Coffee & Espresso Makers Tips

Chemex the perfect coffee maker Chemex CM 8A 8 Cup Coffee Maker I'll date myself - I purchased my first Chemex in the mid 80's when Chemex made an automatic drip unit. I still ha...

Chemex CM-8A 8-Cup Coffee Maker Product Technical DetailsCM-8A Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerCapacity8 CupOperation ...

Good coffee is like good wine, with complex but subtle flavors and aromas that are easily lost through bad storage or handling. In an ideal world, I’d roast my beans each morning. I’d grind them in a top of the line burr grinder to eliminate the uneven grinding and heat damage that occur in blade grinders, and I’d brew just enough to drink in a Chemex Coffee Maker.

Chemex Coffee Makers have been around forever. I spotted one on Mary’s kitchen counter in a very early episode of The Mary Tyler Moore show, back when television was just barely in color. Even then it was a venerable design; German chemist Peter J. Schlumbohm invented the pot in 1941. From the Chemex site:

Being a doctor of Chemistry, he was very familiar with laboratory apparatus and the methods of filtration and extraction. He applied this knowledge when designing his coffeemaker. He examined his laboratory glass funnel and his Erlenmeyer flask and made modifications to each. He modified the laboratory funnel by adding an “air channel” and a pouring spout. He added the “air channel” so the air displaced by the liquid dripping into the vessel could easily escape past the laboratory filter paper, which was to be used in the funnel as the filter media.

He then combined the modified glass funnel with the modified Erlenmeyer flask to create a one-piece drip coffeemaker to be made of heat proof, laboratory grade, borosilicate glass. Last, he added a wood handle and called the item a “Chemex®,” which was a fabricated name. All that was needed then to brew the coffee was the coffee, hot water, and filter paper.

The Chemex pot is a brilliant and ridiculously simple way to make coffee. It has only two parts– the glass pot, and wood collar that fits around its center.

The pot looks like an hourglass with the top end left open. A paper filter fits into the top; fill the top with the desired amount of ground coffee, tamp it down, and poor water slowly into the grounds.

Tips for using a Chemex Coffee Maker

• The ideal brewing temperature is slightly below boiling. Boil the water, then let it sit for a couple of minutes before you make your coffee.

• Chemex filters aren’t easy to find in brick and mortar stores. I’ve had good luck finding them at Cost Plus stores, but not consistently. They come 100 per box; when you find them, buy several. They’re pretty easy to find online.

• Remove the wood collar every time you wash the pot, even if you wash it by hand. Every little bit of moisture counts, because over the years, it damages the wood.

• Store the pot upside down. Unlike most coffee makers, in which the pot fits into a larger appliance, the top of the Chemex pot is wide open. The most obvious issue is dust, but I once found a dead silverfish in the Chemex pot. Yeah. The exterminator cleared out the cabinets, and I switched to tea. Store it upside down.

The Good Stuff

Since the Chemex pot has no insides, there’s no place for dirt or sediment. Coffee brewed in a Chemex pot has a cleaner flavor than coffee brewed in most auto drip machines.

There’s no heat under the coffee pot. With auto drip machines, the coffee is brewed, and then it sits on a hot plate and continues to cook. It develops a bitter, burnt flavor fairly quickly. If you’ve ever had a late, restaurant breakfast once the crowds are gone, you’ve tasted cooked coffee. With the Chemex pot, the only heat comes from the water itself. I’ve used Chemex-brewed coffee hours after brewing it for iced coffee without noticing those off flavors.

Unlike an appliance, the Chemex pot has the footprint of a small pitcher. It stores easily in a cabinet.

The Chemex pot is very easy to clean. All you need is soap and water. You’ll never fill your kitchen with hot vinegar fumes again.

The Bad Stuff. Sort Of.

If you brew coffee on a timer, the Chemex pot is useless. If you like to keep it warm on the hot plate, the Chemex pot doesn’t have one. I’ve brewed a full pot and stored it in a pre-heated thermos, which works very well.

Final Thoughts

At over $30, a Chemex coffee pot is as expensive as many auto drip coffee makers, without all of the modern conveniences. It makes a better tasting cup of coffee, but it’s not for everyone.

It’s definitely for me, though.

Chemex One-Three Cup CM-1C Coffee Maker Product Technical DetailsCM-1C Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerOperation SourceManual ...

Chemex 6CMX 6-Cup Coffee Maker Key FeaturesTypeCoffee MakerCapacity6 CupOperation SourceManual Miscellaneous448334...

The Perfect Bachelor’s Cup Chemex CM 8A 8 Cup Coffee Maker I am a huge coffee drinker. I cannot drink as much as I used to, but I have owned a few dozen makers of all shapes...

Avoid cheap imitations…Give up bad coffee for good! Bodum Chambord 1928 8 Cup Coffee Maker The French press has been around for decades in Europe, an easy alternative to pricier espresso machines and Itali...

Is that a helicopter, or the grinder? Cuisinart DGB 500 12 Cup Coffee Maker I owned one of the original Cuisinart Grind 'N Brew coffee makers (see review) and absolutely loved it, save fo...

Senseo Supreme HD7832/55 Coffee Maker The Senseo coffee brewing system lets you savor a single serving of fresh gourmet coffee at the touch of a button, in under a minute. Say g...

Still Need My Starbucks! Bodum Chambord 2032 6.34 Cup Coffee Maker

Great starter machine for beginner baristas goodbye Starbucks Saeco Armónia Espresso Machine