Customer Reviews

CHEMEX 10 Cup Classic Series Coffee Maker

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have been using a Chemex 10-cup coffee maker for over a year and half, and have never had such good coffee before in my life. I am constantly looking forward to my next pot of coffee!

There is a downside to this coffee maker: it is a more manual procedure than what you are used to, and it also takes a couple of pots to learn how to use this most efficiently. The first time I tried to use mine, I had ground my coffee way too finely and it just took forever! The big time consumers: you have to boil your water separately (you do have a water kettle right?) and then you have to gradually pour the boiled water through the Chemex. This means that while the coffee is brewing, you are pouring, or watching, or giving the filter area a bit of a stir.

Now the up side: you will never ever ever drink a better cup of coffee. I use filtered water, freshly ground home roasted beans, and this Chemex to produce the finest coffee I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. And this coffee is a pleasure! In fact, I've totally given up using cream and sugar because my coffee no longer has anything to hide.

Another up side: clean up means swishing the Chemex with warm water and tossing the water down the drain. You can also wash with a bottle brush but this is rarely necessary. A brief swish is really all it takes. Over time, it does start to acquire a smokey color, at which point I wash it in water mixed with a splash of bleach to get your Chemex looking factory new. Try that with your electric drip machine! Ha! That thing will NEVER look brand new!

Oh, here's a final upside: despite the fact that this Chemex brews the best coffee you'll ever drink, it costs less than just about anything. You are probably already spending more money than this every month at Starbucks!

The Chemex is just a type of glass carafe, so there are no heating elements to burn your coffee. Some people may not like this, but without the heated burner there is no risk of burning your coffee. I usually make enough coffee to fill the 10-cup Chemex. When ready, I just pour it into my thermos and a large mug and I have enough coffee for the whole day. And that includes enough to share; everyone at work knows the best coffee comes out of my thermos. The Flavia machines do not come close!

Go ahead and buy yourself one of these. If necessary, wake up 10 minutes earlier to make your coffee. Better yet, wake up 20 minutes earlier. And when your coffee is ready, instead of dumping it into a travel cup and bolting out the door, sit down and enjoy your first cup for the next 10 minutes. You deserve it!

Using a Chemex requires water to be heated in a tea kettle prior to brewing, and it requires a finer ground than what auto-drip machines ask for. After the water is brought to a boil, it's important to wait for it to cool just slightly (about 30 seconds) and then you need to wet the grounds in the filter, wait for them to drain, and then fill the pot with water. Want more than a single cup of coffee? You wait for your first pour to brew, and then fill the filter again.

Some advantages over other forms of coffee brewing:

1. Taste: I don't know how it does it, but the filter does keep your coffee from being bitter.

2. Cleanability: Users can keep all necessary components clean (anyone who's brewed water and vinegar through their coffee maker to kill off a bitter taste that wasn't there when you bought it understands this plight). Oftentimes, the most aggressive criticism of the Chemex is its ponderousness to clean because it's not possible to get your hand into the reservoir. Some people prefer to add hot water and soap and give it a good rinse, which is fine if you clean the moment you empty the pot, but if you're like me and you let the remaining sip or two sit until a nice coffee stain is on the glass, then you need some good 'ol fashion friction to get it clean. The best thing I've found: a baby bottle cleaner. It's narrow enough to get into the reservoir and the angle can be adjusted to scrap the walls, too. Brilliant!

3. Electricity Free: As long as you can boil water, you can have coffee.

4. Mud/Sludge: French press and stove-top espresso-style brewing always leaves a thick slime at the bottom of an otherwise rich cup of coffee. Don't get me wrong: I think that's good (I use a French Press when I'm in the mood), but the cone on a Chemex doesn't allow that at all.

5. Style/Size: the Chemex coffee pot is a relic (designed in the 40s) and the wood cuff with rawhide tie screams simplicity and elegance and it's a wonderful, minimalist sight on any kitchen counter (and unlike electric coffee makers, easy to move if you need the space).

Some drawbacks any purchaser should consider:

1. Time: it does take 5 - 10 minutes of labor to get the morning cup of coffee.

2. Cones: you can't run over to Wal-Mart when you use the last filter; you need to find a specialty store or go online, which means you need to plan ahead.

3. Cold Coffee: no electric hot plate (thank god) means coffee not poured and consumed immediately gets cold quickly. You can buy a wire guard and a glass lid so your Chemex can be warmed on the stovetop. I think that's more labor added to an already laborious endeavor. Just have a warmed thermos ready and use that to store any unused coffee.

4. Learning Curve: It does take some time to get the grind right, the amount right and the water level right to find a cup which caters to your tongue.

5. Cleanability: I know this is in the advantages column, as well, but it's worth mentioning that a lot of people hate cleaning these things. To submerge it does mean pulling off the wood cuff (which is a small pain) else it will get nasty over time.

I have been using a Chemex 10-cup coffee maker for almost a year and have never had such good coffee before in my life. I am constantly looking forward to my next pot of coffee!

There is a downside to this coffee maker: it is a more manual procedure than what you are used to, and it also takes a couple of pots to learn how to use this most efficiently. The first time I tried to use mine, I had ground my coffee way too finely and it just took forever! The big time consumers: you have to boil your water separately (you do have a water kettle right?) and then you have to gradually pour the boiled water through the Chemex. This means that while the coffee is brewing, you are pouring, or watching, or giving the filter area a bit of a stir.

Now the up side: you will never ever ever drink a better cup of coffee. I use filtered water, freshly ground home roasted beans, and this Chemex to produce the finest coffee I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. And this coffee is a pleasure! In fact, I've totally given up using cream and sugar because my coffee no longer has anything to hide.

Another up side: clean up means swishing the Chemex with warm water and tossing the water down the drain. You can also wash with a bottle brush but this is rarely necessary. A brief swish is really all it takes to get your Chemex looking factory new. Try that with your electric drip machine! Ha! That thing will NEVER look brand new!

Oh, here's a final upside: this Chemex brews the best coffee you'll ever drink, and it costs less than just about anything. You are probably already spending more money than this every month at Starbucks!

Go ahead and buy yourself one of these. If necessary, wake up 10 minutes earlier to make your coffee. Better yet, wake up 20 minutes earlier. And when your coffee is ready, instead of dumping it into a travel cup and bolting out the door, sit down and enjoy your first cup for the next 10 minutes. You deserve it!

You can make it any way you want and drink it out of anything you find. So what?

On the other hand, if you do love it, then the time and effort it takes to brew a pot in a CHEMEX is well worth it. There's really no better way to do it. Matter of fact, trying to remember why I bought the CHEMEX, I recollect it was when, a month or so ago I was watching the AMERICAN TASTE KITCHEN on PBS, and Mr. Bow-Tie Guy -- commenting on the afternoon's test of coffee-makers -- confessed that he had a number of old electrics downstairs (in his basement, apparently) because over time he'd relegated them to oblivion. They were never able, quite, to give him the great cup of coffee he wanted and expected. And it came to him (that very afternoon) that the reason they didn't deliver the goods was simply because they couldn't heat the water hot enough. However, he was now able to offer to the world one electrically-powered device, in parts, that could when bolted together, make a good, strong cup of hot coffee. Of course, it looked like something out of STARSHIP GALACTICA and cost nearly a couple of hundred bucks!

Well, the boiling water thing. Yes, that sounded about right to me. I've got an old Mr. Coffee pot on the back shelf that just doesn't quite cut it. Never did, really, but it was earnest, dependable and kept the coffee hot. Too hot, (hot on the plate, that is) for too long. Hate burnt coffee. (But over Time my soul had fallen into such a state of corruption that I'd begun to defile my coffee with [ugh!] flavors. And not just flavors,but artificial flavors based on artificial milk. What further Hell awaited me?) There's an old Krupps machine resting beside Mr. Coffee that does heat the water to nearly the right degree, but by the time the coffee falls into the insulated carafe, its only a little more than warm and... Eventually... Then there's my old CorningWare Perk. I scarcely use it at all any more unless I'm on a nostalgia jag. I mean, talk about the 50s, it makes the best and strongest Wisconsin family farm brew ever! But who lives that way anymore? Or eats those kinds of heavy, breakfasts.

Anyway, as I was listening to thin, happy Mr. Bow Tie, it dawned on me that I had a big stainless steel kettle I practically never used; a Michael Graves thing with a penetrating whistle and a steamm-driven whirligig on the spout. Bought it for looks, but it sure works! So the lightbulb went on over my head and I got on the laptop and ordered a new CHEMEX from Amazon.com. The seller sent it FED-EX, so it took forever because they didn't deliver it to my apartment but pretended to, and finally just dumped it at their warehouse on the far West end of town. But, hey! It was worth the search. Once I got the pot and the filters home, filled the pot and brought it to a boil, all existence fell into place. Rapidly boiling water: It makes the difference.

Believe me, I hadn't owned one of those pots for over fifty years, but I remembered how I loved it in student days, as I poured, then drank my first cup. I've read what some of you've written. Stuff about being too busy. About it taking too long. What IS that? That mind-set? Cliff Notes mentality, isn't it? What advantage is there to having one's tastes abreviated, simplified? That's all the automatic brewers do. Who would read a Reader's Digest version of Proust's SEARCH FOR A LONG DEAD PAST? One might as well addict oneself to Instant CHOCK-FULL-O-NUTS.

Life is so short and we already make so many compromises. Let's think about the Audacity of Excellence.

I have been looking for a coffeemaker that does not contain plastic parts. The Chemex is so simple to use and makes great coffee. However, when I first began the journey to find a Chemex, I started here. I gave this model 3 stars because the glass is thin and made in Taiwan. Not a good value so I returned it.

Then I discovered the hand-blown Chemex made in Germany. It has a decent weight to it but very expensive. I called the company to confirm that it was in fact made in Germany. It is not. It is made in Croatia by a German company. Go to the Chemex coffeemaker website to contact the company for additional info.

Lastly, I found out that there were Chemex's made in the 50's and 60's that were made out of Pyrex Brand Glass and Made in the USA. I found them on Ebay. I purchased one of these and will keep it for years and years to come. It is made from very heavy durable pyrex glass. At $17 I cannot be happier. No scratches, cracks, or stains. Replacement wood collars and rawhide for the Chemex can be purchased brand new from many suppliers for about $10.

In summary, I highly recommend the Chemex coffee maker and filters - great coffee. Just do your research to find which one is perfect for you!

We got the Chemex because our rental house has very little counter space in the kitchen. We love it -- works great, sits on the stove, makes lovely coffee. Highly recommended if you're a "back to basics" kind of person.

Coffee is so smooth. Even if made strong it will still be smooth. It takes time to get used to having to work a little to make your coffee instead of sitting back and letting coffee maker do work. Just put water in tea kettle....gets hot quick. I use melitta coffee filters. They are strong enough to hold up with the Chemex. Cheaper filters will not. Put filter and coffee in Chemex while waiting on water. Then pour slowly to make the best cup of coffee you could ever brew. You will know its worth it once you taste it. I also bought the lid to put on the pot and I sit it on cooktop burner that is turned off but still hot from boiling the water. This will keep it hot for a while. Don't fix more than what you will drink within an hour.

Contrasting the Chemex to my other favorite method, the French Press:

The Good:
* Chemex coffee is clean and crisp. Full flavor, zero bitterness, and no sludge.
* I can leave the coffee in the pot on the stove (I have a glass top stove) to stay warm while I enjoy my first cup. Buy the glass lid to avoid evaporation if you're going to leave this on the stove a while.
* Easy to clean! Skip the special $8 bottle brush. I'm using a $2 bottle brush from WalMart and it works fine.

The Bad:
* Time. The Chemex requires a little more babysitting to maintain the "bloom". It's not a dump water in and walk away event.
* Coffee cools quickly. I brew on my glass top stove. Once enough coffee has filtered through I kick the burner on to keep the coffee hot while I finish brewing.
* Filters are harder to find locally and more expensive so you have to plan ahead and be prepared to pay extra. Note I order from Wire Whisk and they are AWESOME. Super fast shipping. Decent price.
* The filters pull out much of the oils, so the resulting coffee isn't as rich as French press.

It took me some time to calibrate coffee/water ratio. I find about 7g coffee/90ml water is about the right ratio. The instructions recommend 1 rounded tblspn to 5 oz of water. Which is close to my ratio depending on your definition of rounded tablespoon.

All told I'm a fan of the Chemex. Despite a small loss of richness, the overall quality is still awesome and I don't have to deal with the sludge and cleanup of a French press. I'm not throwing away my French press by any means, but won't use it unless I feel the type of coffee demands the extra richness.

This device is lovely but its functional design does not come up to the standards of it's physical design. Long touted as the ultimate coffee maker, we decided to give it a try. It makes and incredibly clear cup of coffee. That's it strength. It's weaknesses are: The filter cone will not hold all the water neccessar to make the max capcaity of coffee the carafe is designed for; the paper filter will adhere to the glass cone and create a vaccumm that does not permit the liquid to flow through the filter thus making the brewing time in consistent; the filter will burp and splash coffee out of the cone making a mess; the coffee cools off dramatically in the coffee making process.
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It is nice to compare coffee brewed in a automatic drip and this device. It has it's uses for tastings, but the design needs more work.

We are generally tea drinkers, but when we drink coffee we want the best. This glass maker/carafe is excellent. There are no funky tastes from any plastic parts.

This is actually my second Chemex. My first was my great-grandmothers and it broke some years ago. I've been compromising by using a plastic single-cup funnel over my coffee cup, but it seemed to lack the clean taste of no-plastic.

The only minor drawback is that it does take time. I don't mind. It's actually fun to pour the coffee directly over the grounds and watch the pot fill. This has to be done about 5 times to make a full pot of 3+ mugs (~10 oz serving) of coffee.

I also got the small glass lid which is nice. I got the Chemex filters which are nice, too. They give a clean taste and I think they are worth it. When they run out I might try to go with double regular filters but that's a hassle.

If you're trying to go green with your coffee, or avoid the possible toxins of plastic, or wanting the best taste ever, buy Chemex.

BE AWARE: Know that these Chemex coffee makers are generally talking about 6 oz. cups of coffee. So, their 6 cup is my 3+ cup maker.