the chemex - equal parts brilliance and common sense

chemex brewing remains a staple in every coffee enthusiast’s brewing routine and its design has endured, unchanged (wood handle, leather cord, tapered glass and all), since its invention in 1941 — a true testament to its genius!

with the chemex method, it’s more important to wet your filter than with any other pour-over device (like the kalita wave or hario v60). this is because of the way the filter sticks to its sides to regulate airflow — a design quirk that’s paramount to the chemex brewing success. if you’ve thoroughly wetted the filter, you should be able to pour the water through the spout without the chemex filter falling out.

follow our chemex brewing essentials for a smooth flavourful coffee.

with the chemex, even a moron can make good coffee

step 01. bring your water to the boil and set aside to cool

step 02. while the water heats, grind your coffee to medium-fine and set aside. place the filter into the chemex and set it onto the scale and zero

step 03. thoroughly wet the filter (about 50g of water should do it). discard the water and set the chemex on the scale again and add your grounds

step 04. gently shake the vessel to level the bed and zero your scale

step 05. to bloom your coffee, start the timer and very slowly pour 70g of water evenly, in concentric circles, making sure to thoroughly wet all your grounds. this should take at least 20 seconds. stop when your timer reads 0:45

step 06. slowly keep adding water to the bed, starting from the center and working outward in a small circular spiral until the scale reads 200g. here you won’t be pouring as slowly as you did for the bloom! when you reach the edge, lap around twice, taking care not to hit the sides. now, start pouring in the same circular motion towards the center of the bed until the scale reads 400g. your timer should read 2:00

step 07. take another quick lap around the edge and continue pouring towards the center in circles until your scale finally reads 500g and the timer reads 2:30

step 08. let gravity do its work and draw the water through the grounds into the bottom of the chemex. this should take about 75 seconds and your timer should now read 3:45

step 09. remove and discard the filter. green-fingered tip: why not go green and add the grounds to plant-soil

step 10. pour your coffee into preheated cups and enjoy