German chemist and inventor, Dr. Peter Schlumbohm, created the original Chemex coffee brewer in 1941. Drawing upon his background in chemistry and inspired by the BAUHAUS school of design, Schlumbohm’s Chemex aimed to create a simple cup of coffee and look great doing it. In fact, as a piece of art, the Chemex brewer is on permanent display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and is considered an essential part of The New Kitchen.

Today, Chemex is based in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and has since become synonymous with quality coffee in the third-wave coffee movement. It is the specialty brewing method of choice in high-end cafes around the world, including here at Compass Coffee.

The Chemex produces an extraordinarily clean cup of coffee. The thicker filter eliminates extra oils and sediment, resulting in a crisp, complex, and flavorful cup without sediment or bitterness.

Start by heating your water somewhere between 194 and 205 degrees. This is just below boiling. If you’re using an electric kettle, you can set it to 205. If you’re using a stovetop kettle, bring the water to a boil then let it sit for 10-15 seconds before pouring.

Place the Chemex filter in the brewer. The 3-fold side should be over the spout.

Measure out your beans. Since we're brewing a 12oz mug, we're going to use 20g of coffee for 350g of water. If you want to brew more or less coffee in your Chemex, just maintain a 1:16 ratio of coffee to water.  

When the water is done heating. Pour a good amount over the filter. This serves a few purposes:

•  The hot water tempers the Chemex, minimizing temperature loss while brewing.
• The hot water washes the filter, removing any fibers or dust on the surface.
• The water creates a seal around the filter, ensuring that water isn’t escaping through the sides and instead falls out of the center of the cone.

Grind your beans on a medium setting. It will be similar to the grind you’d use for drip coffee. Aim for the texture of course sea salt.

Dump your beans in the filter and lightly shake or tap the Chemex to even out the bed of grinds.

Place your Chemex on your scale and tare it to zero. This step is exceptionally important, the Chemex weighs a few hundred grams. Starting at zero allows you to keep track of the amount you’re pouring.

Start your timer and start your first pour. Pour 70g of water, making small circular motions with the kettle. You want to start in the outside and work your way inward to the center. Your pours should take about 10-15 seconds. After your first pour, let the coffee “bloom” for 30 seconds.

Pour an additional 70g of water every 30 seconds until you reach 350g of water. This should be 5 total pours over 2 minutes and 45 seconds (including the 15 seconds for your first pour).

Let the filter drain completely before dumping the extracted grounds in the compost and tossing your filter. (Note: Chemex’s unbleached, brown filters are compostable!)

Swirl the coffee before pouring it into your mug. This helps aerate the coffee and bring out the wonderful flavors of your brew.

Pour while hot and drink right away!

Chemex Coffee Brewer

Chemex Filters

Hot Water Kettle

Scale

Timer

Ground Coffee

Your favorite mug

3 minutes, 30 seconds

We would love to help you brew the perfect cup of coffee at home. Let's chat!

hello@compasscoffee.com