My next brewing method (pourover...vacpot?)

[bordeaaj]

The Chemex filters are the exact same laboratory filters we used for simple gravity filtration in chemistry labs...same brand, same size, same thickness, folded in the same way, pretty much everything. They're just being used for filtering coffee in this case. Being so much thicker they do a much more thorough job of filtering out undesirable acids, fats, oils, and bitterness than regular thin coffee filters.

This is how we made coffee in the labs without the Chemex brewer but with Chemex filter paper

The Chemex Brewer is a convenient one piece unit...none of my labs had one

 

[bordeaaj]

Another thing to be aware of is Chemex makes several sizes and styles. Most are machine made but the best and most coveted are the hand blown ones...they are thicker, heavier, more durable, have a slight greenish tint, and are a little more expensive. The hand blown brewers are much nicer looking than the machine made ones. I was unaware of this when I bought the machine-made variety and it works just fine...but I've seen the hand blown ones since and have been wishing for one ever since.

The little Chemex lid is also a nice addition to help keep the heat in.

 

[SiBurning]

The Chemex filters way more than other paper filters. Particles and oils are stopped dead. It makes for a very clean cup, but that's got its down side. I trade off, and sometimes enjoy regular paper filter that let the oils and particles thorough, making for a richer body & mouth feel. One difference you'll notice after a while is that there's hardly any need to use soap in a Chemex, while with regular paper filters, the oils start to build up after a few pots. Flow rate has already been mentioned, but I'd stress that many of the manual contraptions get clogged by a filter full of wet grounds, so there's a challenge in finding a contraption you can work with consistently. Finally, the Chemex filters are quite strong and stand up rather well to stirring, adding another opportunity to play with your food.

 

[JPDyson]

Thanks bordeeaj for the further explanation - I thought I had appropriately gleaned from my reading that it was exactly the same filter paper as used in labs. In fact, I had considered making my own "old school" Chemex style dripper via available glassware, but hadn't seen a funnel on the shelves. While my field of science is particularly digital, the biologists I support have assured me that "creative repurposing" of glassware is permitted (and evidenced by the prevalence of Pyrex pen holders and plant watering vessels around the Institute).

As for the lid - I think this is a great addition, and probably helps meliorate the "heat loss concern" associated with Chemex brewing. If you have granite or similar countertops (which are notoriously cold) you may also want to add a trivet of some kind. Cork ones can be had very cheaply via your local Target/Walmart/what have you, should you find your house lacking one. I've yet to encounter such a house among married folk, though some bachelors have been known to be trivetless.

SiBurning, I agree that there is tradeoff in the Chemex method. The flavor is notably different than coffee brewed with traditional filter paper. I believe you can still use the Chemex brewers with other open-bottom friendly filters, so having some of each on hand might make for some fun experimentation.

 

[bordeaaj]

If you have granite or similar countertops (which are notoriously cold) you may also want to add a trivet of some kind. Cork ones can be had very cheaply via your local Target/Walmart/what have you, should you find your house lacking one. I've yet to encounter such a house among married folk, though some bachelors have been known to be trivetless.

This is a good idea...we have been meaning to get a nice trivet for several years for just this reason but never seem to get around to it!

SiBurning, I agree that there is tradeoff in the Chemex method. The flavor is notably different than coffee brewed with traditional filter paper. I believe you can still use the Chemex brewers with other open-bottom friendly filters, so having some of each on hand might make for some fun experimentation.

I have tried regular Melitta #4 coffee filters with my Chemex and they work ok but aren't nearly as strong so you have to be careful lifting them out in order to keep them from tearing as they tend to stick to the unfluted sides of the funnel. The nice Swissgold mesh filters fit as well but I don't remember ever trying it out in the Chemex.

Chemex website says that coffee beans have 50+ elements that are extracted when making coffee and only a few of them are desirable...their extra thick filters take out most of the "off flavors" produced by undesirable acids, fats, oils, and bittering compounds. But it's true that some people find Chemex coffee to be "missing something." For example, my dad tends to prefer coffee brewed with the gold mesh filters that filter nothing out. Then again, he's the only member of my family that drinks his coffee black. Everyone else uses a lot of flavored creamers so they can't seem to tell the difference.

 

[smokelaw1]

As a recent Chemex convert (and as recent converts so often are, I'm a bit over the top at the moment), I have to put in another vote for the Chemex. I almost always only make coffee for one (wife doesn't drink it), so i use the smallest one pint Chemex. After a little experimentation, I must say that it makes an amazing cup. Pre-rinse your filter, use recently roasted, freshly burr-ground coffee, and have some fun learning to make insanely good coffee.

 

[JPDyson]

If the Chemex filters leave your coffee "missing something", or if you otherwise find that you haven't spent enough money, Coava has a solution: The Kone.

From a strictly cost-based comparison, it needs to last 5 years to be a comparable value. However, the flavor may be vastly different - probably just this side of French Press, as it's not really "steeping".

 

[bordeaaj]

If the Chemex filters leave your coffee "missing something", or if you otherwise find that you haven't spent enough money, Coava has a solution: The Kone.

From a strictly cost-based comparison, it needs to last 5 years to be a comparable value. However, the flavor may be vastly different - probably just this side of French Press, as it's not really "steeping".

Wow...I've never seen that! Far less sediment than the Swissgold filters too. I might eventually have to spring for that one! Nice and convenient that they are right here in Portland.
Their Kone holder is kind of cool too.

 

[JPDyson]

bordeaaj, you just became our guinea pig. We need you to sample a cuppa made with this contraption and report back, stat!

 

[bordeaaj]

bordeaaj, you just became our guinea pig. We need you to sample a cuppa made with this contraption and report back, stat!

LOL...I just might be able to run out there today! I'll have to recruit my dad to come along as he's the black coffee connoisseur. Their method must make a pretty good cup of coffee because the Coava baristas dominated the 2011 North West Regional Barista Competition and the 2011 North West Brewers Cup.

http://www.freshcup.com/news_events_details.php?id=159

http://coava.myshopify.com/blogs/news

Interesting all the different ways the Kone can be used to produce different effects; from http://dailydemitasse.com/2011/02/barista-interview-devin-chapman/

"For the first round, I used the KONE in three different brewing systems: the KONE Funnel, a “double funnel” slow-drip method and the “traditional” KONE/chemex hand-pour. Each of these methods feature the KONE and produce a very different cup: one particularly sweet, one clean and one balanced. I wanted to show how dextrous the KONE could be depending on the water-delivery method.

For the finals, however, I decided to use the traditional KONE/Chemex method with a Honduras coffee we call Benjamin Miranda, (named after the producer.) I chose this method for several reasons. First, I wanted to offer the judges the experience all of our customers have at our brew-bar, and second, I wanted to showcase how the KONE can produce a cup of coffee that is clean, balanced and delicious."

 

[bordeaaj]

bordeaaj, you just became our guinea pig. We need you to sample a cuppa made with this contraption and report back, stat!

Well, I just met up with my Starbucks black coffee loving dad to visit the Coava Coffee shop to see the Kone in action and to taste the fruits of it's labor. It's a very small place with only 3 guys working there, one taking orders, one making the coffee, and one roasting the beans. Each cup is made in the Chemex right in front of you. They set the Chemex complete with coffee-filled Kone on a digital scale, tare it out, and slowly add 400g of water over about 2 minutes. Each addition of water was timed using a digital timer. The technique is very simple and similar to their instructions for home use from their website:
http://coava.myshopify.com/blogs/kone

The Chemex/Kone combo is very straightforward to use and the coffee must have been really, really good because my dad really, really liked it. He said it was very flavorful without any of the bitterness or burnt taste of Starbucks black coffee. He also said it had a very different feel in his mouth than Starbucks as well. I'm guessing the difference in body and mouthfeel is due to the oils, fats, and acids which are usually absorbed by normal paper filters...and even moreso by the thick Chemex filters....but completely allowed by the Kone. He concluded that the cup of coffee was among the best he's ever had...well worth the trip to inconvenient downtown Portland, fighting traffic, hunting for a parking space, and paying more than he usually does at Starbucks...high praise coming from my dad.

Anywhoo, the fact that the Chemex/Kone coffees swept the 2011 North West Brewers Cup provides all the evidence one really needs to give the Chemex/Kone combo a very strong recommendation, but watching my dad's highly positive reaction (n=1) to the coffee really drove the point home. If you don't mind paying for performance the Kone is definitely a great option for making an outstanding cup coffee. Hope that helps!

 

[JPDyson]

Helps in one way, hurts in another... I did have some Amazon credit burning a hole in my pocket anyway...

 

[bordeaaj]

Helps in one way, hurts in another... I did have some Amazon credit burning a hole in my pocket anyway...

Glad to help burn that hole in your pocket...I feel a hole developing in mine as well!

Probably goes without saying here, but I did see a word of warning from Coava and a couple of websites that, as with any coffee accessory, you have to soak the Kone and Chemex brewer with Urnex or Cafiza every few uses to keep those rancid tasting oils from building up and ruining your coffee. The nasty stuff builds up very fast and dish soap just won't clean it off.

 

[JPDyson]

Yeah, I've read and understood that - I could get away with rinsing my Chemex if I use the filter, and there'd be no trace of coffee. However, I get that this will be more like a french press (and mind you, I have a SS french press I've never used more than dish soap on - maybe that's a problem). I'm thinking I'll try washing it by hand first, but may get some urnex to have on hand if it gets a little funky. One review said the THIRD brew got this way (but I suspect he wasn't even washing it).

 

[Radiohead]

My vote is for the Hario pour-over. It makes the best coffee, but it takes a good deal of skill to pull off.

If you don't feel like being a coffee tinkerer, you can go for something a bit less involved, I think something along the lines of a "Clever" would be a great idea for someone who loves good coffee but doesn't want to deal with learning the pour-over technique.

 

[bordeaaj]

This review from Gizmodo sums up what to expect from the Kone nicely:

http://gizmodo.com/#!5704543/a-magic-metal-kone-for-brewing-coffee

 

[JPDyson]

Can anybody identify the kettle they're using at Coava? No way I'm dropping $60 on the Buono.

 

[Radiohead]

Can anybody identify the kettle they're using at Coava? No way I'm dropping $60 on the Buono.

You are really not going to want the one they use at Coava... because it costs over $200.

If you want a cheap one look on ebay for "homeloo kettle" and you can get a kettle better than the Hario for cheaper.

 

[JPDyson]

You are really not going to want the one they use at Coava... because it costs over $200.

If you want a cheap one look on ebay for "homeloo kettle" and you can get a kettle better than the Hario for cheaper.

True. It's a takahiro, and the little one is $125 via my local roaster (and no better elsewhere). 900ml is cutting it close to my capacity needs as well. It may not be worth it right now, as I'm doing OK without it.

 

[bordeaaj]

Helps in one way, hurts in another... I did have some Amazon credit burning a hole in my pocket anyway...

Did you happen to buy the Coava Kone? If so how is it working out?

I think there really is something to the Coava method. I usually make coffee for my wife using pour-over, vacuum, or drip techniques I learned on CoffeeGeek and the results have been very good. But since our discussion here I have been experimenting with the Coava technique and measurements using the Swissgold filter in my Chemex and apparently she's noticed a huge difference even though she uses creamers... she absolutely loves it. She had no idea I had switched methods but she could tell the difference from the very first cup. She liked it so much that after a week of great cups of coffee she even asked me to teach her how to use the Chemex a couple days ago... something she had zero interest in learning before. Contrary to my initial reaction, weighing things out on a digital scale is very easy and makes everything extremely reproducible.

Coava Technique & Measurements
http://coava.myshopify.com/blogs/kone

As good as the coffee is using the Coava technique paired with the Chemex/Swissgold combo I'm wondering how much better it might be using the Kone. I might have to spend some of my own Amazon credits on one of those things as well.