Many coffee lovers among you are probably already familiar with the Chemex. It's an extremely popular method of brewing filter coffee and is characterized by a very clean taste with clearly defined acidity and few bitter notes.
The Chemex is not only known in the coffee scene. Since its invention, it has appeared in many films and pop culture movies. For example, James Bond uses it to prepare his breakfast coffee in "From Russia with Love" in 1963, and it also makes several appearances in Monica's kitchen in the hit sitcom "Friends".
In this blog post, we'll explain how the Chemex came about and why its design is so unique. Finally, we'll cover the perfect brewing method with measurements .
So enjoy your meal and let us know what you think of the Chemex.
Origin and design
The Chemex was patented in America in 1939 by Peter Schlumbohm, a German immigrant. It finally came onto the market in 1941. Incidentally, it has been distributed ever since by the Chemex Corporation in Chicopee, Massachusetts.
Shortly after its market launch, the Illinois Institute of Technology described the Chemex as "one of the best-designed products of the modern age," which contributed to the Chemex being exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1958.
Visually, the Chemex resembles an hourglass or an Erlenmeyer flask. This makes sense, considering that Peter Schlumbohm had a degree in chemistry. The difference, however, lies in the Chemex's conical, funnel-shaped neck. At its thinnest point, a wooden collar made of two pieces of wood is held together by a leather band. This allows for safe handling of the still-hot glass during brewing. Thanks to its ingenious design, the Chemex even withstands the rising steam. This steam is easily released through the spout, significantly contributing to the flavor. Another unique feature of the Chemex is its special filter paper, which is thicker than standard filter paper. This retains more coffee oils and sediment, resulting in a very clean and flavorful coffee experience.
Before we give you a step-by-step guide, let us briefly explain which coffee is suitable for the Chemex. Due to the special design and filter paper, we recommend a medium to light roast coffee . Feel free to browse our shop; our Omni Roast coffees are also perfect.
This is where the acids really come to the fore, resulting in an unparalleled coffee experience. The grind should resemble table salt, but become slightly coarser with increasing brewing volume to optimize the extraction time.
Our guide to making your specialty filter coffee from the Chemex
- Place your Chemex on your scale, insert a paper filter, and pour in hot water. This removes the paper taste from the filter and optimally preheats the glass. Don't forget to pour out the water before brewing your specialty coffee.
- Grind your coffee to a medium grind. You can time the brewing process to determine if the grind is correct. The brewing time should not exceed 5 minutes to avoid over-extraction (which will result in a bitter taste!) and should not be less than 3 minutes to avoid under-extraction (which will result in an acidic taste!).
- The amount of coffee grounds you use depends on the size of your Chemex. Therefore, we've created a small overview of the different sizes for you. We're assuming a brew ratio of 1:14 and specifying the water and coffee amounts in grams, since we're using scales.
| Water quantity
|
Amount of coffee
|
|
300 g
|
21.5 g
|
|
600 g
|
43 g
|
|
800 g
|
57 g
|
|
1000 g
|
71.5 g
|
Recipes vary from barista to barista and are not set in stone. So experiment and find out which brew ratio works best for you and your taste!
- Fill the moistened filter with coffee grounds and begin pouring hot water (approximately 96 degrees Celsius) over them in a circular motion. All the coffee grounds should be saturated. Now wait until the coffee begins to bloom. This process is called "blooming" and is essential for the coffee's flavor. CO2 gases are released from the coffee, and the grounds adhere even more strongly to the filter. This results in a more even extraction.
- Now pour in the desired amount of water and ensure it flows through completely. The coffee grounds should be evenly distributed in the filter to guarantee optimal brewing.
- Remove the coffee filter and swirl the pot to mix the coffee.
- Enjoy your Chemex filter coffee!
As you can see, brewing with a Chemex is a true art form, a veritable art form. Nevertheless, it's a quick and, with a little practice, easy way to prepare filter coffee.
If you'd like to learn more, write to us or speak to us in one of our cafés! We hope you love this brewing method as much as we do and try it out at home with one of our coffees.
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team
How to prepare it in the Chemex!
Many coffee lovers among you are probably already familiar with the Chemex. It's an extremely popular method of brewing filter coffee and is characterized by a very clean taste with clearly defined acidity and few bitter notes.
The Chemex is not only known in the coffee scene. Since its invention, it has appeared in many films and pop culture movies. For example, James Bond uses it to prepare his breakfast coffee in "From Russia with Love" in 1963, and it also makes several appearances in Monica's kitchen in the hit sitcom "Friends".
In this blog post, we'll explain how the Chemex came about and why its design is so unique. Finally, we'll cover the perfect brewing method with measurements .
So enjoy your meal and let us know what you think of the Chemex.
Origin and design
The Chemex was patented in America in 1939 by Peter Schlumbohm, a German immigrant. It finally came onto the market in 1941. Incidentally, it has been distributed ever since by the Chemex Corporation in Chicopee, Massachusetts.
Shortly after its market launch, the Illinois Institute of Technology described the Chemex as "one of the best-designed products of the modern age," which contributed to the Chemex being exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1958.
Visually, the Chemex resembles an hourglass or an Erlenmeyer flask. This makes sense, considering that Peter Schlumbohm had a degree in chemistry. The difference, however, lies in the Chemex's conical, funnel-shaped neck. At its thinnest point, a wooden collar made of two pieces of wood is held together by a leather band. This allows for safe handling of the still-hot glass during brewing. Thanks to its ingenious design, the Chemex even withstands the rising steam. This steam is easily released through the spout, significantly contributing to the flavor. Another unique feature of the Chemex is its special filter paper, which is thicker than standard filter paper. This retains more coffee oils and sediment, resulting in a very clean and flavorful coffee experience.
Brewing with the Chemex - your specialty filter coffee
Before we give you a step-by-step guide, let us briefly explain which coffee is suitable for the Chemex. Due to the special design and filter paper, we recommend a medium to light roast coffee . Feel free to browse our shop; our Omni Roast coffees are also perfect.
This is where the acids really come to the fore, resulting in an unparalleled coffee experience. The grind should resemble table salt, but become slightly coarser with increasing brewing volume to optimize the extraction time.
Our guide to making your specialty filter coffee from the Chemex
Amount of coffee
300 g
21.5 g
600 g
43 g
800 g
57 g
1000 g
71.5 g
Recipes vary from barista to barista and are not set in stone. So experiment and find out which brew ratio works best for you and your taste!
As you can see, brewing with a Chemex is a true art form, a veritable art form. Nevertheless, it's a quick and, with a little practice, easy way to prepare filter coffee.
If you'd like to learn more, write to us or speak to us in one of our cafés! We hope you love this brewing method as much as we do and try it out at home with one of our coffees.
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team