How I Brew the PERFECT Cup of Coffee Every Morning
Hey guys! Emily here, one of Collin’s sidekicks!
I love coffee – like LOVEEEE coffee. I drink coffee from the moment I wake up until about 4 hours before I go to sleep. It just makes everything better. I don’t even finish my cup some of the time, I just get comfort knowing it’s there.
One of the things I love about coffee is that I make a mean cup of it. I’m pretty picky about my brew so I haven’t used a traditional auto-drip coffee maker in years. I’ll admit, I get caught up in the latest brewing fads. I’ve gone from a french press, to a Melita cone, to now my beloved Chemex.
I did SO much research when I first came across the Chemex. I loved the design of the glass carafe, the simple paper filter sheets for the top, and the wooden handle was so unique… but would it really produce coffee as great as it claimed? Well, let me be the thousandth person to say, since this is by no means a new product, that it makes an AMAZING cup of coffee.
You may be asking, “but Emily, isn’t this just you getting sucked into the hype of yet another fancy method of coffee brewing?”
While I bought the Chemex as a gift for my coffee-loving boyfriend (fully planning to use it myself), I was actually ready to be underwhelmed by its capabilities. I mean, coffee is coffee, right? WRONG! I need you to trust me on this – as someone who drinks 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day, there IS a difference. Believe the hype.
First of all, the coffee is MUCH stronger. So much so that after my first time using it, I wasn’t sure if I even liked the coffee it produced because it was that strong. But after adjusting the number of scoops, I got the flavor just right, and now I use fewer grounds – fun money-saving feature numero uno.
Not only does it use fewer grounds, but it also doesn’t require a special grind. All it takes is a medium grind, which is how most pre-ground coffee comes, so you’re not limited to what’s available as whole bean at the store. That means more flavors, more brands, more opportunity for it to be on sale – fun money-saving feature numero dos. I will say though, most of the time I still buy whole bean and grind it fresh at home. What can I say, I have a strong coffee game.
But my all-time favorite part of this brewer? It’s STUNNING! It looks like an art piece in the kitchen! People are so blown away by this artistic brewing sculpture on my counter that it fools them into thinking my laminate countertops are real granite!!! Just kidding, it definitely doesn’t do that. But seriously, the Chemex is so intriguing with the hourglass shape and the tied wooden handle that I love to showcase it at all times.
As much as I’d love to keep gushing about it, I’ll get to the part that some may think is a major downfall of this system – the process is a bit more labor-intensive than your standard coffee maker. It requires you to pour the hot water over very slowly, with multiple stops in between pours.
But to me, it’s a labor of love and I truly enjoy the process. It’s my zen moment in the morning where I’m not checking my phone (partially because I don’t have a free hand) and the scent when the first pour hits the grounds is pure nirvana.
Choosing my mug for the day the hardest decision of the whole coffee-making process. Unfortunately, my pretty “E” mug and the sarcastic cup are no longer available, but you can still find my insulated Yeti Rambler Tumbler which keeps coffee piping hot!
Oh! Almost forgot – I got my 8-cup Chemex when it was on sale for just under $23 (it was a HOT deal since it retails for around $45), the filters are around $9, and I bought an electric gooseneck kettle for $33. It wasn’t necessary, but my old kettle had recently broken and this style is very helpful in the slow pouring process.
Happy brewing!
I have something similar and absolutely love it
Very cutely written. 😊 (I’m not going to get one, but just thought you’d like to know it was a fun read. Your coffee game is strong!👍)
100% agree with Meredith’s comment 🙂
I’m glad you both enjoyed it! ☺️
French press or cold brew for me, but this looks so interesting!
I use aero press and love it
I’ll give it a try someday–I love experimenting. Good read–and well written!
I have been raised in a coffee drinking family. I had my fist cup when I was 10. We had coffee and cake after lunch ever weekend. I still use a drip machine. It is so much easier, cheaper and it makes a pot for the whole house. If there is any left after work I will make a cup of cold coffee. Coffee never lasts at my house even my grand kids steal it from me in the mornings.
Oh we started much earlier in our house… I started drinking coffee with my parents when I was 3… my kids are allowed to have coffee on the weekends otherwise they would drink it all the time… people look at me crazy when my 2 year old asked for coffee at the mall… lol
Oh gosh, you both started before me! I think I started at age 12 with lots of sugar and cream. That was until I became too lazy for additions and forced myself to love black coffee 🙃 so glad to have Hip2Save readers who are coffee lovers too!
My two year old and 6 year old grandson are always stealing mine. They are always looking in my coffee cup and if it is empty they run next door to ask pawpaw to make some more. They only like his coffee cause he makes it with creamer and sugar just right for me. LOL
When my daughter was little we used to drink root beer. Sometimes we would stop by the house to get drinks before going somewhere and she would scream out of the car I want a beer too!(Root beer). LOL
I was born in Buffalo. I now live in Rochester. Thanks for sharing.
Well, hey there neighbor 👋 Go Bills!
Just wanted to say Hi! I’m your neighbor down the thruway between Rochester & Syracuse! I’m in Rochester very frequently 😊
Well hey hey to you too!! 👋
This is my favorite post from today! I looooove coffee and have wanted to try this method, thanks for all of the detail Emily!
Glad you enjoyed it, AshleyBeth!
A great, beautifully descriptive post Emily! Thanks so much for sharing! Really love these Tuesday posts! <3
Happy to hear you’re liking the series Bunny!!
What a fun and interesting read. So well written, Emily! I’ve seen some other posts online about the Chemex, but they were boring. This one describes it with great details, and I love the extra information on the mugs and such. My issue is that I love a nice latte or cappuccino and I haven’t found a system that heats my milk and makes it frothy. I know Collin talked about a milk frother during the holidays, but it seemed so cumbersome and time-consuming. It’s why I haven’t given up my Keurig Rivo and Delicato coffee pods!
Thank you, Natalie! I wish I could be of more help but I stick to black coffee at home and entrust my favorite baristas down the street with my latte order ☕️
Natalie, I bought my Ninja single serve after a post here last year and it makes a great cup, froths my coconut/almond milk right in the cup-no muss, no fuss. I use a Ninja tip-heat cup with milk in microwave 30 secs (keeps mug and coffee hot longer), then use frother on the machine, then brew into your cup. Keep watching for a deal–I don’t think you’d be disappointed.
I recently bought this for my coffee obsessed boyfriend. It’s a pour over but it has a laser cut mesh filter so you don’t have to buy filter paper. I liked it because it looks like science lab equipment, and the boyfriend is an engineer. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01COA90SQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I’ll have to check this out, thanks for sharing!
I love the art & science of coffee — thanks for sharing about your Chemex. I haven’t tried it yet, but I take a similar approach to pourovers with the Melitta cone. The gooseneck kettle makes all the difference. I wet the grounds, set a timer for 4 minutes, wait 30 seconds or so, and then begin a slow pour. Makes an excellent cup.
I do the same thing, Jac! I read about “blooming” the coffee and I think it makes a world of difference. Glad to hear other people are as passionate about their coffee as I am ☺️
The pictures were so awesome I could just smell the aroma jumping out at me from my laptop monitor!!! I’ll have to show this gadget to my husband, i’m sure he’ll be intrigued…
Love, Love, Love our Chemex. Wished we would have converted sooner. Makes the best cup of coffee(drinking coffee over 40 years)! We have the 10 cup with the glass handle. Absolutely perfect in every way! When your drip coffee maker dies, replace it with a Chemex. You won’t be sorry.
I’ve been wondering how the glass handled version was, so glad to hear you enjoy it! 🙂
The Hip2save writers are the best, Collin! 😍But I’m sure you already knew that. 😉
MMMMMMMM coffeeeeeeeee. Thanks for this fun post. I use french press and buy local roasted coffee from Afrophil here in Boise. I would love to try Chemex. Love coffee,tge smell makes me happy 🙂 ( third time posting here and my first 2 did not show up !?)
Hmm, not sure what happened to the first couple posts but I’m glad this came through! Hope you give the Chemex a shot!
I got a glass bottle with a filter in the bottom at World Market to make
Cold brew 😍 Reasonably priced at $15, you just put coffee in the filter, add 2 cups of water to the bottle and leave it in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours). My husband has one too and we make two batches at a time and save in a carafe. Saves for 7 days!
I think I’ve seen those! I loveee cold brew and it sounds like you’ve got a great method! Enjoy 😊
Thanks. Not familiar with this product.
Let me know if you give it a shot, Amie. Thanks for reading!
I only came here for the “E” mug, because I don’t really drink coffee, but I love mugs. I’m so bummed to see that it’s no longer available. Please post about it if that one or similar ones become available. TIA!
Hi Mika. Such a bummer! Here are some similar mugs from World Market, Williams Sonoma, and Anthropologie – thanks for reading!
Ok, I have one of these for a few reasons. I totally LOVE the way it looks! Also I am a big believer in using as little plastic as possible so this seemed like a great option. However….I cannot get the ratio right! It is driving me so crazy right now that I am using it as a beautiful flower vase 😉 Any tips on the coffee to water ratio that you use?
Hi Carrie! So here’s my method – I wet the filter first, then dump in 3 to 3.5 scoops of coffee (my coffee scoop is a tbsp), pour over just a bit of hot water to get all the grounds wet, and wait 30 seconds. Then I slowly pour in the rest of the water (I would say around 18oz.) and take breaks in pouring when the water starts filling too high. This ratio works for me almost every time but if it ever comes out too strong, I just add a bit more water to my cup afterwards to water it down. Hope that helps! (I also love the Chemex flower vase idea!)
I’ve never heard of this product before. That’s why I love reading try me Tuesday posts
I really enjoyed reading your post, Emily! You are a talented writer as you kept me reading just to hear how you described every feature of the coffee brewing process right down to choosing the mug for the day! Love it! I can relate to everything you wrote about! I’m curious as to what brand /flavor coffee you choose to assist you in making the perfect cup? Now you’ve got me thinking about a Chemex!!
Hi Marie! I’m glad you enjoyed it! As far as the specific coffee goes, I like to change it up the flavors all the time since a specialty grocer near me has over 50 coffee bean varieties to choose from! If I need to pick something up quick, I look for Guatemalan or Costa Rican beans – they produce an aromatic and balanced brew. I also love a good flavored coffee every now and then, specifically Blueberry Cobbler by New England Coffee! The flavor sounds strange for coffee but it’s delicious, and a bag is only $5! ☕️
Hi Emily! What a great post! I’m a busy mom of 3 and currently use a classic drip coffee maker just to get the most coffee possible in me as fast as possible. I’d love to expirament with different brew types eventually when my kids get a little older and I have some more time. Nice to hear from a fellow Western New Yorker, I’m just over the skyway in Hamburg. Happy caffinating!
Hey there, Stephanie! I totally understand the need to get your morning coffee ASAP – I secretly love when I’m too busy to make my own so that I get to stop at Tim Hortons ☺️ Thanks for reading!
We are also Chemex converts! Like you, I prefer the strong coffee it brews and enjoy the morning ritual. I have saved on filters using Bed Bath and Beyond coupons.
That’s a great idea for the filters! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Emily bring it too Erie and I will try it 1st lol! Hi neighbor!