Pour-over · medium
Chemex
The Chemex is a one-piece glass hourglass designed by Peter Schlumbohm in 1941. Its bonded paper filters are much thicker than standard ones, so they hold back more oil and fine particles. You get a very clean, light-bodied cup, and it's easy to brew for two or more people at once.
30 gCoffee
500 gWater
1:16.7Ratio
94 °CTemp
4:00-4:30Time
medium filter grind, a bit coarser than V60Grind
Water by roast: light 96 °C · medium 94 °C · dark 90 °C
Steps
- PrepFold the filter so the three-layer side faces the spout. Rinse it with hot water to warm the glass, then pour the rinse water out
- PrepAdd 30 g ground coffee, level the bed, tare the scale
- 0:00Pour 50 g evenly until all the coffee is wet, then let it bloom
- 0:30Pour slowly in steady circles to 250 g
- 1:00Pour to 500 g the same way, aiming to have all the water in by 1:30
- 1:30Leave it to draw down undisturbed
- 4:00Drawdown finished. Lift out the filter and discard itUp to 4:30 is fine. Taste before changing anything, since Chemex papers vary
Variations
Stumptown 8-Cup ChemexStumptown Coffee Roasters
A bigger batch for the 8-cup Chemex. A large 150 g bloom with a stir, then two big fills
42 g · 700 g water · 96 °C · medium-coarse, like kosher salt
- 0:00Pour 150 g, or until all grounds are saturated, and stir so nothing stays dry
- 0:45Pour with a wiggle, then a gentle spiral, up to 450 g or close to the rimPour over the dark spots, skip the light ones
- 1:45Pour to 700 g, or until the slurry is about flush with the top
- 4:00Lift the filter, let it hover a few seconds, then pull it out and serve
Blue Bottle ChemexBlue Bottle Coffee
Five measured spiral pours at about 10 g per second. Longer total time of 4:30-5:30. Blue Bottle gives a 36-46 g dose range, and 40 g is the middle
40 g · 600 g water · 93-99 °C · medium-coarse
- 0:00Spiral pour from the centre at about 10 g per second to 80 g
- 0:45Spiral from centre to edge and back to 300 g, finishing by 1:00
- 1:20Same pattern to 400 g, finishing by 1:30
- 1:50Same pattern to 500 g, finishing around 2:00
- 2:20Final pour to 600 g, finishing at 2:30
- 5:00Done, somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30Dense coffees like many Ethiopians run longer
Fix your cup
| Taste | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, sharp, thin | Under-extracted | Grind a little finer |
| Bitter, dry, astringent | Over-extracted or brew stalled | Grind a little coarser |
| Brew stalls well past 5:00 | Grind too fine, or filter sealed against the glass | Grind coarser, make sure the thick side is on the spout |
| Tastes papery | Filter not rinsed | Rinse well with hot water before adding coffee |
Tips
- Use Chemex's own filters. Third-party papers vary in thickness and change both flow rate and flavour.
- The thick side of the filter (three layers) goes against the spout. The single layer side can collapse into the spout and block airflow.
- Grind a little coarser than you would for a V60. The thick paper slows the flow a lot.
- Go by taste over time. Chemex papers drain at slightly different speeds, so a slow brew isn't always a bad one.
- The glass doesn't hold heat long. If you're not drinking right away, pour into a preheated insulated carafe.
- Never put a Chemex directly on a stove or hotplate. The glass can crack.
Common mistakes
- Putting the single-layer side of the filter against the spout. It seals the air channel and slows the drain.
- Using a V60 grind, which chokes the thick paper.
- Brewing too small a batch in a big Chemex. A tiny dose in an 8-cup brewer gives a shallow bed that drains unevenly.
- Forgetting to discard the rinse water before brewing.
What you need
- Chemex (6-cup for the base recipe)
- Chemex bonded paper filter (FS-100 / FC-100 or similar)
- Scale with timer
- Gooseneck kettle
- Burr grinder