What You Need
Ingredients
Coffee beans, ground or whole
Filtered water
Equipment
Chemex coffee brewer
Chemex paper filter
Kettle
Burr grinder (if starting with whole beans)
Instructions
1. Measure out the appropriate amount of filtered water for the number of cups of coffee you are making, plus a couple additional ounces, and put it in the kettle to boil. Electric kettles are especially useful and quick for this process.
2. Open up the Chemex paper filter and place it inside the cone of the Chemex brewer. One side of the filter has three layers; align the filter so that this is on the spout side of the brewer.
3. Chemex filters are extra thick, which can sometimes lead to a papery taste in your coffee. Rinsing the filter with hot water will prevent this. Once your water comes to a boil, pour a couple ounces over the filter, wetting it completely.
4. Pour out any excess water from the brewer.
5. Measure your coffee beans and grind them if needed. (If you want to grind your beans at home, a burr grinder is a necessity when making coffee this way, as uniformly-sized grounds will ensure the water is moving through at the right rate. Blade grinders cut the beans into inconsistent pieces and will lead to coffee that is either too strong or too weak.) Chemex recommends 1 rounded tablespoon of coffee per 5-ounce cup, which makes a strong brew. Experiment and adjust this ratio to your taste.
6. During the course of rinsing the filter and measuring the beans, the water should have cooled to around 200°F, which is the right temperature for brewing. Pour enough water over the grounds to just get them wet and wait about 30 seconds as they "bloom," becoming frothy and releasing carbon dioxide.
7. Slowly pour more water over the grounds until the water level is near the top of the cone. Pouring in a circular motion near the center of the grounds, try to keep the water around the same level until the kettle is empty. (This keeps the temperature of the water consistent.)
8. Once all the water has dripped through, remove the filter and grounds. Pour your coffee and enjoy!
9. To clean the brewer, just rinse it thoroughly after each use.
Additional Notes:
• To keep coffee hot, transfer it to a thermos right after brewing. The Chemex brewer can also be placed directly on a (non-electric) stove burner if you choose to reheat your coffee.
• For extra precision, a kitchen scale can be used to make sure all measurements are exact. First weigh the coffee beans and then weigh the water as it is being added, stopping when you reach the exact bean-to-water ratio you're looking for.
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(Images: Anjali Prasertong)
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Thank you for this. I've been interested in Chemex, but not enough to buy one or really research how to use one or maintenance (finances keep wants at a minimum and it's definitely not a necessity). This gives me a better idea of what I'd be getting into.
I use one everyday no matter how busy or in a rush I am. The quality is worth the wait. The only disadvantage is finding the Chemex filters. They are usually only available at gourmet markets.
This is pretty much the same technique I use to make coffee with my $2 plastic cone. But what's up with the three layered filter? Why three layers and why only on one side?
My wife disdains the plastic parts used in many (if not all) coffee makers so we bought a Chemex a month or two ago. Obviously not as quick and easy as a Bunn but no plastic whatsoever is involved in the making of the coffee. We recently purchased a Presto Percolator ($42, no plastic touches coffe)) as well...
I wrote a post just like this in my blog a few months ago. I love our Chemex -- makes the best coffee.
Been using a Chemex for 3 years, and I love it. I purchase the filters over the internet to save some $$.
I find its really important to meter the hot water in slowly, and never let the grounds cool. Its easy portability lets me carry around the chemex and my kettle, making coffee at the same time as my other morning rituals.
how does the taste compare to a french press? should I get one over the other? seems silly to have both (in a limited kitchen)
Ah! This is exactly like what I've been looking for. Does anyone know of any reusable filters that can be put in a Chemex? Thanks!
Makes great coffee, but beware about getting the leather lace wet. Once you get it wet, it becomes impossible to tie again & needs to be replaced.
The piece is beautiful, but a french press is really more multifuntional. I also use mine for loose tea, or similar things. Plus no filters or having to keep the water level constant...YAI
Too bad I broke mine last week...so I'm on the market for a new one :(
@nuttmegs17, the coffee from a Chemex is clearer and less oily than french press coffee, which I really like. It just depends on what style of coffee you prefer.
@eatlovedrink, the Kone is a reusable Chemex filter, but it sounds like it makes coffee that is more like french press coffee. (The paper filter absorbs oils that the Kone allows through.)
Thanks, Angali! Too bad it's so $$. Good observation on the oils.
@mariyaodessa: Comparing French press to Chemex is like comparing apples to dragon fruit. They are SUCH different animals and produce SUCH different results, you can't just lump the two together into the general coffeemaker category.
The French press allows the grounds to mix with the water, making them release all their bitter impurities and oils, which, when concentrated into the final product, makes for a very bitter, greasy cup full of impurities and garbage. The fats in these oils are not only bitter, but ratchet up your total cholesterol over time as well. Some people like that greasy, nasty garbage coffee. That's their preference.
The Chemex filter is designed so thickly as to filter out these bitter oils. Pouring the water OVER the grounds and letting them run through the filter is more akin to the way coffee was brewed when it was first discovered/invented. It doesn't allow for the bloating and release of oils that happens when grounds are drowned in boiling water.
I come from a long line of family Chemex-users, and have found many lovely used Chemex coffeemakers on eBay for about $20, and you can get the filters from the Chemex website, 100 for $7.50. So it's not some elitist, expensive thing. In fact, it's the cheap peasant way to make the BEST DAMN CUP you will ever have.
Oh, and the nonsense about the burr grinder. Don't listen to that. A blade grinder is fine, on a medium-fine grind.
Check ebay or craig's list - used CHEMEX are often available.
I don't like cleaning my french press, and that, for me, is reason enough!
Beautiful, and I wouldn't mind the waiting...coffee as a ritual is soothing.
Having to buy a special filter, however, is not functional enough for me.
I lucked out and found a Chemex at a Goodwill for approx $3 after seeing it featured for the first time. Great coffee. I used to use a French Press and I haven't had one bitter cup yet. Cost Plus/World Market now carries the filters for about $8 but not the Chemex, go figure.
Sounds pretty much like making filter coffee the old fashioned (German?) way, just a bit more complicated.
I use a standard filter cone and standard coffee filter paper and put it on a thermos jug directly.
You'll figure out fast how much coffee and how much water you'll need. I've never seen anybody weighing coffee beans and water! LOL
I have a French press too and I love this coffee even more. It's more 'earthy' than normal filtered coffee. But I hate cleaning the French press.
My boyfriend (the coffee snob in the relationship, I just benefit) found a large Chemex for around $3 at a garage sale. We haven't made coffee another way in about a year.
How do you pronounce Chemex? My instinct tells me "shih-MAY" but I have no idea if that's right.
It's NO secret. For me, coffee is the best beverage around. And, I take my home brewing task very seriously. I have several types of pots & coffee beans to suit my changing tastes. My brewing stock includes an old school stainless steel Farberwave electric perk, Toddy cold brewing system, Bodum french press and a Bialetti stovetop espresso maker. They all make an satisfying cup of joe,but in my opinion NOTHING brews it better then a Chemex. Slow & steady wins the race here. Once the brewing time is completed,your treated to a smooth as silk rich tasting cup of coffee. It's simply divine! Unfortunately for me, mine fell on the floor & cracked afew years ago. I have yet to replace it. Man, how I miss it! Thanks for reminding me to replace it ASAP. It's really been too long.
PS: Btw, thanks SO much for the link to the NYC article on the "Kone". When, I order my next Chemex, I will absolutely be purchasing the Kone too. AWESOME find! It really is a MUST have.
We've been using Chemex for 30 years, We tried a French press briefly about 15 years ago, but the end result was too murky and bitter for us. The Chemex brews a clean, rich coffee that is better than any other we've had.
Does anyone know if you can use standard cone paper filters in these? I love the way they look but the prospect of having to special-order filters online isn't appealing. The reusable filters seem nice, but if the resulting taste is the same as a French press, I'll just keep using my French press...
Okay! To you guys purchasing the KONE, DO NOT do this. You turn your Chemex into a French Press and your coffee comes out a murky mess. The beauty of the filters (albeit hard to find and a tad pricey) is how clean your coffee comes out. I've had my Chemex for over a year now and I love it. Besides, it's totally counter-intuitive to buy a 50 dollar permanent filter for a product that's about 36 dollars (or 3 for the thrift store folks). However, if you don't mind making your coffee into a murky, bitter mess - go the French Press route - WAY cheaper.
Chemex filters are available from the Daily Grind, an online coffee store in upstate New York. They also sell the 10-cup Chemex coffee makers for $37.90 (as of 3/7/13). The package of Chemex filters are $8.50.