Bentz and started a family. She had two sons and a daughter. They all lived in a five-room apartment in Dresden, where every morning, Melitta would make coffee.
At the time, coffee was a popular morning drink. But the coffee Melitta was making wasn’t quite up to her standards. She was constantly annoyed by the coffee grounds in her cup. The metal filtration devices available at the time never fully got rid of the grounds. The other methods of making coffee - by boiling coffee grounds in cloth bags, or using an espresso-like machine - left the coffee burnt, and bitter-tasting.
So Melitta started experimenting. One morning, she punched some holes into an old brass pot, and put a piece of blotting paper - ripped from her son’s school notebook - on top. Then, she put ground coffee on the paper, and poured hot water over it. The result? A smooth, ground-less cup of pour-over coffee, with easy cleanup afterwards.
Melitta started hosting ‘coffee afternoons’, inviting her friends over to test the new product. And eventually, in 1908, Melitta got a patent for her paper filter, and officially registered her new business - called M. Bentz.
Melitta’s company was headquartered in her apartment. Melitta’s first employees were her husband and two sons. They produced the paper filters at home, and then her sons would load them on a handcart and deliver them to customers.
A year later, Melitta brought her paper filters to the Leipzig [LIPE-zig] Trade Fair, a hub for the latest houseware products. There, she sold over a thousand filters. Afterwards, her business only continued to grow.
But then, in 1914, World War One began. Melitta’s husband and eldest son were drafted, and paper production was limited. But Melitta was determined not to go under - her business was now the family’s sole source of income.
By 1929, Melitta’s business was so successful that she was unable to keep producing paper filters in Dresden. So she opened a factory in Northwestern Germany - and by the end of that year, they had produced 100,000 filters.
Soon after the expansion, Melitta stepped down as the head of her company, and her second son took over. But Melitta was still involved in the growth of the company. She became a champion of her employees, establishing a five-day workweek, up to three weeks vacation, and a Christmas bonus. And in 1938 she helped found Melitta Aid, a social fund for the company’s workers.
Melitta died on June 29, 1950 at the age of 77. Today, the company Melitta started is still alive and well. Renamed The Melitta Group, it employs 4,000 people, and is run by two of Melitta’s grandsons. Most company locations still have Melitta’s photograph on the wall.
All month, we’re highlighting innovators.
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Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!