How do you brew coffee in a Chemex? 

The first time I saw a Chemex was in August 2016. It wasn’t in a coffee shop, but on someone’s office desk as I was kicking off my first month of being employed here at Death Wish Coffee Company. Along with many other brewing methods I had never seen, or even heard of, the Chemex looked more like a piece of art to me than something that could actually make my morning cup of joe. (Fun fact: The Chemex was actually displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Good eye, Kristen.) I soon came to find that for most of us coffee lovers, this pour over method is our go-to for home, work and weekend brews.

While there are many ways out there to get a solid, delicious cup of coffee, some require a little more technique. This is one of them. But first, I’d like to offer the most important rule of thumb when it comes to making your perfect cup of coffee: Buy good coffee beans and grind them fresh.

Although the Chemex is a little more tedious, it has a thicker patented filter that brews a clean cup while maintaining the clarity and balance of the notes. You can also play around with the process quite a bit until you get your personalized perfect brew, rather than having an automatic brewer that just pushes your coffee through based upon your coffee to water ratio. The main drawback of a Chemex is that it’s not great for making a single cup of coffee. You can, however, brew larger batches with a Chemex which is ideal for the lazy Sunday you’ve been looking forward to all week. Whether you’re looking for a cup with extreme flavor or looking for something to really wake you up, the Chemex is the go to. 

Hand-poured, filtered coffee will always have a place in my heart and mug.

Learn how to make coffee in a Chemex here.