With the Chemex, you can control water temperature, grind size, and brewing time for a personalised brew. This elegant design adds a ritualistic charm to brewing, while its capacity accommodates larger servings. The filter removes oils and sediment, ensuring a clean, smooth cup and the thick glass retains heat, keeping your coffee warmer for longer. Chemex elevates the manual brewing experience, delivering a burst of joy with every sip. Let’s get brewing!
What You’ll Need:
- Freshly Roasted Coffee Beans: 60g of coffee to 1 litre of water or 18g of coffee per 300ml cup.
- Chemex or V60 Filters: These specialised filters complement the Chemex brewer, ensuring a smooth and sediment-free brew. Need a holder for your filter papers? Here’s our suggestion
- Hot water: For optimal brewing, use pure, filtered water.
- Grinder: While pre-ground coffee does the trick, grinding your beans right before brewing enhances the freshness and flavour.
- Scale: A digital scale ensures accuracy in coffee-to-water ratios. Need a scale? Here’s our suggestion
- Timer: Precise timing is key to consistent brewing. Here’s a scale with a built-in timer.
- Stirring Utensil: A simple stirring utensil, like a spoon or paddle, helps evenly distribute the grounds and water for uniform extraction. Need a WDT? Here’s our suggestion
- Your favourite coffee mug(s): This exercise is pretty pointless without it.
If you don’t have a grinder at home, you can get pre-ground coffee from us online or buy beans at any of our physical stores, and we’ll grind them for you on the spot.
Coffee Calculator
Calculate how much coffee you will need based on the size of the cup or carafe you want to use:
Ready, Set, Brew!
1. The Weight
Weigh out your coffee beans according to your desired coffee-to-water ratio. A popular recommendation is 1:16—1 gram of coffee to 16 grams of water. Adjust based on your taste preference.
2. The Grind
Use a grinder to achieve a medium-coarse consistency. Aim for a texture akin to brown sugar or sea sand, avoiding overly fine grounds. If your coffee is weak or sour, grind it finer. If it’s too bitter, go for a coarser grind.
3. The Prep
Measure the appropriate amount of just-boiled water based on the weight of coffee you’re brewing. Open a Chemex bonded filter and place it in the brewer, ensuring the side with three layers faces the spout. Ensure a snug fit but leave a gap for air to pass through.
4. The Preheat
Rinse the filter thoroughly with hot water to preheat the Chemex, seal the filter and flush any paper residue. Discard the excess rinse water.
5. The Good Stuff
Pour the ground coffee into the pre-rinsed Chemex filter. Gently shake the Chemex to level the coffee bed or distribute evenly using a distribution tool. If you do not have a WDT, you can use a fork. Dig a little well in the centre of your coffee for better saturation.
6. The Bloom
Begin the pouring process with a bloom phase. Use a 2:1 ratio, so 18g of coffee to 36g of water. Start your timer and pour enough water to saturate the grounds evenly. Let this sit for about 45 seconds, allowing the coffee to degas, leading to a more even extraction.
7. The Pour
Start pouring water slowly in a circular motion over the coffee grounds, starting from the centre and moving outward. Maintain a consistent pour, avoiding the filter.
8. The Anticipation
Continue pouring water in stages, making sure to keep the water level. Pause pouring periodically to let the water filter through the coffee bed.
9. The Stir
Allow the last of the water to pass through by gently stirring the coffee slurry to ensure even extraction. Once the dripping has stopped, carefully remove and discard the filter.
10. The Joy
Pour that freshly brewed liquid gold into your favourite mug. If your water was hot enough, the brew should now be at the perfect drinking temperature. Sip joyously and caffeinate your soul!
Helpful Tips:
- To get the best results, use freshly ground beans that have been roasted within the last month.
- Use the hottest water possible, as this method is time-consuming and your coffee may cool down.
- Explore various coffee-to-water ratios and grind sizes to uncover your preferred flavour profile.
- Enjoy your coffee soon after brewing for the best flavour experience.
- Remember, each component contributes to the quality of your coffee, so pay attention to detail and enjoy the process of crafting your perfect cup.