Chemex
/Definition:
The Chemex is a pour-over coffee maker known for its elegant design and thick paper filters, which produce a clean, smooth, and rich cup of coffee by removing most oils and fine particles.
Basic Brew Recipe:
Ratio: 1:16.6
Brew time: 5 minutes
To make your Chemex:
Insert a Chemex paper filter into the Chemex and rinse it with hot water to remove any paper taste and preheat the brewer. Discard the rinse water without dislodging the Chemex filter paper.
Add 30g of medium-coarse ground coffee (see brew ratio guide) to the Chemex, shake gently to level the grounds, place on scales and tare the scales.
Boil the kettle, let it sit for 30 seconds (aim for 90-95°C).
Start a timer and pour 60g of hot water over the coffee grounds to bloom, allowing the coffee to degas for 30 seconds.
Slowly pour the remaining 440g of water in a circular motion over the coffee, taking about 3 minutes to complete the pour. If you have a gooseneck kettle, use this for more control over your pour.
Let the coffee drip through the filter, which should take about 4 minutes in total from start to finish.
Once the dripping slows to a stop, remove the filter.
Pour everything into your cup and enjoy.
Extra tip:
Adjust the grind size and pour rate to your preference. Finer grinds and slower pours result in a stronger coffee, while coarser grinds and faster pours produce a milder coffee. Once all the water has been poured into the Chemex and enough water has drained through creating headroom, you can gently lift and swirl the Chemex to level the grounds for a more even draw down.
Adjust the recipe to your taste by altering the coffee grind size. Once perfected, you can repeat your recipe, maintaining consistency for great tasting coffee every time.
If the draw down takes longer than 5 minutes you will need to grind coarser. If the draw down takes less than 3 minutes you will need to grind finer to get best results. As the Chemex has a much thicker filter paper you will need to compensate the grind setting accordingly.