Abstract: A porous ceramic honeycomb filter manufactured from an oxide-based ceramic material having a pore size distribution with d1?7.0 microns. Preferably, the oxide-based material is cordierite or aluminum titanate. Alternatively, the filter contains a cordierite-containing ceramic body with a narrow pore size distribution with db?1.00, wherein db=(d90?d10)/d50. Also disclosed is a batch mixture, method and honeycomb green body made from mixture of inorganic source materials selected from the group of magnesia sources, alumina sources, and silica sources, and a pore former having a narrow particle size distribution with dps?0.90, wherein dps={(dp90?dp10)/dp50}. The pore former is preferably selected from a group consisting of canna starch, sago palm starch, green mung bean starch, and single-mode potato starch.