But the handsome carafe with its wooden sleeves and filigree leather strap doesn't just look particularly pretty.
The Chemex method in comparison
Classic filter coffee has a long tradition, especially in Germany, and it's so popular for this reason alone. Everyone knows the classic filter coffee at home. It's tried and tested, it's relatively easy to prepare, and it's much less expensive than other coffee makers, such as fully automatic coffee makers or mobile filters. But how does making filter coffee with Chemex differ from other filter coffee methods?
Making filter coffee with Chemex is relatively simple, but there's something special about it. This is due to the use of a special Chemex filter, which is thicker and has finer pores. This prolongs the overall extraction time, the duration of the coffee preparation, slowing it down. Many Chemex enthusiasts appreciate this aspect because preparing coffee is not a side hustle, but a conscious, enjoyable moment in everyday life. Since coffee is extracted for longer, more acid and bitter substances are retained, while the desired more complex aromas are released from the ground coffee. The result is a particularly fine and soft coffee.
What is needed for the preparation?
- Coffee - either already coarsely ground or freshly ground whole beans are better;
- Coffee grinder;
- A Chemex glass bottle;
- Special Chemex paper filter, extra fine and thick;
- Coffee scale;
- Water heater.
The Chemex “Recipe”
For 300ml coffee, you need: 20g whole coffee beans or 38g ground coffee, 600ml water at about 96 °C, brewing time takes about 4-5 minutes.
Prepare Chemex filter coffee correctly:
1) Grind the coffee to a medium to coarse grind. The following rule applies here: The more ground coffee, the coarser the grind. Don't grind too finely, as this will make it difficult for the water to drip through the ground coffee.
2) Insert the pre-pleated Chemex filter into the funnel of the Chemex carafe with the 3 layers facing forward.
3) Rinse hot water through a filter to remove the smell of the paper itself and preheat the kettle. Then throw away the used water.
4) Now pour the ground coffee into the damp strainer and shake the pot gently until the coffee is evenly distributed throughout.
5) The water should have cooled a bit by now, about 96 degrees hot. Now slowly pour a third of the water into the Chemex pot in a circular motion. You shouldn't pour too much water at once, and don't pour it too quickly so that every particle of the ground coffee will come into contact with the hot water. Then wait about 45 seconds.
6) The ground coffee expands to the top and the "blooming" process begins. Slowly pour in about a third of the water again and wait again for about 45 seconds. Repeat this step again until the water has completely dripped.
7) After the water drips, the filter can be removed. Rotate the Chemex jug to fully mix the coffee.
8) Filter coffee is ready.
Chemex filter bags
Chemex filter bags are different from traditional paper filter bags. Therefore, you should only use the appropriate filter if you have Chemex. Thanks to special pre-folded Chemex filter bags, water flows more slowly through the filter when using Chemex to prepare it. As mentioned earlier, this filters out more oil, resulting in a sharper coffee flavor. In addition, the filter bag, like the carafe, has a tapered design for more uniform coffee extraction. We recommend filter coffee with a medium to light roast as a coffee suitable for Chemex. Since the coffee is coarsely ground, the aroma of lightly roasted coffee can ideally be brought out in Chemex without making the coffee taste bitter or too strong. The result is a cup of clear, delicate, mild coffee.
Advantages of filter coffee with the Chemex
- Special filtration for a clear and fragrant taste;
- Easy to clean and operate;
- More uniform extraction due to conical shape;
- Precise measurement of brewing temperature and time;
Special deceleration method for preparing filter coffee.