Melitta facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Retail Coffee |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Headquarters | Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
| Products | Coffees, coffee filters, small appliance (coffee makers etc.) |
| Revenue | 1.325 billion € (2014) |
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Number of employees
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3,736 (2014) |
Melitta is a German company that sells coffee, paper coffee filters, and coffee makers. It is part of the larger Melitta Group, which has offices in many countries. The company's main office is in Minden, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
The company is named after Melitta Bentz (1873–1950). She started the company after she invented the drip brew paper coffee filter. She received a German patent for her invention on July 8, 1908. Melitta Bentz later managed the company as a family business.
Contents
History of Melitta's Coffee Filters
In 1908, Melitta Bentz was a 35-year-old woman living in Dresden, Germany. She invented the very first coffee filter. She received a patent for her "Filter Top Device lined with Filter Paper" from the Patent Office in Berlin. She then started the company with her own name that same year.
In the 1930s, Melitta improved her original filter design. She made it into a cone shape and added special ridges. This new design allowed more of the coffee to be filtered. It helped to make the coffee taste even better. In 1936, the well-known cone-shaped filter paper was introduced. This paper fit perfectly inside the new filter top. The '102' filter became very popular.
Melitta kept working on new ways to make its filter systems better. They improved the shape, how well they worked, and the materials they used.
Eco-Friendly Filter Innovations
In 1989, Melitta introduced "Natural Brown" coffee filters. These filters were made from unbleached paper. This meant they didn't release unwanted chemicals into the environment.
In 1992, Melitta developed a special process. This process used oxygen to make white paper. It meant they didn't need to use chlorine for bleaching.
In 1997, Melitta created a filter with "Flavor Pores." These were tiny holes that helped to filter out unwanted bits and oils from the coffee. In 2007, they made these Flavor Pores even better.
In 2002, Melitta added a second safety crimp to their filters. This made the filters stronger and more durable. In 2007, they also introduced filters made from bamboo.
Melitta's Growth and Impact
By 2015, the Melitta Group KG had about 3,300 employees. In 2019, the company's sales increased to almost 1.7 billion euros. The number of employees also grew to 5,654.
In April 2020, Melitta announced something new. They started making nose and face masks. This was to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. The masks are made of a three-layer material. Melitta donated the first million masks to hospitals and healthcare places.
Melitta USA Operations
Melitta USA is located in Clearwater, Florida. It is part of the Melitta Group from Germany. Melitta USA is in charge of selling and marketing Melitta coffee filters, coffee, and non-electric coffee systems in the United States.
Melitta USA's coffee filters are made in Clearwater, Florida. The company also has a place where they roast coffee. This coffee roasting operation is in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The company's website said in 2018 that they had been roasting coffee there for over 50 years.
See also
- Easy Serving Espresso Pod
- Flavia Beverage Systems
- Utah teapot, a 3D computer model of a Melitta teapot used in graphics research
Images for kids
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This Melitta teapot was the model for the Utah teapot 3D rendering, a famous object in early computer graphics research.
