Chemex® Brewing Instructions

1. Open the Chemex-Bonded® Coffee Filter into a cone. One side should have three layers. Place the cone in the top of your coffee maker with the thick portion toward the pouring spout.

2. You can use regular or automatic grind coffee, but we recommend grinding your own. You'll want to experiment with different grind settings, but the trick is to find a medium grind that's fine enough to give you a nice full bodied cup without getting a "stuck brew". This happens when your grind is too fine and the water can't filter through the coffee. To give you an idea, on the Gaggia MDF we use a setting of 20 out of 34 settings, the higher the number the more coarse the grind is. Put one rounded tablespoon of coffee per 5 oz. cup into the filter cone. Again you'll want to experiment to get the best brew to your liking, use more coffee if you like a stronger cup.

3. Using a tea kettle or other water heating method, bring your water to a boil and remove it from the heat. Wait about 30 seconds for the water to stop boiling and cool slightly to about 200°F. Pour a small amount of water over the coffee grounds, just enough to get the coffee wet. This is the "blooming" of the coffee, Chemex® recommends doing this "so the desirable coffee elements can be released". We're not sure if we subscribe to that theory or not, but it does wet the grounds enough to keep them from floating to the top when you do a full pour, and it's pretty cool to watch.

4. Next you'll want to pour in more water keeping the water level below the top of the coffee maker. We like to give the grounds a stir each time we add more water, it seems to give a more even brew and also helps to avoid a "stuck brew". Keep adding water and stirring until you get the desired amount of coffee in your pot, then just dispose of the grounds by lifting out the filter. Your now ready to drink your coffee.

Note: DO NOT heat or reheat the glass Chemex® Coffee Maker directly on an electric range. Take care to use the Chemex® Wire Grid for reheating and never use more than the lowest heat setting. The Chemex® Coffee Maker may fracture and cause injury if heated directly on an electric range.