Chemex recipe
The Chemex uses a paper filter thicker than any other, which holds back oils and fines. The cup comes out very clean and light. It’s slower, so it takes a coarser grind, and it shines with bigger batches.
- Grind
- medium-coarse800–1000 µm
- Water temp
- 96 °C
- Total time
- 4:00
What you need
- Chemex and its bonded filters
- Scale with a timer
- Gooseneck kettle
- Grinder, medium-coarse
Tips
- The three-layer side of the filter goes towards the spout.
- Rinse the filter well; the thick paper can leave a taste.
- If it stalls and takes too long, grind coarser next time.
Chemex
0:00
Bloom: pour to 150 g and stir so no grounds stay dry
Next · Pour to 450 g
Steps
- 0:00Bloom: pour to 150 g and stir so no grounds stay dry
- 0:45Pour to 450 g
- 1:45Pour to 700 g
- 4:00Lift the filter out
At your altitude
This is a base recipe to start from: longer times and a finer grind for your altitude. Up high the drain changes a lot with the coffee and the grinder, so if the bed drains sooner, tap “Next step”; if it takes longer, wait.
There’s no formula for brewing at altitude: the times depend on your coffee, your grind and your water. Taste and tweak.
How did it taste?
Dialling in the cup
- Sour or thin
- Grind a bit finer, or give it more time. With cooler water, extraction drops.
- Bitter or dry
- Grind a bit coarser, or shorten the brew. Also check the water isn’t boiling hard.
- Too strong
- Use more water for the same coffee: from 1:15 to 1:16 or 1:17.
- Weak or watery
- Use less water: from 1:16 to 1:15. If it’s also sour, grind finer first.
- The drain stalls
- Grind coarser and pour more gently. Too many fines clog the filter.