Brewing Guide: How To Make Chemex Coffee

There are a lot of pleasurable moments in life and enjoying a great cup of coffee is one of them. Preparing quality coffee is very achievable; however, there are a few things that need to be considered to make your brew come out rich and delicious.

The basic requirements, tips, and steps for creating the best cup of Chemex coffee have been detailed below:

What You Need

• 600 mL water (and some more for rinsing)
• 5-7 tablespoon (36 grams) organic coffee beans
• Burr grinder (recommended)
• Chemex 6-cup brewer
• Drinking Mug
• Pouring Kettle (preferably gooseneck)
• Square Chemex filter
• Timer
• Scale (recommended)
• Stir stick

Steps For Brewing Chemex Coffee

1. Heat your water to 205 °F (96 °C).
2. Unfold the Chemex filter and place it on the top of the brewer. Ensure the pouring spout of the brewer lines up with the 3-layered side of the filter. See the filter guide here.
3. Rinse the filter by pouring hot water through the filter and into the brewer for about 5 seconds. Discard the rinse water from the brewer with the filter held in place. This rinsing process helps to remove any papery taste and plugs the filter inside the dripper.
4. RESERVED FOR CASES OF WHOLE BEAN COFFEE, IN CASE OF PRE-GROUND COFFEE SKIP TO THE NEXT STEP. Measure the right amount of whole bean coffee on the scale and proceed to grind it to a slightly coarse grain form.
5. Pour the ground coffee into the filter and mildly rock the brewer to ensure the coffee grains settle to the filter base.
6. This process is called the ‘bloom.’ At this stage, you start your timer and unhurriedly pour just enough water over the grains to wet them uniformly. Stir and let this sit for 45 seconds. This is because hot water pressures the coffee to let out trapped gases which results in an increment of the coffee bed, creating surface bubbles and the pleasing aroma you love.
7. Start pouring the water continuously in a circular pattern. Do not pour precisely at the center or around the corners of the filter. Should the water level rise close to the top edge of the Chemex, suspend pouring water for a while to allow it to drain then continue. You can stop pouring as soon as your scale reads 600 grams or your timer reads 2mins 45 seconds.
8. Let the water drain from the filter; this should take about 45 seconds. Then, remove the filter from the dripper and throw away the grounds. The entire brew time should be about 3mins 30sec – 4mins.

Pour the brewed coffee into a mug, and enjoy!

Coffee Brewing Tips

• It is best to make use of a gooseneck kettle as opposed to a traditional kettle. The former kettle affords you more control on how quickly the water is poured from it and gives flexibility as well.
• A scale might come in handy as it aids in providing accurate measurements and eliminates guesswork.
• It is best practice to start with whole bean coffee; this can be ground with a burr grinder before brewing. Also, grind the coffee bit by bit because a swifter grinding will reduce the flavors and sweet aromas.
• Learn how to care for your Chemex brewer.

(Image credits: Chemex)