The Chemex Brewing Guide: How to Make the Cleanest, Brightest Cup in Your Home Coffee Lineup

By PURE EARTH COFFEE  ·  June 30, 2026  ·  Brew Better

Why the Chemex Filter Is the Most Important Variable in the Method

The Chemex's proprietary bonded paper filters are 20-30% heavier than standard pour over filters. This density filters out chlorogenic acids, diterpenes, cafestol, and kahweol — the compounds responsible for body, oil, and much of what coffee drinkers associate with richness — while allowing the volatile aromatic compounds that express origin character to pass through. The result is a cup with almost no body in the traditional sense but extraordinary clarity of flavor. Notes that are subtle or masked by oils in other brew methods become the dominant character of the cup in a Chemex. This is why the Chemex is the ideal method for light roast single-origin coffees where you want the terroir to speak as directly as possible — and a less ideal method for dark roast coffees where the appeal is body and richness rather than aromatic clarity. Our Ethiopian Light/Medium Roast and Kenya AA Medium Roast are the two Pure Earth coffees that perform most distinctively in a Chemex — the method amplifies exactly what makes those origins special.

The Correct Chemex Recipe

For a 6-cup Chemex (the most common size), use 42g of coffee ground medium-coarse — slightly coarser than V60, to compensate for the slower flow rate through the thick Chemex filter. Water: 700ml at 93-94C (200-201F). Ratio: 1:16.7. Bloom: pour 80ml over the grounds in a circular motion, wait 45 seconds for CO2 to fully degas — fresh specialty coffee will bloom dramatically; older coffee will not, which is a useful freshness indicator. Pour in three phases: pour to 350ml over 45 seconds, allow to draw down to about half, pour to 550ml over 45 seconds, allow to draw down again, pour to 700ml over 30 seconds. Total brew time target: 4:00-4:30. Longer than a V60 because of the thicker filter, which requires a more patient approach. If your brew finishes in under 3:30, grind coarser. If it takes longer than 5:00, grind finer.

Fold the Filter Correctly — It Matters More Than You Think

The Chemex filter has one folded edge and three flat edges. The folded edge goes against the pour spout side of the brewer (the side with the glass nub). This creates a triple-thick wall on the pour spout side that prevents the filter from collapsing and blocking airflow during brewing. Most Chemex problems — slow drawdown, uneven extraction, flat cups — can be traced to incorrect filter placement. The filter should sit smoothly against all interior walls with no gaps or air pockets. Pre-rinse the filter with hot water to eliminate paper taste and preheat the server before adding grounds. Pour the rinse water out through the spout before adding coffee.

Chemex vs. V60: When to Use Which

The V60 and Chemex are the two dominant pour over methods but they are not interchangeable — they produce genuinely different cups from the same coffee. The V60 produces a slightly heavier cup with more body and a thicker mouthfeel than the Chemex, because its thinner filter allows more of the coffee's oils through. The Chemex produces higher clarity and more prominent top notes — the aromatic compounds that make light roast and single-origin coffees distinctive. If you want to compare origins side by side and really taste the difference between Ethiopia and Kenya, brew both in the Chemex. If you want a slightly more rounded everyday cup, the V60 delivers. Both belong in a serious home coffee setup. Our pour over collection has both. Our coffee comparison guide helps you match the right origin to the right method.

The Chemex does not make coffee taste better. It makes it taste more like what it actually is. For specialty-grade coffee, that is the highest compliment the method can receive. -- PURE EARTH COFFEE