Pourover Chemex
GUIDE TO A BETTER CUP
Beautiful Brewing - Chemex and What You Should Know About It
There’s no shortage of coffee brewing systems on the market. Some swear by the French press. Others love their AeroPress. Yet others firmly believe that their pod-based coffee system is the best choice. And then there’s Chemex – a uniquely beautiful way to brew coffee that’s once more gaining steam in the nation. The devise is so beautiful and iconic that it is part of the permanent collection at the MOMA. What is a Chemex coffee brewer and what might make it a good fit for your own coffee brewing needs? Actually, there’s a lot to love about this ultra-simple, elegant brewing system, but it’s not right for everyone.
What's Chemex?
While the brewing process is very simple with the Chemex system, there’s more to it than just adding water and then enjoying your cup of coffee. You’ll need to follow these steps:
- Measure the appropriate quantity of water into a vessel for heating (number of desired cups of coffee)
- Add the proprietary filter to the Chemex brewer (you cannot use conventional filters – Chemex filters are thick, and made of several layers of chemically bonded paper
- Wet the filter with a small amount of water to rinse the paper taste away and to help it stick to the sides of the flask
- Remove the filter and pour out the rinse water
- Replace the wet filter in the flask
- Add the appropriate amount of coffee grounds to the filter
- Moisten the coffee grounds by adding a small amount of hot water, and then let it “bloom” (water should be about 205 degrees)
- Once the coffee has bloomed, pour the remaining water into the filter
- Wait for the coffee to finish trickling out of the filter and down into the bottom of the flask
- Remove the coffee grounds and filter, and dispose of them
- Add hot water to your coffee mug to pre-warm it, then pour it out
- Pour coffee from the Chemex brewer into your mug
- Enjoy your coffee