Chemex
Scientifically designed to make coffee of any strength without bitterness or sediment, the Chemex appeals to geeks and epicureans alike. Its elegant one-piece design is simple to use, can be used to store iced coffee in the fridge, and looks cool on the shelf.
The Grind—Medium: Gritty, like coarse sand.
- Open the Chemex-Bonded Coffee Filter into a cone. One side should have three layers. Place the cone in the top of your coffeemaker with the thick portion toward the pouring spout.
LEFT: The extremely simple design of the Chemex makes it easy to get results comparable to other pour-over methods without a lot of practice.
- Using Regular or Automatic Grind coffee only, put one rounded tablespoon of coffee per 5 oz. cup into the filter cone. If you prefer stronger coffee, use more; there is never any bitterness in coffee brewed using the Chemex method.
- When the water is boiling, remove it from the heat until it stops boiling vigorously. It should now be at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, a perfect brewing temperature. Pour a small amount of water over the coffee grounds, just enough to wet them without floating. This is important because it allows the grounds to “bloom,” so the desirable coffee elements can be released.
LEFT: The Chemex has a narrow neck—you’ll want a long-handled brush for easy cleanup.
- After this first wetting simply pour more water, soaking the grounds each time, but keeping the water level well below the top of the coffeemaker. Once the desired amount of coffee is brewed, dispose of the spent grounds by lifting the filter out of the coffeemaker.
The Chemex
The Chemex was invented by a German-born chemist, Peter J. Schlumbohm, in 1941. To bring laboratory purity to coffee production, Schlumbohm modified and combined common items of lab equipment, creating a one-piece drip coffee maker made of heat proof, laboratory grade, borosilicate glass. For about 50 years it was only available to his friends and acquaintances, but today it’s used by coffee fanatics worldwide.
In 1956, the Chemex was featured by the Illinois Institute of Technology as one of the best-designed items of modern times—the only coffeemaker they honored. Chemex brewers and water kettles are part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Smithsonian, the Philadelphia Museum and the Corning Museum in Corning, NY.
