Review on Chemex Classic Pour Over Glass Coffeemaker Kitchen & Dining for Coffee, Tea & Espresso by Michelle Wilson

Ok I wanted to wait a bit with this coffee maker before posting my review; to get used to this new (old) way of making coffee. After almost 2 months I can say that we are thrilled! Our 2 year old $100 "upscale" POS maker screwed it up. So we searched for an alternative to the norm, tired of cleaning with vinegar and spending $$$, and lo and behold, we found it! Thoughts below: The quality of the product - it is very high quality and very well preserved. MAKE SURE you are buying the real Chemex brand and NOT a cheap fake! They exist outside. Our friend accidentally bought a fake one and the quality is nowhere near that of Chemex. The fake is too thin and tears and breaks easily. Beware! There are no complaints at all about this brand. Holds up great and we make at least 1 pot a day. Brewing Time - Okay, the MOST IMPORTANT thing is that you have to boil water in the kettle and of course add water manually. No matter how long it takes your stovetop to boil a kettle, you can add that time to the time it would normally take to brew coffee in an electric coffee maker. We have calculated both for us. We have found that brewing coffee in a Chemex takes about 5 minutes longer, mainly due to the time it takes for the water to boil. Obviously, manual pouring is a sunk cost. The kettle itself takes about the same time as a kettle and maybe less. BUT, the difference in coffee quality is AMAZING! We use Folgers Columbian and when brewed with Chemex it tastes, smells and "feels" like Starbucks! No joke. Have never received such quality from a kettle. So, is it worth the extra 5 minutes and some work? YUP! filters and the like. When we bought this manufacturer we also bought traditional Chemex paper filters. We also followed the advice of others and bought a metal strainer for it, which is a bit expensive. Using traditional paper filters took quite a long time. They're thick, and while they produce amazing coffee, they're very slow. So we decided to use a metal filter. The problem with just using a metal filter is that the holes in it are big enough to let fine sediment through, and it's also too fast; This means the coffee grounds don't have a chance to truly saturate and release the coffee's strength and aroma. So. what to do? Well, we've found that if we buy standard #4 cone coffee filters and pair them with a metal filter (by placing it inside the metal filter, of course), we get the best of both worlds. Filter #4 are thick enough to hold water longer but not too thick for better flow. The metal filter "strengthens" the #4 filter and also captures any loose particles that might leave the #4 filter. As a result, we capture all of the coffee's flavor and save $ in the long run since its #4 filter can be bought anywhere and cheaply. We use unbleached #4. Keeping Coffee Hot - When we brew coffee in a Chemex, we immediately pour it from the Chemex into a thermos-type coffee pot. Since the temperature when brewing the kettle is close to the boiling point, the coffee in the carafe stays hot all day. We bought a glass lid for the Chemex but mostly use it to keep dust out of the Chemex when not in use. Plus it looks good on top ;) Cleaning - we just rinse it out after letting it cool down a bit. done. Looks at the counter - OK, here's a GOOD perk for you! Chemex is like a beautiful art glass sculpture. It looks WAY better than the ugly, clunky device we had before. Plus, it takes up about 1/2 the space on the counter! So now we have more space ;) And we didn't have to give up the amount of coffee. This 10 cup Chemex is exactly the amount our old clunker made. Conclusion - never knew what we missed. AWESOME coffee, even cheap brands, every time! The smell that fills the air in the house when we brew beer is amazing. I love the smell! Looks great in the kitchen! NO "vinegar cleaners that stink around the house - finally self-destructing" coffee makers! This baby, cared for, not dropped or tossed across the room, should last a lifetime! That means NO MORE having to spend $80-$100 every few years on ugly mechanical mad scientists and POS devices. Talk about $$$ savings! Is it worth the upfront cost and the extra 5 minutes to brew coffee and feed the coffee maker instead of letting it do it for you automatically? Em. YES! In my opinion it's worth it. I can't tell you what a great feeling it was to toss this $100 wannabe coffee maker in the trash can! My joy was palpable :) By the way, this is the process of making coffee, in which most people living today do not have much experience. Chances are you've never tasted coffee prepared this way in your life and you don't know anyone who has. I know we didn't and didn't have! So the process is different and REALLY takes some getting used to. That's why I waited almost 2 months to write this review. It takes time. get used to the process. Follow the instructions they give and you will probably never go back to a kettle. It's worth the benefits we believe in, and more importantly, to us at least, the manual process seems to lend itself to a more "personal" and "creative" coffee-making process. I know it sounds weird, but for us it's more like "creating" great coffee to enjoy. Like an artist with his brush. Chemex is a tool, and a beautiful one at that, but the "artwork" you create with it is up to you ;) Enjoy. Hope this review helps! Thanks also to everyone else who left feedback! You helped us make a decision! I'm glad we did!