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Coffee · Guide
Chemex Coffee Brewing Guide: The Complete Tutorial
| Pick | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Fellow Stagg EKG Pro | Gooseneck kettle | $199.95 ↗ as of 24 Sep 2026, 4:45am GMT+0000 Details (paid link) |
| Hario Drip Scale with Timer | Scale with timer | $49.50 ↗ as of 24 Sep 2026, 4:45am GMT+0000 Details (paid link) |
| Chemex Classic Series, 6-Cup | The 6-cup | $47.03 ↗ as of 24 Sep 2026, 4:45am GMT+0000 Details (paid link) |
| Chemex Classic Series, 8-Cup | The 8-cup | $47.03 ↗ as of 24 Sep 2026, 4:45am GMT+0000 Details (paid link) |
| Chemex Unbleached Bonded Filters, FSU-100 | Filters | $19.48 ↗ as of 24 Sep 2026, 4:45am GMT+0000 Details (paid link) |
Prices come from Amazon and refresh nightly. A pick shows “Check price” when we do not have a current figure for it.
What is a Chemex?
The Chemex is an elegant glass pour-over coffee maker invented in 1941. Its thick paper filters produce exceptionally clean coffee with bright, tea-like clarity. The Chemex is also beautiful enough to serve at the table, making it both a brewing device and a carafe.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Chemex Brewer – 3-cup, 6-cup, or 8-cup size
- Chemex Filters – Bonded paper filters, bleached or natural
- Gooseneck Kettle – For controlled pouring
- Coffee Scale – With timer function
- Burr Grinder – Fresh ground coffee essential
- Fresh Coffee Beans – Light to medium roast showcases Chemex best
Gooseneck kettle
Fellow Stagg EKG Pro
A narrow spout for the slow spiral pours the recipe calls for, with temperature set to the degree and a built-in brew timer so the pour schedule below runs off the kettle itself.
Scale with timer
Hario Drip Scale with Timer
Weight and elapsed time together, which is exactly what the staged pour schedule below needs: pour to 300 g at 0:45, 500 g at 1:30, 700 g at 2:15.
The 6-cup
Chemex Classic Series, 6-Cup
Why it fits
The 6-cup holds about 30 oz brewed, which comfortably covers the 42 g and 700 g recipe below with headroom for the water sitting above the bed. One piece of borosilicate glass with a wood collar and leather tie, no plastic and no seams, so there is nothing to leak or perish and it goes to the table as the serving carafe.
Limitations
No handle other than the wood collar, and a full one is hot and heavy to pour one-handed. The narrow neck makes it awkward to clean without a long brush. Being a single piece of glass, a chip anywhere ends the whole brewer.
The 8-cup
Chemex Classic Series, 8-Cup
Why it fits
Same construction, larger body. Choose this one if you regularly brew for more than two people or want to scale the recipe below past 700 g of water without the level creeping up to the rim. The wider cone also gives a flatter coffee bed, which makes an even pour slightly more forgiving.
Limitations
A larger cone is harder to fill evenly with a small dose, so brewing a single cup in an 8-cup is worse than brewing it in a 6-cup. Same cleaning and fragility caveats as above.
The Chemex Recipe
Coffee: 42g (about 6 tablespoons)
Water: 700g (about 24 oz)
Ratio: 1:16.7
Grind: Medium-coarse (like sea salt)
Total time: 4-5 minutes
Step-by-Step Chemex Brewing
Step 1: Prep and Preheat
Unfold Chemex filter so 3 layers face the spout. Place in brewer. Rinse with hot water to remove paper taste and preheat glass. Discard rinse water.
Step 2: Add Coffee
Add 42g medium-coarse ground coffee. Shake gently to level the bed. Place on scale, tare to zero.
Step 3: The Bloom (0:00-0:45)
Start timer. Pour 80-90g water in spiral motion, saturating all grounds. Let bloom for 45 seconds.
Step 4: Main Pours (0:45-3:00)
Pour in stages:
– 0:45 – Pour to 300g
– 1:30 – Pour to 500g
– 2:15 – Pour to 700g final weight
Pour in slow, steady spirals from center outward. Keep water level below rim.
Step 5: Drawdown (3:00-5:00)
Let water drain completely. Total time should be 4-5 minutes. If faster, grind finer. If slower, grind coarser.
Step 6: Serve
Remove filter, swirl Chemex gently to mix, and serve immediately.
Chemex vs Other Pour-Overs
- Chemex vs V60: Chemex has thicker filters (cleaner cup), V60 allows more oils through (fuller body)
- Chemex vs Kalita: Chemex is more technique-dependent, Kalita is more forgiving
- Chemex advantage: Makes multiple cups, doubles as serving carafe, stunning design
Pro Tips
- Buy Chemex-brand filters (thicker than generic)
- Grind slightly coarser than V60
- Use light/medium roasts for best clarity
- Preheat thoroughly for temperature stability
- Clean with Chemex cleaning tablets monthly
Filters
Chemex Unbleached Bonded Filters, FSU-100
The folded-square unbleached filters for the Classic series, 100 count. Their thickness is the reason Chemex coffee tastes as clean as it does, and it is also why the recipe below needs a coarser grind than a V60.
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