Brew guide
Chemex brew guide
Brew enough for two or three with a very clean, bright finish. Our step-by-step Chemex recipe takes about four minutes.
The recipe
- Coffee
- 30g
- Water
- 500g
- Ratio
- About 1:17
- Grind
- Medium-coarse
- Water temp
- Just off the boil
- Time
- 3:30 to 4:30
Grind to about the coarseness of sea salt.
You will need
- Chemex and Chemex filter paper
- Kettle, ideally with a gooseneck spout
- Scales and a timer
- Freshly ground coffee
Step by step
-
Grind
Weigh 30g of coffee and grind it to about the coarseness of sea salt.
-
Fit the filter
Open the filter so one side has a single layer and the other has three. Put it in the Chemex with the three-layer side against the pour spout, so it doesn't block it.
-
Rinse and warm
Wet the whole filter with hot water to rinse it and warm the glass, then pour that water away through the spout.
-
Add coffee and zero the scales
Add the coffee and give the Chemex a gentle shake to level the bed. Put it on your scales and set them to zero.
-
Bloom
Starting in the centre, gently pour 60g of water (twice the coffee), working outwards but avoiding the sides of the filter. Let it bloom for 45 to 55 seconds.
-
Second pour
Pour about 200g in a spiral from the centre out and back again, avoiding the paper. Let it drip until the level drops to about an inch above the bottom of the filter.
-
Third pour
Repeat with another 200g. When it drops again, top up to 500g in total.
-
Let it drain
Let all the water run through. The whole brew should take 3½ to 4½ minutes. Too fast? Grind finer or pour more slowly. Too slow? Grind coarser or pour a little faster.
-
Serve
Lift out and throw away the filter and grounds, give the Chemex a swirl and pour.
Coffees for your Chemex
Our single origins really shine in a Chemex.
Kit and reading
