Chemex Brewing Guide

Invented in 1941 by chemist and inventor Peter Schlumbohm, the Chemex embodies appreciation for experimentation with good coffee. This method will produce 2 cups of perfectly brewed coffee to help fuel your creative passions.

What you’ll need

• Chemex
• Chemex filter
• Grinder
• 42g coffee
• Hot water, just off the boil (around 96℃)
• Scales
• Timer
• Stirring stick
• Mug

The method

Take your time with this method and experiment with what feels right. You’ll feel like a mad scientist as you learn the subtle nuances of the Chemex method. You can achieve the perfect brew in just 4 minutes.

1. Place your Chemex filter in the brewer with the single fold away from the spout and the multiple folds aligned with the spout. Start by rinsing with hot water to create an even seal all around and also remove any paper flavour. Dump out the rinse water. To reinforce the filter, fold it towards the spout.
2. Weigh and grind your coffee. It should look like coarse sea salt.
3. Start the timer as soon as you start pouring. You want to saturate the grounds, which is around 150g if you are using a scale. Stir with a stirring stick (a chopstick works great) to break up any larger clumps.
4. After 45 seconds, add water again. Start pouring in a wiggling motion and then switch to a spiral. This will help to agitate the grounds. Stop pouring when you’re around one finger width from the rim.
5. When the timer hits 1 minute and 45 seconds, fill to the top again. You should be at around 700g at this point.
6. After 4 minutes, you should be close to volume. The glass button on the side of the vessel will indicate you have enough for 2 cups. Lift the filter and make sure you have enough volume before taking this out and letting it drain in the sink.
7. Gently swirl the coffee in the Chemex before pouring equally into 2 cups.

Top tips

• If your filter is clogging, you need to use a finer grind. But if you’re getting lots of sediment in your cup, this means you need a coarser grind.
• You can find organic cotton filters that are washable and reusable, if you don’t like the idea of paper waste.