Coffee maker
Chemex
An hourglass-shaped glass pour-over brewer used with a thick proprietary filter, producing an exceptionally clean, tea-like cup.
How it works
Water poured by hand filters through a bed of coffee held in a thick, proprietary paper filter, which removes more oils and fine particles than a standard cone filter.
Who it suits
- users who want the cleanest possible cup and don't mind the thicker filter's slower flow
- users who want an attractive serving vessel for guests
Who it may not suit
- users who want a fuller-bodied cup
- users wanting fast brew times
- Starting dose
- 15g
- Starting water
- 240ml
- Coffee-to-water ratio
- 55–65 g per litre (typically 60)
- Grind
- Medium-coarse, coarser than a standard V60 to account for the thicker filter.
- Capacity
- 1-8 cups
- Brew time
- 3-5 min
- Skill level
- intermediate
- Noise
- quiet
- Space
- medium
- Cleaning burden
- low
- Convenience
- medium
- Manual control
- high
Descriptive grind labels like this are illustrative starting points, not precise measurements — the same label can mean different particle sizes on different grinders. See the grind size guide for how to dial this in on your own equipment.
Uses the Chemex brewing method.
Equipment
Requires a separate grinder.
Advantages
- exceptionally clean cup
- doubles as an attractive serving carafe
- scales well for multiple cups
Disadvantages
- proprietary filters cost more than standard cone filters
- slower brew than other pour-over methods
Steps
- Fold and seat the thick paper filter, then rinse it and discard the rinse water.
- Add ground coffee and bloom with roughly double its weight in water for 30-45 seconds.
- Pour the remaining water in stages, keeping the bed level, until the target weight is reached.
Cleaning & maintenance
Rinse the glass vessel after use; discard the filter and grounds.
None beyond routine cleaning.
Consumables: Chemex-specific paper filters
Common faults
- brew runs slowly due to the thick filter
- thin taste if ground too coarse for the batch size
Cost
Purchase cost band: mid rangeThe glass vessel itself is a one-off cost above a basic plastic dripper, with an ongoing filter cost premium.
Chemex-specific filters are a recurring cost, typically pricier than standard cone filters.
Suitable roast levels
Skills for this machine
The individual techniques this device asks of you, each with its own adjustments and failure modes.
- Dialling in filter coffeeFind the grind and ratio that suit a particular coffee in a particular brewer, using brew time as the diagnostic.
- Blooming coffeeWet the whole coffee bed and let it release its carbon dioxide before the main pour begins.
- Pulse pouringControl agitation and contact time by pouring in several stages rather than one continuous stream.
- Rinsing a paper filterRemove papery taste, seat the filter against the brewer, and preheat the equipment in one action.
- Preheating a brewerStop cold equipment taking heat out of the brew before it has finished extracting.
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