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...

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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 and methods. I am always in search of the perfect cup.

Through it all, I have always return to either my Bodum French Press, or my Chemex Coffee Maker. While the French Press allows the grinds to float freely while brewing, the Chemex coffee maker is essentially a Manual Drip Coffee Maker. Both make a great cup: The Bodum has the tendency to leave a fine, silt-like layer of coffee grinds at the bottom of your cup, while the Chemex Maker’s (advanced) paper filter eliminates residue to brew a rich yet slightly less full-bodied cup. Both makers surpass the taste of consumer Auto-drips by a landslide. Since the Bodum is much more complicated and messy to clean, I usually choose the Chemex maker first.

The Chemex Coffee Maker is essentially a heat-resistant glass flask. It is vaguely reminiscent of a Chemistry beaker, except that the neck widens out to form a cone to hold the paper filter. The flask has a vertical groove on one side that forms the pour spout, and a small dimple directly below that helps provide a reference for measuring water. The flask comes with a wooden collar, affixed with a leather lace around the narrow portion of the flask’s neck, that serves as a stay-cool handle during use.

The Chemex company produces paper filters, bleached or unbleached, in boxes of 100. Each filter is made from specially formulated paper, thicker than the conventional Auto-drip filter, that is actually a folded circle(or square). I attribute the Chemex’s great taste to their filters, so don’t bother trying to make your own. I prefer the bleached filters, since the unbleached filters seemed to impart a “papery” aftertaste to the coffee.

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Making coffee is simple, albeit with a few small tips:

1.) I usually use the flask to measure the amount of water that I wish to brew. I use the dimple on the side of the flask to approximate the number of cups I wish to brew. On the 8-cup model, the dimple represents the 4-cup line. To obtain 4 (6 oz.) cups, I usually fill just past the dimple, since some water will be retained by the grounds after brewing. This water is then poured into my kettle for heating.

2.) The filter is now placed in the top of the flask. Since the filter is a circle or square folded twice, the filter will have 3 layers of paper on one side (1 on the other) when opened. Orient the filter so the triple layer rests against the pour-spout of the flask. This stiffer side will keep the pour spout groove open while brewing, allowing air to escape, which will prevent splattering.

3.) With the grounds measured and the water boiled, pour a small amount of boiled water over the grounds. Allow this water to soak into the grounds for a few moments(up to 30 seconds). This allows the grinds to “bloom”, allowing air to escape which helps the remaining water to evenly flow through the grounds. Sounds like a good theory.

4.) Pour the water in slowly, keeping the grounds filled during the brewing process. Don’t let the water get too low in the filter or the grounds will compact enough to ruin the flow for any remaining water. I usually dribble the water over various parts of the filter to help keep the grounds evenly wet. This is less complicated than it sounds.

4.) Since the flask is heat-resistant, I usually place it on the (switched-off) burner grate that I used to heat the kettle. The remaining heat of this grate helps to keep the coffee hotter longer. I’ve also used some dish towels to form a temporary “tea-cozy” for the flask, which also helps.

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Cleanup:

This is where the Chemex is the perfect bachelor’s(or bachelorette’s) coffee maker: After your done drinking your coffee, the coffee maker will be sufficiently cool to clean. Just throw out the filter with the grounds, rinse out the flask, and dry. Once a week you can grab a bottle brush and clean the flask with dish soap. Couldn’t be simpler.

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What’s not to like?

For people who like automatics, the Chemex has less to offer. There is no timer or unattended brewing. There is no built-in burner, water filter, boiler, flavor-savor, or first-cup drip cutoff.

Being partial to taste and simplicity, I feel as though the superior taste, easy cleanup, and portability easily overcome the convenience aspects of the electric offerings. Furthermore, I can keep my Chemex in the cupboard, which reduces the clutter of my counters.

The real inconvenience:

Since the glass flask is not insulated, the brewed coffee tends to cool off rapidly. This matters if you return for a second cup. I have this same problem with my French Press maker. The heat-tempered flask of the Chemex Coffee maker can be put over low heat to maintain the temperature, but I prefer a more thermal approach so I don’t burn the coffee.

Chemex now has a glass Coffeemaker Cover (model CMC) available for order that may help with this problem. Perhaps Chemex should include the cover with each coffee maker.

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