The best way to start your day has to be with a warm cup of coffee. And what can be better than a freshly brewed coffee? Like us, if you are also someone who cannot function without the coffee than Chemex is just right for you. Chemex is not a complicated coffee maker that needs practice before you get a perfect cup of coffee.
The Chemex coffee maker is a manual coffeemaker with pour-over style glass container. It is supposed to be one of the best-designed products, and the design dates back to 1941! That says a lot about its uniqueness and usefulness doesn’t it?
The Chemex coffee maker comes with hourglass-shaped flask with conical funnel neck, and filters made of bonded paper. The bonded paper removes most of coffee bean oil, giving coffee a very distinctive flavour and very different from regular brew coffee. Also, removing oil helps in removing cholesterol increasing chemical present in the oil.
However, the most special feature of Chemex coffee maker is the heatproof wooden collar. This allows you to pour even when the flask is full of warm water. So, the thoughtful design consists of two parts tied together with a leather thong. This gives a very ethnic feel to the coffee maker.
Furthermore, it is very easy to brew an aromatic coffee with Chemex. All you need is a hot water, medium grounded coffee and the bonded filter paper.
To begin the process set up Chemex with filter paper and pour warm water over it. This step ensures that no paper residue or a papery taste enters your coffee.
Once the entire water disappears from the filter, discard the water before brewing a cup. Now, put the medium grounded coffee on the filter and pour little hot water and wait for 30 seconds. This waiting period is essential for authentic, aromatic and flavourful coffee. This is known as ‘blooming’ where the water wets the dry powder and releases its flavour.
After 30 seconds pour the required quantity of water (depending on the number of cups you want), and let it drip. The perfectly grounded coffee will take around 4 minutes to complete the process. However, if your brewing happens too fast or too slow, then your powder is too coarse or too fine.
And Voila! At the end of four minutes, you have a perfect cup of coffee ready to be sipped and savoured.
The cleaning of Chemex is also as easy as making the coffee. You can hand-wash with warm soapy water or place it in the dishwasher. For the dishwasher, be careful to untie the leather and ensure it doesn’t knock against anything else.
Chemex coffeemaker comes in various designs and has multiple choices for filter paper from colour to shape. You get white filter paper as well as brown paper. Similarly, you can choose a square or circle filter paper. However, the difference is only in terms of aesthetics, the paper is made from same material irrespective of the colour and the size. Also, some prefer a snug fit of filter paper whereas some prefer having a little edge on the outside for easy removal. So the choice is completely yours, and rest assured the quality of the coffee will not change.
Also, unlike many other filters, Chemex is compatible with all kinds of coffee beans. The only condition to get a perfect Chemex coffee is the medium grounded coffee. So, with Chemex, you don’t have to search around for right beans or perfect beans to get a perfect coffee. Any coffee you make in Chemex is perfect. It can also be used to make a tea.
The Chemex design is so popular that it has attained the permanent place in many museums; the thought behind the design is as relevant today as it was 75 years back. You can ascertain this by the very fact that the design hasn’t been altered or improved since its invention in 1941.
Besides having the display in museums, it has also won many accolades and awards in design and science communities. Only a remarkable product can sustain for more than 75 years without any slowdown in the popularity and Chemex is right there. In fact, the design is so popular that it also featured in old movies, and was also mentioned in a popular James bond book. As the saying goes ‘there is no stopping it!’
The coffeemaker comes in a different size to meet various needs of customers. From 6 cups to three cups it is perfect for the small gathering or personal use. It also makes for a great gift option. Gift it to your loved ones and see their pleased smile.
So, go on invite your friends over or call that someone special and prepare a specially brewed, authentic, aromatic, and flavourful Chemex coffee for two!