Chemex Brew Guide | Perfect For Two

February 02, 2022

Chemex coffee maker next to two mugs, a kettle, and a 12oz bag of Cafe Kaldi

This Chemex recipe will make enough coffee for 2 people (or 1 really thirsty individual).

You can read further to get all of the details, or you can watch Kiersten make our recipe on Youtube:

HOW WE DESIGNED OUR CHEMEX RECIPE

As we mentioned in a previous blog, "Why Do We Brew with the Chemex and Kalita Wave", we love having the Chemex in our cafes because it’s as useful as it is beautiful, and gives our baristas the ability to make larger batches of pour over coffee for our guests.

This recipe has been honed over the years to be simple enough to brew in a busy cafe but maintain the quality to meet the high standards of our team. It produces enough for two big mugs of coffee, making it perfect for sharing.

Hand holding a Chemex 6 Cup Coffee Maker

OTHER CHEMEX TIPS

Filter trick: If you're using a square filter, fold the top of the corner down into the spout. This will help make sure the brew doesn't stall.
Pre-heat is neat: Use a good amount of your heated water to rinse the filter and preheat the brewer. The Chemex is big and the paper is thick.
Try African coffees: All coffees taste great in a Chemex, but we especially love the added clarity it brings to African coffees.
Bleached vs unbleached filters: There’s a pretty big difference in experience of bleached vs natural filters. We recommend bleached for the cleanest taste. Though natural is slightly more environmentally friendly, Chemex users report slight papery taste in the final brew. If you use a natural filter, we recommend a second rinse prior to brewing.

Shop 6 Cup Chemex

Shop Chemex Filters

Learn more about why we choose to brew with the Chemex in our blog:

Why Do We Brew with the Chemex and Kalita Wave?

Chemex Brew Recipe

This recipe is a tried and true way to give you two big servings of well-extracted, high-clarity Chemex coffee. We recommend following basic best brewing principles such as using fresh filtered water and freshly ground whole bean coffee to ensure your final result is as good as can be.

In this recipe, we use 48g of coffee to 800ml of water.

Author: Kaldi's Coffee
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 4.5-5.5 minutes
Servings: 2
Category: Coffee Brewing

Ingredients

Chemex 6 Cup Coffee Maker
Chemex Filter (square or circle)
Fresh, filtered water around 205 degrees (cooler for darker roasts). We recommend having 1 liter.
48g coffee
Gram scale
Hot water kettle, preferably a gooseneck
Timer
Something to stir the slurry with

Directions

Grind your coffee coarse for this amount of coffee. If you decide to make a smaller batch use a slightly finer grind.
Once your coffee is in the pre-rinsed filter, ensure it is evenly distributed in the brew (give it a little shake)
Start your timer and begin blooming your coffee. Use 80 to 100 grams of water to bloom your coffee. Once you have the desired amount of water for blooming, gently stir the slurry or swirl your Chemex to ensure all coffee is coming into contact with the water.
Let your coffee bloom for 45 seconds and then begin your pour. Begin with a slightly faster flow rate to ensure the water in the Chemex is reaching the desired temperature.
Pour in spirals throughout your pour to ensure even agitation of your brew.
Flow rate should be such that you reach 400 to 450 grams of water around 1:30 to 2:00.
Stop pouring and allow the water to drain. If your grind size is accurate, it should drain by around 2:00 or 2:15.
Begin pouring in spirals again at 2:00 to 2:15
Finish your pour at 800 grams around 3:30
The Chemex should finish draining between 4:30 and 5:30 minutes.