Getting Started

You have seen it in countless movies, tv shows, commercials, photographs, your favorite café, at the exhibit at that museum, in your cousin’s kitchen…But, what is a CHEMEX coffeemaker?

We are so glad you asked.  A CHEMEX coffeemaker is many things, it is a pourover coffeemaker, an icon of American design, a product so perfect it has never needed to be improved upon in almost 85 years, a beautiful work of art.  Its visual elegance and design have earned it a place in the permanent collections of many of the most prestigious museums worldwide.  Its functionality has been awarded by the scientific and coffee communities.  In short, we think it is the best coffeemaker out there.

The CHEMEX coffeemaker used along with CHEMEX Bonded filters will give you the most pure and flavorful cup of coffee you’ve ever had, in a simple to use design.

The Bare Necessities

To get started brewing, all you need is a CHEMEX Coffeemaker and a box of CHEMEX Bonded™ filters (along with your coffee, water and kettle of course).   

There are so many beautiful CHEMEX products to enjoy, be sure to peruse our gorgeous glassware, sophisticated stainless steel Gooseneck kettles and incredible Ottomatic coffeemaker.  Whether this is a gift for a friend, or for yourself, complete the collection with a set of mugs, handblown cream and sugar set or another design centric accessory.

Looking for suggestions?

Which coffeemaker is right for me?

We have several different coffeemaker “series” and a couple of stand alones, each with a slightly different design and various sizes.  Rest assured though, whichever one (or two!) you choose will function just as beautifully as any of the other types.

From single serve to party size, dorm room to plenty of room and everything in between, we have something for everyone. 

Quick Tip

We measure our cup size in 5 ounce increments. 
3 cup – 15 ounces
5 cup – 25 ounces
6 cup – 30 ounces
8 cups – 40 ounces
10 cup – 50 ounces
13 cup – 65 ounces

The Ottomatic® Coffeemaker

Enjoy perfect coffee brewed with the touch of a button when using the Chemex Ottomatic Coffeemaker. This sleek machine produces high end results and has the ability to brew HOT or ICED coffee.

The Classic Series

Tried and true; each CHEMEX® coffeemaker is hand tied with our traditional wooden collar and leather rawhide - the same way we always have, since 1941. 

Available in 3,6,8 & 10 Cup sizes (we measure in 5 oz cups)

Painted Collars Available in 5 colors: Pink, Red, Blue, Grey, Green

The Glass Handle Series

Another original CHEMEX® coffeemaker design, our timeless hourglass shape paired with a sturdy and elegant glass handle. We love to use this carafe not only for coffee, but other tasty drinks such as lemonade and sangria!

Available in 3,6,8 & 10 Cup sizes (we measure in 5 oz cups)

The Glass Handle Color Coffeemakers

Bold and beautiful, these colorful handles add a simple yet stylish detail to the clear glass pieces. Choose from 6 different beautiful handle options: Clear, Gold, Sapphire, Tropical Twist, Citrus Twist or Tidal Twist.

Available in 6 cup size (we measure
in 5 oz cups)

The Handblown Series

Coffeemaker Produced in small batches by artisan glassblowers, these pieces are formed using Croatian glass. Also tied with our traditional wooden collar and leather rawhide.  

Available in 3,5,8 & 13 Cup sizes (we measure in 5 oz cups)

The Funnex® Coffeemaker

This is our CHEMEX “Single Serve”. The double walled borosilicate glass Funnex® brews from 5 up to 15oz. of CHEMEX® coffee. This unique brewer is portable, sturdy and highly functional. It comes with a silicone gasket for use with all types of cups, mugs and thermoses. One size available.

The ChemAer Coffeemaker

This combination brewer and aerator offers an additional design feature to explore the nuances and flavors of the coffee after extraction. Geared towards anyone who enjoys a good coffee experiment along with a great cup of coffee. Can be used to aerate smaller 10oz. - 20oz. batches or brew up to a full 40oz. pot of coffee. Available in 8 cup size (we measure in 5 oz cups).

Filtration!

“Extract the best and skip the rest!” – Brew coffee the Chemist’s way. – Dr. Peter Schlumbohm

CHEMEX Bonded Filter paper
We have 6 different CHEMEX filters. They are all made from the same high-quality materials, function the same way, but have slight variations between them. 

White paper & brown paper

The white filter paper goes through an oxygen cleansing bath followed by a series of hot water baths.  The brown filter paper goes through only the hot water baths, retaining the “natural” wood color.  We don’t use any bleach or chemicals in our filter paper.  They are both compostable.   

Filter paper for 5-cup coffeemakers and larger

FSU-100 (brown paper), FS-100 (white paper), FC-100 (white paper) , FP-1 (white paper)

These are the 4 different filters used for coffeemakers size 6 cup and larger. 

We have two pre-folded squares, the FSU-100 filter and the FS-100 filter. 

Pre-folded white circle, the FC-100.

Unfolded white circle, the FP-1. 

They all function in the same manner, it just comes down to personal preference which one will be used.  Some people like the points on the square filters for easy removal. Some prefer to have the top of the filter flusher with the carafe, and some prefer to fold their own.

Filter paper for 3-cup and Funnex coffeemakers

FP-2 (white paper) and FP-2N (brown paper)

These filters are used for the 3 cup coffeemakers and the Funnex®. The FP-2 and the FP-2N, also known as the “half-moon” filters.  They are half the size of the larger filters and need to be folded before use in the coffeemaker.