I know you said you are doing HOT joe glow, how hot is hot?

Have you tried dropping it in boiling water, turning off heat and adding joe glow? Can be quite a big reaction so allow head space. Then leave it soak for 24hrs.

SpromoSapiens wrote: I will from time to time put my aeropress down after using it and not clean it until the next day. This is flagrantly contrary to the manufacturer's recommended procedure, but what can I tell ya. C'est la vie. And it seems to have taken a toll on the easy-pressing joy that the Kohi filter provided fresh out of the box.

SpromoSapiens wrote: But my word of advice to future buyers is: Don't be lazy! Clean it every time -- or else!

Thank you Howard for the word of caution. I agree with you that the rinsing process is not necessarily convenient, but I am pleased with the Kohi filter's brew functionality. The cleaning chemical that Kohi-Labs sent out with the original batch of filters was Urnex Cafiza. It could potentially yield better results than joe glow. Many cafes use Cafiza to clean their espresso machines daily. If you ask around you may be able to find someone who is willing to part ways with a minuscule amount of it. Just an idea.

would it survive a self cleaning mode in the oven? perhaps all it needs is sufficient long term heat to turn all those stuck grinds into dust.

Thanks for the suggestions, all.
I gave my filter an aggressive 3-day soak in occasionally-refreshed just-off-the-boil joe glow. This did improve the pressing time & pressure, but it is still more difficult and harder to predict than paper. I've been alternating back and forth between paper and kohi lately. Paper when I'm in a rush, Kohi when I'm not. I prefer the kohi filtered brew across the board, but with the do-or-die extra cleaning steps, it's not always worth it. This is a big part of why I'm usually an espresso guy when it comes down to it, although I do enjoy these longer cups as well. The Kohi will replace the Able in my travel kit.

I did also just discover the original package and Urnex packet at the bottom of a kitchen drawer. I'll give that a go, but I don't know it'll be much better than Joe Glow (which is also used on machines in cafes). I may also try just plain boiling it for a while. I'm not sure about the oven technique. Maybe Juan from Kohi could shed light on that possibility.

Hi Spromosapien,
I'd love to try to help you out but I fear the "vendor participation" rule and I don't want any more strikes against me. I completely understand the need for the rule but I am not quite familiar enough all the rules yet to properly reply.
I do suggest you contact us through the website. We can help you from there.
Sorry and thanks!
-Juan

Well I'll be danged. I don't know if my tub of Joe Glow is tainted or expired or if JG is really so severely inferior a product, but... Kohi's included Urnex Caffiza really did the trick!

I gave it 24hrs in what started as a small amount of fresh-off-the-boil water mixed with the Caffiza packet. This morning I did a paper brew first, and an hour or two later, a freshly cleaned Kohi brew, and the Kohi was noticeably easier. Same clean Kohi cup and as impeccable flavor definition as ever. The Kohi is back, baby!

I've learned my lesson. I will do the flip-n-flush routine with every Kohi brew. I will also probably chuck my joe glow and order a can of Caffiza. (After several soaks in JG, I could put the filter in the press and fill the press with water from the faucet in the standard filter-down position. After the Caffiza, water drained so freely through the Kohi that I could not fill the press under the faucet. An inverted press method was required to do cleansing filter flushes. Which is great!)

I feel pretty bad about my public critique of a fledgling product with instructions I clearly did not follow. To this end I have gone back through this thread and deleted much of my kvetching. Sure, the filter needs to be treated with care for consistent performance. But it is a fine product by an admirable start-up that I am happy to have and will continue to use.