How to Brew Two Cups with a Chemex
For two generous cups, start with 30 g of coffee and 500 g of water in a Chemex large enough for the batch. Try a medium-coarse grind. The 500 g is what you pour in. The grounds and paper hold back a little water, so you will serve slightly less.
For two generous cups, start with 30 g of coffee and 500 g of water in a Chemex large enough for the batch. Try a medium-coarse grind. The 500 g is what you pour in. The grounds and paper hold back a little water, so you will serve slightly less.
Fit the filter so air can escape
Choose a filter that fits your model. If the paper cone has a three-layer side, put that side against the pouring channel. The channel also lets air leave the carafe. If wet paper collapses into it and seals the gap, the coffee may drain slowly. You can rinse the paper with hot water first. Empty the carafe before putting it on the scales, then add the coffee and reset the scales to zero.
Pour the water in stages
Start with just enough water to wet the whole bed of grounds and wait about 30 seconds. Then pour gently in small circles until the scales show 500 g in total. Pause if the water rises close to the top. Wait for the coffee to drain, lift out the filter and swirl the carafe gently before pouring. That helps mix the coffee so the two cups taste similar.
Adjust when the coffee drains slowly
Check the pouring channel first. If air can escape and the filter still takes a long time to empty, grind a little coarser next time. If the coffee rushes through and tastes thin, try grinding a little finer. Keep the dose, water and pouring technique the same so you can tell whether the grind change helped.
Manufacturer’s instructions
Related reading – How grind size changes the taste of coffee