Brewing a Honey-Process Coffee in a Chemex

A Chemex is the cleanest brewer in common use, and a honey-process coffee is one of the sweetest things you can put through it. Putting the two together is a useful exercise: the thick filter strips out the oils and fines, so what reaches the cup is sweetness and definition with very little weight behind it.

This is the method we use, with the reasoning for each step.

What you need

• A honey-process coffee, ground medium. Our Honey lot ($16.99) shows honey, peach and spices; Silver ($26.99) is the other honey lot, with coconut, vanilla and white fruits.
• A Chemex and a bonded Chemex paper filter.
• Filtered water at 199–205 °F (93–96 °C) — about 30 seconds off the boil.
• A scale, and a timer. Both optional, both make the result repeatable.

The method

1. Rinse the filter. Set the paper in the Chemex with the triple-folded side against the pouring spout, and pour hot water through it. This removes the papery taste and preheats the glass, which stops the brew losing temperature in the first thirty seconds. Discard the rinse water.
2. Dose the coffee. 1 oz (28 g) of medium-ground coffee for 16 oz (460 ml) of water, which is close to a 1:16.5 ratio. Level the bed with a gentle shake.
3. Bloom. Pour about 2 oz (60 ml) of water, just enough to saturate all the grounds, and wait 30 to 45 seconds. Fresh coffee will rise and dome as it releases CO2; if nothing happens, the coffee is old.
4. Pour in slow circles. Add the rest of the water in two or three pours, spiralling from the center outward and never pouring onto the paper. Keep the water level above the bed rather than letting it drain dry between pours.
5. Let it draw down. The whole brew should take 3 to 4 minutes from first pour to last drip.
6. Remove the filter and swirl the Chemex once before serving, so the first cup and the last taste the same.

What honey processing brings to this

In honey processing the skin comes off but part of the sticky mucilage stays on the bean while it dries. Its sugars migrate inward, so the coffee sits between a fully washed lot and a fully natural one: sweeter and rounder than washed, cleaner and more defined than natural.

A Chemex is the brewer that shows that most clearly. Because the bonded paper is up to three times thicker than standard filter paper, it traps the oils that would otherwise add body — and with the body out of the way, the sweetness and the fruit and spice notes sit in the foreground. A French press does the exact opposite, keeping the oils and the weight. Neither is wrong; they answer different questions. The full comparison is in natural vs washed vs honey.

Getting it right

• Preheat the Chemex with the filter rinse. A cold glass carafe costs you several degrees at the point where they matter most.
• Grind medium, not coarse. Too coarse and the water runs through before it has extracted the sweetness; too fine and the thick paper stalls and the cup turns bitter.
• Fix time with the grinder, not the pour. If the drawdown is much under three minutes, grind finer; much over four, grind coarser.
• Use filtered water. A cup is 98% water, and heavily chlorinated tap water tastes exactly like chlorinated coffee.
• Grind immediately before brewing if you own a grinder. See the grinder guide.
• Store the rest of the bag sealed, cool and away from light. How to store specialty coffee has the detail.

Frequently asked questions

What grind size does a Chemex need?

A medium grind. The bonded Chemex paper is thicker than most filters, so a grind that is too fine will stall the drawdown and over-extract. In our store the medium setting covers Chemex, V60, AeroPress and drip. If the brew takes much longer than four minutes, go one step coarser.

What ratio and water temperature should I use in a Chemex?

We brew at 1:16.5 — 1 oz (28 g) of coffee to 16 oz (460 ml) of water — at 195–205 °F (90–96 °C). Rinse the paper filter first to remove any papery taste and preheat the glass, bloom with a small pour for 30 seconds, then pour in slow circles keeping the bed level.

What does honey processing do to the cup?

The skin is removed but part of the mucilage is left on the bean while it dries, which places the coffee between a fully washed and a fully natural lot. The result is usually more sweetness and body than a washed coffee, with cleaner definition than a natural one.

Why does a Chemex suit a honey-processed coffee?

The thick bonded filter traps most of the oils and fines, which gives a very clean, transparent cup. That clarity lets the sweetness and the fruit and spice notes sit in the foreground instead of being buried under body. It is the opposite trade-off to a French press, which keeps the oils and the weight.

Which of your lots are honey processed?

Honey, with honey, peach and spice, and Silver, with coconut, vanilla and white fruits, are both honey-processed lots from Hacienda Las Mercedes. Both come in 8.5 oz (240 g) bags, whole bean or ground to the method you choose.

How long should a Chemex brew take?

Three to four minutes in total, from the first pour to the last drip. Much faster and the cup tastes thin and sour; much slower and it turns bitter and dry. Correct it by changing the grind size rather than by pouring faster or slower.

Can I use a Chemex without a scale?

Yes, though you will be less consistent. Roughly 2 level tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 oz (180 ml) of water is a workable starting point. A $15 scale is the cheapest upgrade in coffee and removes most of the guesswork.

Try it with a honey lot

Both of our honey-process lots come from one family farm in Ciudad Bolívar, Antioquia, at 5,900 ft (1,800 m), roasted after you order and shipped within 48 hours. See them in the specialty coffee collection. Shipping is calculated at checkout.