Holy Grail of at home coffee: The Chemex

Out of all the at-home methods of making coffee, The Pour-over using a Chemex is our favorite! It's simple, easy, and requires you to stay put for a couple of minutes. And while the “best” coffee making style can be a subjective decision, the Chemex really does brew better coffee than many of the alternatives. For many people, the Chemex will likely brew the most pleasant tasting coffee and requires the least afterthought.

In a nutshell, Chemex brewing describes the process of manually preparing coffee using a Chemex branded coffeemaker. The Chemex coffeemaker is a type of pour-over system which comprises of an hourglass shaped vessel and a specially designed filter. It’s a branding thing, similar to Nespresso and Keurig — so you can easily find some more budget friendly alternatives with a quick google search.

Chemex brewed coffee tastes better than many other coffeemakers because of the unique filter, all glass construction, and the unique shape of the device. The all-glass construction imparts no additional flavors into your cup, ensuring that what your tasting is 100% coffee. If you enjoy clean tasting coffee with a bright flavor, you will really enjoy using a Chemex.

Chemex coffee is widely considered the better choice for people who are looking for a smoother cup with less bitterness and don’t mind the lack of body. Chemex coffee leaves you with sort of the opposite impression of a french press. The resulting brew is very bright and clear as opposed to thick and heavy. This is my personal preference for coffee because I enjoy the nuanced flavors and I don’t generally like my coffee very heavy. For this reason, I don’t find myself using french presses too often.

Being able to reheat it directly on a low-flame stove top is a plus!