Chemex
It's quite literally perfect
A clean, bright cup with a paper-filtered clarity that lets the origin flavors of the coffee shine. A Chemex is perfect for 2-4 cups of incredible coffee, making it just the right brew method for a solo busy day or sharing a cup with a friend or two.
What you'll need
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Chemex Pour OverThe classic hourglass brewer. Any size works — just scale your recipe accordingly.
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ScaleSet to grams. Precision is everything with a Chemex pour.
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FilterUse the official Chemex bonded filters — they're thicker than standard and make a big difference.
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Hot WaterFresh off the boil — around 205°F
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43g of coffeeGround medium coarse — similar to raw sugar. Also known as electric percolator grind.
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TimerYou'll be hitting specific time marks, so keep it close.
Step by step
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Set up your Chemex
Place your Chemex on your scale and pop the filter in the opening. Presoak the filter, then dump the rinse water.
Make sure the 3-layered side of the filter is on the side with the spout. This will prevent the filter from blocking the spout!
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Add your coffee
Add your ground coffee to the filter, then zero out your scale.
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Start the timer and bloom
Start the timer. Slowly pour until your scale hits 150g. Even saturation is key here — it lets the coffee de-gas and gets the most out of your grounds. Let it bloom for about 45 seconds.
Pour in slow, even circles starting from the center. Make sure every ground gets wet.
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Continue the pour
After the bloom, pour your water from the center of the filter in an outward circular motion, up to 450g total.
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Second pour at 1:45
When your timer hits the 1:45 mark, pour again to a total of 700g. Give your brew a delicate stir around the sides of the filter with the back of a spoon to settle loose grounds into the bed.
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Let it draw down
Let the water draw out until your timer reaches about 4 minutes. If your coffee is still dripping at 4 minutes, give it another 30 seconds.
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Enjoy it!
Pour yourself a damn fine cup of coffee.
The Chemex makes roughly 2-4 cups of delicious coffee (depending on your mug size!) Perfect for sharing with friends or if you just need a little extra pick-me-up!
Tips to level up
Grind matters most
Medium coarse is the sweet spot for Chemex. Too fine and it'll over-extract and taste bitter. Too coarse and it'll taste weak and sour. Adjust one click at a time.
The bloom is the secret
Don't rush the bloom. Those 45 seconds let CO₂ escape from fresh coffee so the water can extract evenly. Skip it and you'll get an uneven, flat cup.
Pour height matters
Keep your pour low and controlled — about an inch above the filter. Too high creates turbulence that disrupts the grounds and throws off extraction.
Use Chemex filters only
Generic filters are too thin for a Chemex. The official bonded filters remove more oils and fines, giving you that clean, tea-like clarity the Chemex is famous for.
