September 11, 2016

Chemex Pour Over Tips and Tricks - How to Use

Pour-overs are a wonderful and easy method of making a lovely cup of coffee. But just because they're easy, doesn't mean there aren't a few helpful tips that can guide you making the best coffee. 

Here's a couple of How To videos that offer a number of useful ideas and methods.

Key points

• Rinse filter paper before putting in your ground coffee to eliminate any flavours from the paper
• Use 60g of coffee to 1 litre of water
• Pour just enough water to fully wet the coffee at the beginning of your pouring, eliminating the possibility of coffee rising and sticking to the filter paper
• Use a timer to ensure proper brew time

Key points

• Place the filter into the Chemex with the 3 fold side against the spout to prevent it folding in and creating a seal (if you are using the unfolded circle filters)
• Rinse filter with water that is just below boiling to eliminate paper taste and to allow for a more consistent brewing temperature
• Use a medium-corse grind for your coffee
• Pour water in a constant stream to avoid agitating the coffee and over brewing

A Few More Tips on Time and Weight

• A recommended amount of time for a brew is 4 minutes
• Using a timer to ensure you keep within this time is an asset.
• Using 45g of coffee to 750g of water (around 26 ounces) is a good ratio to start with. You can adjust both measurements to your preferences over time.

Here's a chart that breaks down ideal time and weight in a 4 minute pour: