sfuller Senior Member Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 2 Location: IA Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Sat Jan 9, 2010, 2:38pm Subject: New Chemex - wow.
Just purchased a Chemex today from a local coffee shop. I'm amazed at the difference between the cups from my press this AM and the cups I just had from the Chemex now. Somehow I see my coffee consumption going up over the next few weeks. I'll have to start saving pennies for a new grinder next.
GarryG Senior Member Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 26 Location: Missouri Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale Mini II Grinder: Cimbali Jr.,Maestro Plus,... Drip: Chemex, Krups, Bodum...
Posted Sun Jan 10, 2010, 10:03pm Subject: Re: New Chemex - wow.
Welcome to Coffeegeek and the wonderful world of Chemex. I got my first Chemex in 1961, and I've gone through a few since (unfortunately, glass does break occasionally), but I still love the coffee it can produce, and there's nothing else I had in my kitchen back then that I still consider an essential. The Chemex, unlike an espresso machine, is pretty forgiving about grinders, and I got by for many years with one of those whirly-blade things. Assuming that your water isn't adding off tastes, the quality and freshness of the coffee is the primary thing that affects what you get in the cup. To my taste, Chemex gives coffee a special clarity and crispness that lets any coffee deliver whatever it has to offer. Partly that's the filters, but a lot of it is the glass. With other drip machines, the filter is generally parked in a piece of plastic that inevitably absorbs coffee oils so that over time the quality of what you're drinking goes steadily downhill. If you haven't tried it, by the way, a 50/50 combo of a light (American or City) and a dark roast works very well in the Chemex.
At home, I mostly split my coffee drinking between Chemex and espresso. I have a press, and I like it, but I don't use it a lot. For me, it usually comes down to a choice between the Chemex and a good doppio. But the espresso takes more effort, and is more dependent on good (= expensive) equipment and technique. It's hard to screw up Chemex short of boiling it, although a gas range is helpful because it makes it easier to add just enough heat to keep the second and third cup from getting cold.
sfuller Senior Member Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 2 Location: IA Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Mon Jan 11, 2010, 7:33pm Subject: Re: New Chemex - wow.
I have a good friend with an expensive (to me) espresso maker and a dedicated grinder. I love the taste of the shots he pulls, but that's a bit beyond the point I'm at right now. Water quality isn't an issue (I don't think) as we have a good reverse osmosis system that I pull most of the water for my coffee making from. I'm also working with a gas stove, but I haven't gotten brave enough to put the chemex on it yet :) I've definitely figured out that I'm going to have to be a lot more selective with my bean freshness (which is probably a good thing).
GarryG Senior Member Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 26 Location: Missouri Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale Mini II Grinder: Cimbali Jr.,Maestro Plus,... Drip: Chemex, Krups, Bodum...
Posted Mon Jan 11, 2010, 11:09pm Subject: Re: New Chemex - wow.
At low temp, a gas burner won't damage the Chemex as long as there's liquid in it. I find that putting it on a low simmer for a minute or less as the drip process is finishing works very well -- the idea isn't to heat the coffee but to give the Chemex just enough heat to keep the coffee hot for another ten minutes. Occasionally, I get distracted and forget to turn it off, and come back in a few minutes to coffee that's not much better than I could get at a truck stop, but even if the coffee starts to boil, there's no harm to the Chemex.
Coffee is at its best about three days after it was roasted, but fresh beans hold up pretty well at room temp for a week or so. I buy a few pounds at a time of light and dark roasts from suppliers who provide a roast date (there's lots of info on this board about good coffee sources). I freeze the beans that I don't expect to use within a week, and bring out a few days' supply at a time as needed. I've been tempted by the uber-geeky idea of roasting my own beans, but there's so much good coffee out there that's been roasted by folks who really know what they're doing that I've resisted the temptations so far.
For espresso, expensive machine and dedicated grinder are pretty much essential, but that can wait. Meanwhile, you can have lots of fun experimenting with the Chemex.
tjkoko Senior Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 701 Location: Somewhere in the swamps Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Bialetti Moka Pot Grinder: Baratza Preciso and Turkish... Drip: Meiltta filter with cone Roaster: Whirlypop Stovetop Unit,...
Posted Tue Jan 12, 2010, 4:24am Subject: Re: New Chemex - wow.
<<At low temp, a gas burner won't damage the Chemex as long as there's liquid in it. I find that putting it on a low simmer for a minute or less as the drip process is finishing works very well -- the idea isn't to heat the coffee but to give the Chemex just enough heat to keep the coffee hot for another ten minutes.>>
What about prewarming the glass by pouring boiling water into it and allowing it to set for a couple of minutes?
With all said and done, I've switched to roasting by own green coffee beans which takes about 12-14 minutes per half pound. Fresh roasted beans then reach their peak of flavor in around 4-11 days thereafter and green coffee beans cost anywhere from $3 upwards per pound delivered to your door. For THAT you need to visit either COFFEEGEEK.COM or SWEETMARIAS.COM.
GarryG Senior Member Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 26 Location: Missouri Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale Mini II Grinder: Cimbali Jr.,Maestro Plus,... Drip: Chemex, Krups, Bodum...
Posted Sun Jan 24, 2010, 10:55pm Subject: Re: New Chemex - wow.
At low temp, a gas burner won't damage the Chemex as long as there's liquid in it. I find that putting it on a low simmer for a minute or less as the drip process is finishing works very well -- the idea isn't to heat the coffee but to give the Chemex just enough heat to keep the coffee hot for another ten minutes. ...x]
WHat waout prewarming the glass by pouring boiling water into it and allowing it to set for a couple of minutes?
x]
That works too, and eliminates the risk of overheating the coffee, but for no particular reason I mostly just use a brief hit with the gas -- as I pour the last cup of hot water into the Chemex, I move the Chemex onto the burner where my glass teakettle has been on a flame simmering water for the coffee. Ás an aside, I think the glass Whistling Teakettle that you can buy for about $10 at multiple websites is a nice example of appropriate technology.
JasonBrandtLewis Senior Member Joined: 9 Dec 2005 Posts: 6,100 Location: Berkeley, CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Elektra T1 - La Valentina -... Grinder: Mahlkönig K30 Vario -... Vac Pot: Yama 5-cup Drip: CCD, Chemex Roaster: No, no, not another...
Posted Mon Jan 25, 2010, 9:04am Subject: Re: New Chemex - wow.
My gas stove has a "precision simmer" burner, meaning I can fine tune it very low -- I keep it on while brewing with my Chemex. No problems to either the Chemex or to the coffee, as long as I don't leave the coffee on the heat for a long time.
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