Are you curious whether the Chemex coffee maker is the right tool for you and how to brew delicious coffee using Chemex? Then look no further than this guide. In this guide, I will share why it is my favorite coffee maker, practical tips, the best filter options for brewing with Chemex, and an exclusive recipe developed by a barista champion.
Why Chemex is My Favorite Coffee Maker
Brewing Chemex coffee is like a calming ritual in the slow morning or quiet afternoon. It is a wonderful celebration of coffee and all its complex flavors, which is one reason why Chemex is my preferred brewing method. It features a simple, timeless design and produces a clear cup that highlights the sweetness of the coffee you’re brewing. The bitter taste of coffee barely passes through the thick Chemex filter. Chemex is made of high-quality heat-resistant glass that imparts no flavors of its own. Beyond all these amazing attributes, Chemex is also a beautiful coffee maker and a stunning addition to any kitchen or living room. It may take some practice at first, but once you master brewing coffee with Chemex, it becomes easy. Just follow the recipe in this article, and you will have your own Chemex coffee in no time.
Chemex Design – A Work of Art
Chemex is a type of coffee maker that is repurposed in creative ways due to its timeless design and elegance. Whether turned into a vase or a hanging lamp, the opportunities to use it seem endless. Chemex was designed long before the resurgence of pure drip coffee – in 1941 by the German scientist Peter J. Schlumbohm specifically – but it is rarely absent from the shelf of a third-wave coffee shop in the present time. Despite its simplicity, the glass carafe with the wooden piece and leather tie radiates pure elegance. The neck portion also protects you from burning your fingers. The design of the carafe has not changed its rounded shape since its invention. Its intended design is so striking that Chemex has become part of the permanent collections at the Brooklyn Museum, the Corning Museum of Glass, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Shape and Function of Chemex – A Home Brewing Coffee Maker
One very appealing feature of the Chemex coffee maker is that it is made from just three simple, ordinary materials: Pyrex glass, wood, and leather. It appears to have come straight out of a laboratory and certainly deserves a permanent place on your kitchen counter. For me, it’s nice that the Chemex is not made of plastic, but it is definitely not an easy travel companion. If you’re planning a camping trip or an outdoor adventure, Chemex is not the ideal tool for making coffee that you can bring along, as the glass carafe is fragile and can break in your luggage. It is also a bit bulky to fit in a cabin bag. If you travel frequently and want to brew coffee on the go, the Aeropress would be a better option.
Essentials for Brewing Coffee with Chemex
The essentials of brewing coffee with Chemex coffee and Chemex filters. You can purchase the classic Chemex series in different sizes – either 3 cups, 6 cups, 8 cups, or 10 cups. The 6-cup Chemex is the most popular choice. I also recommend using a manual coffee grinder, a gooseneck kettle, and a scale. Since ground coffee loses aroma within just 30 seconds, it’s crucial to grind your coffee beans fresh each time you prepare coffee for yourself. The gooseneck kettle gives you greater control over the water flow, allowing you to be more precise when pouring water over the coffee in your Chemex filter. If you wish to follow the recipe in this brewing guide, a coffee scale will be helpful. It will enable you to accurately weigh the amount of ground coffee beans and water you use for brewing.
What
The Suitable Filters for Making Chemex Coffee
If you’re learning how to use Chemex to brew delicious coffee, I recommend using the thick Chemex filters. They are approximately 20-30% thicker than traditional paper filters and prevent oils and bitter elements or coffee beans from entering your brew during the extraction process. As a result, Chemex coffee has a particularly aromatic, complex, and clean flavor profile. The filters come pre-folded and in three different shapes: square (for 6-8 cups), round or circular (for 6-8 cups), and half-moon (Chemex filters for 3 cups). Although the square and round filters have different shapes, they work exactly the same way. Whether you prefer one over the other is a matter of aesthetics. You can also choose between bleached and natural Chemex filters. The latter is more environmentally friendly, as it has a natural brown color, and the filter paper is whitened through an oxidation cleaning bath. Despite the color difference, ensure that both are made from the same high-quality lab paper.
Reusable Chemex Filters
For those of you who dislike using single-use paper filters and want to reuse Chemex filters, there’s another option! The coffee filter from Barista Warrior, crafted from durable stainless steel, can be used repeatedly. The tiny filtration holes allow more oils from the Chemex filter to pass through, creating a fuller-bodied cup. It fits the classic Chemex coffee maker in sizes 6, 8, and 10 cups. Whether you prefer a stainless steel or paper filter largely depends on your personal preference. Personally, I prefer the aromatic and clean cup produced by Chemex paper filters.
Finally, the Reusable Chemex Fabric
CoffeeSock has finally developed an eco-friendly reusable filter made from certified organic cotton that can last up to a year. It is designed to preserve the finest flavors of high-quality coffee varieties.
How to Use Chemex Step by Step
Champion barista from Thailand, Athip Archalerttrakool, who recently visited Factory, one of the best coffee shops in Bangkok, brewed delicious coffee using Chemex. He shared his Chemex recipe with me so I can tell you all about it in this brewing guide. Athip brewed coffee from the PangKhon area, a coffee region near Chiang Rai, using honey-processed beans from mixed varieties. Expect flavors of orange, sugar cane, and black tea in the cup. The brewing guide is certified by the barista champion.
The Recipe:
20 grams of coffee
280 grams of water at 93 degrees Celsius
Brewing time 2:30 minutes
Athip weighed 20 grams of coffee on a scale, ground it coarsely, and let us smell the sweet ground coffee. The gooseneck kettle he used was from Brewista. It features a perfect neck spout and temperature control for brewing with precision. The digital display reads the actual water temperature, allowing Athip to heat the water accurately to 93 degrees. For this Chemex recipe, he used a brewing ratio of 1:14, which translates to 280 grams of water (plus a little extra for rinsing the filter before brewing) and 20 grams of coffee. The brewing time is 2:30 minutes.
First and foremost, after placing the Chemex filter in the funnel, Athip rinsed it with hot water to eliminate any unwanted paper taste while simultaneously warming the carafe. The water was then discarded.
Then
Pour the ground coffee into the Chemex filter followed by double the amount of water, pouring it gently in circular motions starting from the center and moving outward. Wait for about 30 seconds for the coffee to bloom, then continue to pour the water slowly in circular motions, with short pauses of a few seconds between pours.
After all the water has dripped through the coffee, discard the Chemex filter. Thanks to the strength of the filter, you can remove it without spilling any coffee grounds in the process.
Thanks to the specially designed Chemex spout, Athip was able to pour the coffee into the cup without spilling a drop. We enjoyed the fruity taste left by the blooming time and the moderate acidity of the coffee. The aromas of black tea were very pronounced in the cup, and I tasted the orange flavor much more clearly after the coffee had cooled a bit.
Coffee to Water Ratio in Chemex
The coffee-to-water ratio used in this Chemex recipe is just one of many options. When I want to experiment with new water, or in this case coffee, the most typical brewing ratio is 1:14, while 1:12 will give you a stronger coffee. This means that for every one gram of coffee, you’ll use 12 grams of water. If we adjust the brewing recipe above accordingly, it translates to 240 grams of water for 20 grams of coffee for a stronger brew. This is also a great coffee-to-water ratio to use if you’re brewing over ice. Another common coffee-to-water ratio for Chemex is 1:15. In this case, we use 300 grams of water for 20 grams of coffee. When testing different coffee-to-water ratios for Chemex, the 1:15 ratio sometimes resulted in a harsh and bitter taste in my coffee cup. The best brewing ratio largely depends on how you like your coffee. Try different recipes to find what suits your taste.
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