When I read the reviews of this product, I was a little skeptical. I started drinking coffee, maybe ten years ago. After the usual drip machine, I went to a French press. Then I went to Aeropress (which is a good method but it is too expensive because it uses too much coffee). Finally, my old Cuisinart machine died, and I went looking for a replacement. I was looking for the ultimate machine that would get 5 stars; there isn't such a machine. The highest I found was the Chemex, which got 4 and a half stars(plus). I became intrigued, read ALL the reviews and went on to Utube to see how you are supposed to use this method. It's pretty simple; you heat up water to 200 or so degrees (I have a Cusinart electric pot I bought for tea which has a 200 degree setting), fold one of the special heavy duty chemex filters (and yes, use them, they really are better; that's half the reason this system works so well); others suggest you wet the filter; I agree, it seems to make things flow a little better) and put it in the top opening of the glass container. You put your coffee in (a tablespoon for each 5 oz is their recommendation), and put a slight indentation with your finger or something in the center of the coffee. You then pour just a little liquid in the center, then around the edges, gradually filling the cone with water (and raising the coffee off the cone). Gradually (don't just dump it in really quickly) pour all the water into the cone filter. It takes a minute or two for the water to drain down, but when it does, you have the best coffee you can possibly make. Of course, the quality of coffee is dependent on two other factors, one, a clean excellent water source, and two, FRESH (burr ground beans within a day or less for maximum taste) high quality coffee. This is not a machine per se, it is a method that has been tested for a bunch of years, and it really works. The downside is if you are in a hurry or you simply don't have time in the morning, this will not work for you as you have to have a few minutes and, most important, some patience. I have written over 350 reviews on products for Amazon, and this is, by far, my most enthusiastic euphoria with a product. It's like I found the magic bottle (glass), and it has fulfilled my wish (perfect coffee). You know, I've said so much (and so little when you analyze it), so here are a few final comments about the coffee produced. First, it is really smooth; it is absolutely NOT bitter at all, and it just looks clear and clean in a brown way. It's so good that my wife (I made her try it) who doesn't drink coffee even admitted it was very good (which coming from her is like a miracle). Clean up is very easy (other reviewers said this too); you just throw away the coffee in the paper filter and rinse the container out. I always rinse it right away, if you let it sit, you may have some problems cleaning it. The collar, two pieces of wood fitted around the neck of the glass, is held on by a rawhide cord; you can easily take this off (but why, if you just rinse out the unit each time, it is superfluous to mess with the collar). One more little trick I thought of (all by myself) is I heat the cup I am going to pour my coffee into with hot water prior to my putting the finished coffee into it. (And if I am putting in milk, I heat the milk to get it warm). This allows the coffee to be warm longer as when it comes out of the container as it isn't that hot (you can reheat it with a microwave, but I sometimes wonder if that does affect the taste). Oh, one more little thing, it says 6 cup, they are assuming a cup is 5 ounces, to me a cup is 8 ounces, so if you need a larger than say, 4 cups, go with a bigger size. Any comments are appreciated! Postscript: I also now use a double walled glass to put the prepared coffee in (16 ounce) as it keeps the coffee hot much longer (like up to 25 minutes, depending on how hot the coffee is to start). I also put dried egg shells in my filter before I put in the coffee; the egg shells help make the coffee even milder (if that is possible) and add a little calcium to the coffee, or so I have read. I take this all very seriously.
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Good Cup of Coffee But Time Consuming
The chemex makes a good cup of coffee, but it’s a time consuming exercise. If you’re in a rush or don’t have time in the morning, it’s not something you will use often.To make a really good cup of coffee with the chemex takes at least 10-15 minutes, and a lot of people don’t have that luxury in the morning rush.That said, you can make an excellent cup o Joe with the chemex and a good grinder. It’s just a matter of preference.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2012
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Top reviews from other countries
Hyrla Anjos
Muito bom! Jarra incrível esteticamente a forma extração
Reviewed in Brazil on November 22, 2022
Hyrla Anjos
Reviewed in Brazil on November 22, 2022
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Kamrul Islam
If you love coffee you'd do yourself a favour by purchasing this!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2023
Pushkin
Its addictive- beware!
Reviewed in India on August 16, 2022
Pushkin
Reviewed in India on August 16, 2022
1. There is no “exclusive” packing. I dont know why the description says that, just a decent packet, not packed well but luckily it didn’t break. There is an ‘80 years’ logo on it maybe that is what they meant by “exclusive” packaging. Silly but Who knows!
2. It is expensive and unfortunately delicate (very), so please keep that in mind.
3. I have given only 4 stars out of 5 for ease of use. Don’t get me wrong there is no rocket science there. But it is methodically complex compared to many other methods of coffee making. But if you dont mind spending a few extra minutes it is quite easy nevertheless.
4. I am trying this ‘third wave coffee beans’ for the first time, with Chemex, but I tried it first with Hario (the inexpensive plastic one), and also with DeLonghi espresso machine( different grind size of course). It tastes the best with Chemex. They should partner with Chemex because it tasted very ordinary, if not bad with the machine. So Third Wave does very well with Chemex.
5. I spent 5000 on it. But I am not regretting, there is something about the taste of the coffee that came out of it, you can taste the subtle notes really well. And the aftertaste is divine. Trust me I always thought (never loudly) Americans have no taste for good coffee, unlike Italians. I really dislike the Starbucks’ coffee and honestly think its a sin to serve such bad coffee to humans.
But this Chemex is every bit of worth its hype. And they do know good coffee. No wonder it is one of the 100 best designs in the world. Wow!
I have lived in a more sophisticated part of the world where one is spoilt with coffee beans’ choices. Unfortunately, in India finding good coffee beans is a struggle. But this Chemex design should be marketed for regions like ours even more as it brings the best taste out of the coffee. I didn’t do anything fancy that they suggest (they have a leaflet, useful I would say) but will try to be more accurate next time (if time permits) and will also try brewing tea as the company suggests. But for now I am extremely happy with it. Try it if and when your budget permits, it is a marvellous investment if you start your day with coffee or drink coffee many times throughout the day. I know for sure this will be on my shelf till the day I breathe (along with my espresso machine), and no I am not exaggerating.
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