CHEMEX: GLORIOUS OR DISASTROUS?

The Chemex. A beautiful brewer, a piece of art in my eyes. Yet, it seems to get mixed opinions from people. Some love it and some really don't. Why is this? Let's take a look and I'll share my experiences and opinions upon brewing with this bit of kit.

"The look of the Chemex is so beautiful. A glass hourglass body, wooden collar, and a leather cord that wraps around the middle. There's something so authentic feeling about it, so natural, it just feels so timeless."

It's Got The Style

I've had my Chemex for about 6 months now. It was another lockdown day, and I had been brewing a LOT of coffee at home whilst not working my Barista job. I had never really used a Chemex but it's design intrigued me, and I am a filter coffee lover at heart, so, I thought I would give it a go.

The look of the Chemex is so beautiful. A glass hourglass body, wooden collar, and a leather cord that wraps around the middle. There's something so authentic feeling about it, so natural, no plastic or bright colours. I am a big fan of minimal, natural colours and materials, it just feels so timeless.

I will say I really love the filter papers for the Chemex. The folding is almost like a ritual, and adds another calming process into brewing coffee. You are purely in that moment, where nothing else matters and you are in a zen like state, just focusing on your brew.

First Brew

My first few brews weren't too bad but they tasted a bit bitter and over extracted, so I coarsened my grind, figured out a recipe, and voila! Beautiful brews day after day.

One thing I have noticed, is this brewer has been around since 1941, yet, there seems to be a lack of recipes out there compared to other pour overs, especially for the 3 cup.

The 3 cup compared to the 6 cup and larger, has a steeper angle, therefore a deeper brew bed. I tried a few recipes out for the larger Chemex which I think is where I went wrong and led to an over extracted brew. I eventually decided to create my own recipe judging off how I enjoy my filter brews , which I will be publishing soon. Since I've made this recipe I have had some incredible brews from the Chemex and used it a lot.

So why so much dislike for the Chemex?

Something I've noticed whilst on Instagram and posting about the Chemex, is the clear divide of people who absolutely love it and those that really don't! It got me wondering why, and upon chatting to people about this, I gathered some pros and cons.

Pros

• Looks Stylish

• Versatile

• Photogenic

• Creates a clean, full bodied cup

• Larger sizes enable you to brew for friends and family all at once

Cons

• Filter papers create an air lock

• Breaks easily being glass

• Hard to keep clean

• Filter papers are often out of stock

• Uses filter papers (think of the planet!)

So it seems people love the look of this brewer, and I agree! It almost feels like a special moment of the day when I get the Chemex out to brew with, and it is beautiful to photograph. It is particular popular in the EDC (every day carry community) being a feature piece on a lot of the Instagram feeds I come across, because it often fits in so well with brass, copper, wood and leather that is adored by the community.

The 6 cup seems to be most popular, enabling people to brew coffee for their family and friends all together, which is something a lot of other pour over brewers don't offer.

The most commented on issue was the filter papers creating an air lock and chocking the brewer. I had this issue, however I tried putting the filter paper with multiple layers at the front by the spout, and since I have not had this issue at all. It's also worth noting that you can purchase cloth re usable filters for the Chemex if you don't want to keep using paper ones, if you want to do your bit and help the environment. I am curious to try a cloth filter, it apparently changes the taste of the brew a bit, not in a bad way, just a different drinking experience. The cleaning is definitely a time consuming process. I rinse mine out straight away, leave it to air dry and then polish it up with a microfiber cloth. Job done (it helps I love cleaning!)

For me, the Chemex is a beautiful brewer that will always be on my brew bar. The quality of the piece and the brews it makes in my opinion, is great, and I really love using it. With so many new pour over brewers popping up on the market now, it can be hard to keep up. I am keen to try them, that's something I love about the world of Coffee, there's always something new to try, but one thing I know for sure, the Chemex is here to stay!

The Chemex is Glorious!