how to make coffee using a chemex
about the method
the chemex is a classic brewing method and you can find one almost anywhere. some people’s families have been using the chemex for generations. it was invented in 1941 to be both beautiful and practical, both of which still are true to this day.
the pour over brewing devices have only gotten better in the past few decades, with some methods that allow for great extraction and clarity. it’s possible to make a delicious cup with the chemex, but if you’re going for clarity, we would recommend a different method.
about the brewing recipe
this is our take on the traditional chemex method. our favorite way to use it is for a one-cup pour, where usually you’ll find recipes for about 2 cups. feel free to double the recipe (2x the grams of coffee and 2x the grams of water), but know that it will take a bit longer to drip and you may have to pause and give the brewer a swirl about halfway through.
you’ll use a medium grind, but make sure you grind a little coarser if it seems like the water is stalling too much.
this recipe uses 22g of coffee and 350g of water.
the steps
start heating the water to near boiling (206 F, if you can measure)
grind the coffee to a medium grind
open the chemex filter, pulling one side away from the rest, but keeping the fold in tact, so that when held it looks like a cone with one corner down and two corners sticking out at the top. place it in the chemex with the thicker side’s corner aligned with the spout.
thoroughly rinse the filter with your brewing water or with hot water from the sink, and dump the rinsing water out. the filter should be completely wet.
place 22g of ground in the bottom of the filter and make a divet in the middle of the grounds with a string stick.
when the water is ready, tare your scale, start your timer, and pour 50-60g of water in a circular motion. give the brewer a swirl and let it sit until the timer says 30 seconds.
keep pouring slowly in a circular motion until you’ve poured 350g of water. give the brewer a swirl and let it sit to drip.
remove the filter and pour your cup. enjoy!
