If you need to figure out how to make coffee without a filter or a paper towel (or any of the other coffee filter substitutes above), you might wonder if wax paper will work instead if you have that on hand. Generally, this option isn’t one I’d recommend. Wax paper, as the name suggests, is coated with wax. Wax is water-resistant, so the water you use for your coffee won’t drip through the material. Plus, it’s not heat-resistant, as the wax can melt if the temperature gets too high. Even though the wax is food-safe, unless you want a bit of wax in your coffee and in your coffee maker, it’s better to use another option. Using parchment paper as a coffee filter has similar drawbacks. Parchment paper just isn’t porous enough to work particularly well, so you’re better off going in another direction.