How to make the perfect Chemex
Chemex brewing combines simple function and elegant design. The resulting coffee is clean, bright and particularly rewarding for medium and light roasts.
How to brew with a Chemex from Peet's Coffee on Vimeo.
Heat fresh water to 200° F.
Peet’s tip: To reach the right temperature, bring water to a boil and then let it stand for 30 seconds.
Measure and grind 50 grams of freshly roasted coffee beans to the coarseness of sand.
Peet's tip: 50 grams is about 10 tablespoons or 5 standard coffee scoops. Grind size affects drip time and extraction. If your brew is too slow, try a slightly coarser grind. If it drips through too quickly, try a little finer.
Place a paper filter with the 3-ply section facing the spout. Rinse the filter with hot water.
Peet's tip: Rinsing the filter can help eliminate any paper flavors in the filter. Using hot water preheats the Chemex, which helps keep temperature consistent throughout the brewing process.
Discard the water and place ground coffee into the Chemex. Place the Chemex on the scale, zero out the scale, and start a timer. Pour 100 grams of hot water (twice the weight of the grounds) in a spiral pattern so that all of the grounds are saturated. Then wait for the coffee to bloom.
Peet's tip: When hot water meets coffee grounds, CO2 escapes and expands, creating a "bloom." Once the off-gassing is complete, the grounds are more receptive to absorbing water, resulting in a better extraction of flavors.
At 30 seconds, resume pouring water over the grounds, until your scale reaches 800 grams at 3 minutes. Pour first in a spiral pattern, and then straight down. It's okay to pause during your pour, but keep the coffee grounds fully saturated from start to finish.
Peet's tip: The coffee will take another 1.5 to 2 minutes to finish dripping. If it takes much longer than that, try a slightly coarser grind next time.
Discard the filter and give the coffee a final swirl. Your coffee is now ready for you to pour and enjoy.
Peet's tip: The secret to perfect coffee is the right ratio of coffee to water—1:16, or 1g of coffee for every 16g of water.