The Chemex Coffeemaker is a great choice for anyone that prefers bright and clean coffee with lots of flavor clarity but little body.
Recommended Tools:
- 8 Cup Chemex Coffeemaker
- Bleached Pre-folded Chemex Filters
- Digital Coffee Scaled (We love acaia)
- Spouted Gooseneck Kettle
- Conical Burr Grinder (check out our Coffee Grinder Guide for recommendations)
- 1L of filtered water
- Whole bean coffee
- Your favorite mug
Step 1
Bring 33.8 oz (1 liter) of water to a boil in a spouted gooseneck kettle. Prepare your Chemex bleached filter and place it in the Chemex brewer so that the thicker side is against the spouted of the Chemex.
Step 2
Using only a few ounces of water from your kettle, gently rinse the filter. This helps clean off the filter and avoid a paper-like taste, preheats the Chemex for brewing, and will create a better seal between your Chemex and the filter. Carefully pour out the water in the Chemex while holding the filter so it does not slip or fall out.
Step 3
Next, weigh out 38 grams of whole bean coffee using a digital coffee scale. If you do not have a scale, you can measure out your coffee using a tablespoon. 1 tablespoon is approximately 6 grams, so 6 tablespoons will do.
Step 4
Pour your measured out coffee into a grinder and grind your coffee to a medium-coarse consistency. A consistent and uniform grind size is crucial for brewing great tasting coffee. If you are unsure about how to grind your coffee or what setting to use check out our guide on grinding coffee.
Step 5
Place the Chemex on a scale and add your freshly ground coffee. Level off the grounds by gently rocking or shaking the Chemex. Press the tare button on your scale so the scale reads 0. Make a small divot in the grounds using a spoon or your finger to allow the water to reach the entire bed of coffee grounds and ensure the grounds are evenly saturated.
Step 6
Start a timer and begin the "bloom" by gently pouring 75 grams (just enough to wet the grounds) of water and let it sit for 25-30 seconds. This stage, called the bloom, forces out any remaining gases and primes the coffee grounds for brewing.
Step 7
Now begin gradually pouring the remaining water (about 525 grams) over the grounds in a circular motion. Avoid hitting the filter or coming too close to the edge of the grounds and dead center. You should finish pouring around 3:45 (do not forget that timer). The water should have completely drained through the grounds between 4:00 - 4:30, if poured correctly. If you notice that it's taking less than 4:00 to drain, use a finer grind next time and pour slightly slower. On the flip side, if it is pushing 5:00 or more to fully drain, use a coarser grind next time so the water can drain more freely through the coffee.
Step 8
Remove the filter by grabbing opposite sides and discard it or add it to your compost for gardening. Hint: used coffee grounds are actually great for gardening.
Step 9
Inhale the wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling your room. Grab your favorite coffee mug and enjoy! Hint hint: great friends share their great coffee :)