Chemex brew guide

Modern Standard's guide to brewing the perfect Chemex coffee

You will need

  • Chemex, filter paper & mug

  • Hot water

  • Scales

  • Bag of delicious coffee

  • Timer

Step 1

Weigh out 30g of coffee and grind to a coarseness resembling sea salt.

Step 2

Peel away one layer of your filter and open it up slightly, then place it in your Chemex. Ensuring that the triple-fold portion (the side with three layers)  is facing the pour spout and lays across without obstructing it.

Step 3

Fully saturate the filter and warm the vessel with hot water. Discard this water through the pour spout.

Step 4

Pour your ground coffee into the filter and give it a gentle shake. This will flatten the bed, allowing for a more-even pour. Then place the Chemex on your scales and tare the weight.

Step 5

Starting at the bed’s centre, gently pour twice the amount of water that you have coffee into your grounds (for example, 60g of water if you have 30g of coffee). Work your way gently outward, and avoid pouring down the sides of the filter. You’ll notice that adding this amount of water causes the coffee to expand, or “bloom.”

Leave it to do so for 45–55 seconds. A solid bloom ensures even saturation.

Step 6

Pour water in a circular pattern starting in the centre. Spiral out toward the edge of the slurry before spiralling back toward the middle.

Avoid pouring on the filter. Allow the water to drip through the grounds until the slurry drops 1 inch from the bottom of the filter. You should use about 200g of water for this pour.

Step 7

Repeat the same pour pattern as in Step 6, adding another 200g of water. Allow the water to percolate through the grounds until the slurry drops 1 inch from the bottom of the filter before pouring once more up to 500g.

Step 8

Now wait for the water to pour through the grounds entirely.

Step 9

Discard the filter and grounds inside it, then pour your coffee.

The brew should have taken between 3.5–4.5 minutes. If the brew was too fast, consider using a finer grind or a slower pour rate next time. If the brew was too slow, consider using a coarser grind or a faster pour rate.

Step 10

Enjoy your coffee.

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