Taking my barista Virtuoso grinder to work. Thinking of replacing old drip coffeemaker. I used Chemex eons ago. Have seen Hario system. Seems similar. What is the attraction. Must be popular as many cafes use it
Thoughts?

The Hario V60 filter cones are popular in part because you can brew a cup faster than with a Chemex. That's one of the reasons for their popularity in the cafe environment, as well as the visual appeal of the hand pour. I know some cafes have switched to Clever Coffee Drippers or Bonavita porcelain drippers which have a valve to prevent the flow of coffee so that you can do an immersion brew and then drain through a paper filter. You can also use these as pour-over filter cones if you brew with the valve open and I find them easier to use and get good results when used normally with the valve closed.

The Chemex, being glass, will have to have some care take to avoid breakage. I've killed three or four of them over the years. The V60s come in plastic and ceramic and other materials and should be pretty hard to break, but I'd probably recommend a Clever or Bonavita to get better results without having to have a precision pouring kettle.

As for taste, the Chemex used with their thick papers will be the cleaner cup and usually fuller because it usually brews longer. The V60 can depend on the brew ratio, you could end up with a thin, under-extracted cup if not poured right, but if done well may have more brightness, especially when using more coffee.

Thank you. Seems I should explore the Bonvita and Clever systems,too

Hi Barb,

To my experience, the filter holder has minimal effect (yesss! I am opening doors to world war III)

Since you mentioned "work";

1) If you would like to brew just one cup at a time, then go with an Aeropress. Cheap, efficient, easy to maintain. You can get a permanent filter or use standard Aeropress filters OR cut out circles from chemex filters for slow flow & cleaner cup.
2) If you would like to brew more than 1 cup, then go with any type of filter holder. Just choose the one you like most (Chemex or Hario or Kalita or Bonavita or Melitta). All you need to decide is the right filter for you. Again you have 2 main options, a permanent one or a paper one.

a) Chemex filter papers - cleanest cup of all (of course that is until someone come up with this crazy idea of using grade 542 quantitative papers to filter coffee, so we can finally do some gravimetric analysis of the metal amount in each cup ).
b) Hario or Kalita wave filter papers - faster compared to Chemex, a bit more fines & slightly more body in the cup. However, the line is so thin, only hipsters can determine the difference. I, for instance, certainly can not. Must be related to my house-wifey looks. I just drink it and refill & keep doing so
c) Universal filter papers (aka Melitta) - faster compared to Hario & Kalita, most of them have tiny perforations for even faster flow. Nobody died or reached coffee nirvana using these.

With paper filters it is all about highest retention ratio of fine particles. Depending on filter of your choosing, you would be able to adjust your yield by grind finesse and pouring speed. With thicker filters you may need to grind coarser to achieve faster flow OR you can grind fine and slow down the flow. For different results, pour in circles or pour into center or do a mix OR hold tight until coffee hose invented so we can spray from 40 inches away.

3) If you have the budget for it and do not want to become a topic for the office gossip, then go with a Technivorm Moccamaster (all that is said, why be so generous with those ungrateful... whatever.. do not buy this for office, but consider one for home if you are not into "pour dance" )

Best of luck!

I had to stop chuckling so I could hold still and type LOL.
Wonderful advice!

Actually, the Technivorm cost is not that much more if I consider all the parts I would have to purchase for a Hario or Bonita equipment; the electronic kettle to heat water, the the drip cone, the Thermal carafe,etc.

Will be for me to use at work
At home I will have a Lever machine, french press and Keurig (in which I use my own coffee, recycling which plastic pods with My Cap lids- great product BTW)


Many thanks

Brazen plus also seems excellent. The holder might not be that significant, but the three cheapest best methods for work imo (different than "holder") are aeropress or clover or french press

What are you planning on grinding your coffee with at work? Moving up to a Bonavita drip coffee maker, BraZen, or Technivorm means the possibility of using more and more coffee at work upping the grinder load.

Barb wrote:. . . Actually, the Technivorm . . . Will be for me to use at work

A different writer wrote:Moving up to a Bonavita drip coffee maker, BraZen, or Technivorm means the possibility of using more and more coffee at work upping the grinder load.

If the OP wants to brew only for herself at work, don't ignore the Technivorm Cup-one Moccamaster. I have been using one since last November and heartily recommend it. So far as I know it is available in the U.S. only from Williams-Sonoma.

I have had a large Technivorm a number of years. With that as basis for comparison, the Cup-one is simply a reduced size designed for a single cup. Same spot-on temperature, restricted flow from the basket so there is appropriate water-coffee brewing time. And excellent results in the cup, like the large Technivorm.

Or, the Espro Press.
Had some great coffee from one of those at the amsterdam coffee festival. No fuss, just put in coffee, wait a few minutes and you're good. The coffee wasn't muddy at all.

Good to know. I thought I recalled Williams-Sonoma showing a Technivorm... one cup would be ideal. And probably a bit less costly and smaller size than an eight or ten cup machine.
Espro Press...Mmm something else new
I don't have a kitchen near my ofice.Do have a cooler with filtered water.. so a system using paper filters is ideal as I just toss the filter, as I do now with my drip (an old Saeco from the days Starbucks sold coffee makers and espresso under its Barista name...)