How to: Chemex

There are many ways to prepare coffee. If you’re looking to branch out to try something new, experimenting with a pour-over method is an excellent place to begin. The glass Chemex brewer is an icon of this coffee-making method. The brewer was designed in 1941 by the German inventor Peter Schlumbohm. Peter was formerly a chemist and used his knowledge to develop the device. The design became so iconic that the Chemex brewer was added to the permanent collection of the world-famous Museum of Modern Art in New York City, USA.

Straight from the lab

As the name and designer’s career might suggest, chemistry heavily influenced the Chemex. The unique shape ensures a longer contact time between the coffee and the water, which gives coffee brewed with this method its unique taste. If you approach coffee with scientific precision, you can use a scale to weigh your ground coffee and experiment with various ratios. A 1:16 ratio for coffee: water is an excellent target to aim for.

Before you begin

At a minimum, you’ll need:

Chemex brewer or any glass jug/pitcher
Chemex paper filters or any extra-thick paper filter
Freshly ground coffee.
> Because this method maximizes the flavors of your coffee roast, beginning with whole beans and grinding them as needed is recommended.
> The grind should be on the fine side of medium. If it is too fine, the water drains too quickly, and you’ll have a weaker coffee. If it is too coarse, the filter can clog which lengthens the brew time and makes for a more bitter drink.
Boiling Water

Optional Items:

A burr grinder to grind your whole beans in small batches
A scale to weigh the ground beans
Any pouring kettle can get the freshly boiled water onto your ground coffee, but a gooseneck kettle adds some measured control over where and how you pour the water.
A timer for precision brewing and coffee preparation.

Making your coffee with a Chemex brewer

Start by boiling some water. You’ll need enough for the amount of coffee that the size of your Chemex can accommodate as well as some extra water to temper the brewer and to rinse the filter.
Put the filter in the Chemex and pour some of the boiled water over the empty filter. This step is crucial as it ensures that your coffee won’t taste like the paper.
Grind the coffee about as roughly as table sugar. The amount of coffee you use depends upon the size of your Chemex brewer.
Discard the water without removing the paper filter.
Allow the rest of the freshly boiled water to cool to about 88 C - 96 C while you pour your ground coffee into the damp filter.
Carefully pour a small portion of the water - about 50 ml - onto the coffee in a constant stream. The coffee expands during this infusion. Watch the liquid coming out of the filter. When there are no more drops below the filter, you’re ready to go on to the next step. This usually takes about 30 - 40 seconds.
With a circular motion, slowly pour the rest of the hot water onto the coffee grounds. Be careful not to go too fast, or you’ll splash while displacing too much of the grounds. It’s also important to keep the water towards the center of the grounds without touching the external border, but you can fill the Chemex up to the top edge.
Let the coffee run into the Chemex pitcher. This usually takes about 3 - 4 minutes. Once you notice the drops have stopped, your coffee has completely brewed.
Carefully remove the filter before pouring.
Coffee prepared with a Chemex is better when it has cooled slightly but how long you leave it before drinking is a matter of taste that is entirely up to you.
The final step is to enjoy your flavorful and delicious cup of coffee.