Chemex Brew Guide
At a Glance
- Total brew time: 3:30
- Yield: 2 mugs
- Mugs per 12oz bag: 18
- Cup characteristics: Clean and refined
What You Need
- Chemex 6-cup brewer
- Square Chemex filter
- 36 grams (5-7 tbsp) Craft Coffee beans
- 600 mL water, plus additional for rinsing
- Pouring Kettle (gooseneck preferred)
- Timer
- Drinking Mug
- Burr grinder (recommended)
- Scale (recommended)
Before You Brew
- For best results, we strongly recommend starting with whole bean coffee and grinding with a burr grinder immediately before brewing. If you grind your coffee too soon, it will quickly lose many of the compounds that give it such delightful aromas and flavors.
- While it may seem complicated, we think using a scale actually makes brewing easier by taking any guesswork out of the equation.
- Compared to a traditional kettle, a gooseneck kettle gives you optimal control over how fast you’re pouring and where the water hits the coffee.
Step by Step
Step 1
Heat your water to 205 degrees by bringing it to a boil and letting it sit for 30 seconds.
Step 2
Unfold the Chemex filter and insert in the top of the brewer, making sure the 3-layered side of the filter is lined up with the pouring spout.
Step 3
Pour hot water around the inside of the filter for about 5 seconds. Keeping the filter in place, discard the rinse water. Rinsing the filter helps seal it inside the dripper and also gets rid of any papery taste.
Step 4
If using pre-ground coffee skip to Step 5. Otherwise, weigh out your whole bean coffee and grind it on a setting slightly coarser than medium. See our guide on how to grind your coffee for reference.
Step 5
Pour your ground coffee into the filter and gently shake the brewer back and forth to settle the grounds.
Step 6
Time: 0:00-0:45
Start your timer and slowly pour just enough water over the grounds to wet them evenly (about 70 grams). Let it sit until your timer reads 45 seconds. This step is called the bloom. Hot water forces the coffee to release trapped gases, leading to expansion of the coffee bed, bubbling at the surface, and wonderful aromas for you to enjoy.
Step 7
Time: 0:45-2:45
Begin pouring continuously in a spiraling pattern. Try to avoid pouring directly in the center or around the edges of the filter. If the water level nears the rim of the Chemex, pause for a moment to let it drain before continuing. Stop pouring once your timer reads 2:45 or your scale reads 600 grams.
Step 8
Time: 2:45-3:30
Allow all the water to drain through the filter. Remove the filter from the dripper and discard the grounds. If your final time was longer than 4:00, your grind was probably too fine. If your final time was shorter than 3:00, your grind was probably too coarse. Make a small adjustment to the grind next time you brew - practice makes perfect!