Chemex Coffeemaker Explained

Chemex Coffeemaker should not be confused with Chemsex.

The Chemex Coffeemaker is a manual pour-over style glass coffeemaker, invented by Peter Schlumbohm in 1941, manufactured by the Chemex Corporation in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

In 1958, designers at the Illinois Institute of Technology selected the Chemex Coffeemaker as "one of the best-designed products of modern times." It is included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.[1] [2] [3] [4] It has been featured in the novel From Russia with Love, in a scene where James Bond eats breakfast, the film Harper starring Paul Newman, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby, as well as its film adaptation[5] .

Design

The Chemex coffeemaker consists of an hourglass-shaped glass flask with a conical funnel-like neck and proprietary filters, made of bonded paper, that are thicker than the standard paper filters used for a drip coffeemaker. The thicker paper of the Chemex filters removes most of the coffee oils and makes coffee that is much "cleaner" than coffee brewed in other coffee-making systems.[6] The thicker filters may also assist in removing more cafestol, a cholesterol-elevating compound found in coffee.[7]

The most visually distinctive feature of the Chemex is the heatproof wooden collar around the neck, which allows it to be easily handled and poured when full of hot coffee. The collar is turned and then split in two to allow it to fit around the glass neck. The two pieces are held loosely in place by a tied leather thong. For a design piece that became popular post-war at a time of Modernism and precision manufacture, this juxtaposition of natural wood and the organic nature of a hand-tied knot with the laboratory nature of glassware was a distinctive feature of its appearance.[8]

Brewing coffee

Coffee is brewed by first folding the paper filter into shape by using the folded side with a printed number 3, where the pour spout is located and placing it into the neck of the flask. The Chemex filter should be rinsed with hot water to remove any paper taste. After dumping the water, ground coffee is added to the rinsed paper filter. The coarse grind will resemble kosher salt for the best flavor.[9] Hot water (93C96C is then poured through the coffee and filter, depositing brewed coffee into the flask.[10] [11] [6] There is a spout located on the top half of the brewer. This allows for easily pouring out coffee post brew and ensures airflow while brewing, avoiding vacuum sealing.[6]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Dr. Peter Schlumbohm Dead; Inventor of Coffee Maker, 66; His Chemex Called One of 100 Best Modern Devices-- 300 Items Patented Tolled Amid Gadgets (1962 article) . The New York Times . en . 2020-05-09.
  2. News: 1959-11-07 . Food News: Coffee Puts Wife to Test . en-US . The New York Times . 2020-05-09 . 0362-4331.
  3. Web site: The Collection MoMA . The Museum of Modern Art . en . 2020-05-09.
  4. Web site: Peter Schlumbohm. Chemex Coffee Maker. 1941 MoMA . 2023-08-02 . The Museum of Modern Art . en.
  5. Web site: Handy . Jolene . 2023-01-20 . The “Beautility” of Coffee—from a Chemist’s Lab . 2024-07-23 . Time Travel Kitchen.
  6. Web site: Iconic Design: The Chemex Brewer . Dupuy . Jessica . 2016-02-23 . Imbibe Magazine . en-US . 2019-10-06.
  7. Web site: How Coffee Raises Cholesterol . ScienceDaily . 2020-05-09.
  8. Book: Papanek . Victor J. . The green imperative: natural design for the real world . 1995 . Thames and Hudson . 0-500-27846-6 . 318233505.
  9. Web site: How to Make the Perfect Coffee with the Chemex . 2018-09-26 . 2020-05-09.
  10. Web site: Brewing 101 With CHEMEX . Chemex Corp. . 2015-01-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150106021653/http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/brewing-product-care-instructions . 2015-01-06 . dead.
  11. Web site: Chemex brewing guide . Flying Roasters . 2017-09-19.