Kitchen

Chemex 6-Cup Classic Series Glass Coffee Maker

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"With the Chemex, even a moron can make good coffee.”

I have been using this tool for about a year. In combination with a food scale, Chemex bleached filters, a Capresso hot water kettle, great coffee (like Ruta Maya Dark Roast), and of course clean filtered water, Chemex makes consistent coffee with no bitter after taste. I watched > 10 videos on You Tube, taking the best features of each to come up with my Chemex specification for great coffee (see below). The key is to use good measurement tools to maintain day-to-day consistency and to ensure you are brewing at the correct temperature to avoid extraction of the bitter components of the coffee beans.

Chemex is superior because glass is easy to clean and does not hold odors like plastic or even stainless steel. The price is very reasonable for a tool that can produce a full body, full flavor, no bitter after taste cup of coffee!

How to make Chemex Coffee

I Equipment
– A Chemex 6 Cup Coffee Maker
– B Chemex Bonded Filter Squares (Oxygen cleansed)
– C Hario V60 Drip Scale / Timer
– D Kitchen Aid Coffee Grinder
– E Capresso H2O Pro Water Kettle

II Ingredients
– A Purified Water 56 ounces
– B Whole Coffee Beans 45 to 55 grams

III Procedure (Makes 30 ounces or 1 1/3 cup of coffee)
– A Boil Approximately 56 ounces of water in Capresso Kettle (212
F).
– B Place Chemex Filter in Chemex Coffee Maker
– i Open filter so that three layers of paper are on one side and one layer of paper is on the other side.
– ii Orient the three layer side toward the spout of the Chemex Coffee Maker.
– C Unplug the Capresso Kettle when the water reaches 212F
– D Wait 30 seconds.
– i Critical for dropping water temperature to 200F.
– E Thoroughly wet the Chemex Filter with the hot water.
– i This also warms the vessel.
– F Pour out the hot water from the Chemex Coffee Maker.
– i Carefully hold the three layer side of the filter out of
the way.
– ii Reposition the wetted filter.
– G Turn on the Hario Scale.
– H Place the Chemex Coffee Maker on the Hario Scale.
– I Tare the Hario Scale.
– J Grind the whole bean coffee on a Medium Coarse setting.
– i 10 seconds in Kitchen Aid Grinder.
– K Pour 50 grams of Medium Coarse Coffee into the wetted Chemex
Filter.
– i Gently shake the Chemex Coffee Maker to even out the
Coffee Grounds.
– L Make a small intention in the center of the grounds.
– M Tare the Hario Scale.
– N Carefully pour approximately 100 grams of hot water to wet
the coffee grounds thoroughly.
– i Start in the center indention, moving outward until
grounds are completely wet.
– O Allow the Coffee Grounds to “bloom” for 45 seconds.
– i Critical time.
– P Tare the Hario Scale.
– Q Start the main pour.
– i The main pour will total 887 grams of hot water.
– ii Gently pour starting at the edge and move in a circular
motion around the perimeter of the Chemex opening.
– iii Pour until the water is about half an inch from the top.
– iv Allow it to filter topping off occasionally until you
reach 887 grams.
– v Try to avoid “floaters” by sinking them carefully with
the pour.
– R Allow the water to filter through until the last few drops.
– S Remove the filter and place in the compost.
– T Pour the coffee.
– U Enjoy !
– V Place the optional Chemex glass top on the coffee maker to
help maintain temperature.

IV Notes
– A This procedure makes about 30 ounces of Coffee.
– B Grams of coffee can be adjusted to taste. I recommend using
the range 45 to 55 grams.
– C If the water filters very very slowly, the Grind is too fine.
Adjust to a coarser grind.
– D Time is critical to maintain water temperature within the
optimal range. Have all supplies available. Work steadily
without rushing and you’ll have no problems.
– E The scale is critical for consistency. Once you create the
perfect cup of coffee, you have the recipe.
– F This procedure was developed after observing several Chemex
videos on YouTube, combined with my own experimentation.

V Coffee (in order of preference)
– A List is limited as coffees taste different using the Chemex
method compared to my old Automatic Drip Coffee Maker. My old
database of Coffee preferences is obsolete. The Chemex
difference is in the elimination of the bitter after taste.
– B Ruta Maya Shade Grown Dark Roast
– i #1 with a bullet! $14.99 for 2.2lbs at Costco, great value
– C Columbia Caldas (Starbucks Reserve)
– i Excellent, but expensive
– D Ethiopia Medium Roast (Starbucks)
– i Excellent based on initial tasting.
– E Jamaica Blue Mountain (Starbucks Reserve)
– i I remember this tasting better in Jamaica
– ii Good coffee, but poor value for the price

-- Joe McGowan 07/2/20

(Peter Schlumbohm, creator of the Chemex coffee maker, was quite a character. A Time Magazine article from November 1946 quoted him as saying, “with the Chemex, even a moron can make good coffee.”

This is a Cool Tools Favorite from 2015 — editors)

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