how to make great chemex pour over coffee

Though I’ve owned my Chemex for years and have adored its timeless beauty, it’s only recently I’ve been happy enough to share my chemex brew method. Here’s the best chemex coffee recipe I know of, with one twist that’s made all the difference.


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Recommended Chemex Coffee Gear

I own the classic 8 cup chemex, but recommend the 6 cup glass handle chemex for everyday use – no wood to decay, and easier handling even when washing.

And of course you need Chemex filters.

RECIPE:

  • vacuum & frozen beans
  • burr grinder
  • 40g/600g bean/water
  • 190F water
  • pre-rinse filter
  • ~100mL, ~1min bloom
  • add remainder of water

You’ll want a good kitchen scale accurate to the gram.

A decent burr grinder is another necessity and doesn’t have to break the bank (unless you want to grind espresso-fine).

And my favourite kettle to keep the perfect 190F water I love.

And last but not least, the missing piece of the puzzle for me to get a chemex brew I was happy with, was vacuum freezing my beans! Before using frozen beans, I struggles with super-long Chemex extraction times. No matter how large I tried to grind my beans my filters seem to always get clogged and take longer and longer to drain as my pour progressed. This one “trick” of grinding frozen beans produces more even grind size with fewer fines – which I believe were responsible for clogging the dense Chemex paper filters and prolonging my drip times. Grinding frozen beans brought my extraction times back to normal and creates a much more palatable cup with less bitterness (read: overextraction).

VERDICT:

Every brew method has its strengths and weaknesses. But my Chemex really shines on the more delicate, light to medium roasts with more nuanced flavour profiles.

For it’s classic looks and ability to bring out the best in some of my favourite beans, the Chemex is one of my “dessert island” coffee brewing methods for its simplicity, beauty and ability to extract the most delicate taste from amazing beans.



THANK YOU! + THE NotSo FINE PRINT

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