Chemex Pour-over

METHOD:

Insert the filter into the Chemex with the thick side against the spout. Pour a small amount of hot water into the filter, enough to saturate the filter so that it adheres to the Chemex and also to wash any paper taste out of the filter. Discard rinse water.

With a burr grinder, grind coffee to the coarseness of kosher salt. Add coffee to the filter so the coffee bed is flat. Place Chemex on a scale. Starting a timer, pour just enough water to saturate the coffee bed without having any drip into the Chemex. (This is a difficult ideal; some dripping is OK, but you definitely don’t want a steady stream pouring out of the bottom.). Now, watch the coffee bed rise—as much as it will—to form the bloom. Once the bloom is finished, about 30 seconds, depending on the age of the coffee, begin pouring again, slowly, in concentric circles. You want to avoid pouring so fast or at such a volume that you raise the coffee bed. Stop pouring briefly if you need to. This is all about watching what the coffee does and reacting appropriately. Fill to the 700 gram mark in 3½ to 4 minutes.

If you are too long or too short, adjust your grind appropriately for the next batch—coarser for too long, finer for too short. This will take a bit of practice, but once you find the grind that works for you and can control your pouring you will be well rewarded!