Difference between Chemex and Pourover?

Coffee preparation techniques besides espresso like pourover.
bigbad
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#1: Post by bigbad »

What can a chemex do, that a pourover can't?

I know that the main difference between the chemex and pourover, is that generally the chemex has a thicker paper filter. I'm assuming this is a bad thing, considering less oils will pass through...

Also, I've watched some videos, and I noticed that with the chemex, the tutorials are recommending that you pour from outside-in, as opposed to the pourover, which is poured inside-out. Anybody know why this is the case?

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yakster
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#2: Post by yakster »

The Chemex is a Pourover, but it's also the carafe and server. I've seen them used (at Stumptown) with thinner filters than the standard Chemex lab grade filters and of course used with the Able Brewing Kone.

I like the Chemex because I don't need a separate coffee server and it's one less thing to wash and I can hot brew into ice just by putting some ice cubes in the bottom. I also think that they look nice. When I make coffee for my co-workers, I walk down to the kitchen with the Chemex and come back with the coffee and serve it out of the Chemex.
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aecletec
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#3: Post by aecletec »

The filters are only 'bad' or 'good' depending on what you want out of the coffee.
I've only recently had a chemex, but have found I prefer coffee from an outside pouring style whereby there is no 'cone' formed on the draw down (perhaps the grounds are 'kept brewing' for longer). This seems to go against most recommendations. Pouring style is probably up to individual preferences.

donnedonne
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#4: Post by donnedonne »

The better question is, what can a (non-Chemex) pour-over do that a Chemex can't?

A lot, I think.

I've had good Chemex results with very, very fresh coffees (day 3-4), but--I think this is because of the thick filter--coffees stop "popping" relatively soon in their arabican existence...

This might have something to do with water temperature. I can brew with hotter water when using other pour-over devices. Because of the size of the upper portion of the Chemex, and the jutting nature of the filters, I can't get my kettle as close to the coffee bed as I'd like. Greater distance between bed and kettle means more temperature loss. It also means a less gentle pour, and if you subscribe to Nick Cho's extraction ideas (and I do), gentle drip is better drip and other pour-overs offer a more gentle (viz., less turbulent) extraction.

opother
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#5: Post by opother »

Difference between Chemex and Pourover ?

The Filters are the Chemex's main advantage to those like me who appreciate it.

For those who can taste plastic (not everyone's tastebuds are equal, a fact some can't seem to come to terms with, I have to say plastic does not bother me much, but others can't stand it) and hate it, the fact that this is made of all glass and will not impart any extra vessel contact flavors in the brew is a big plus.

The Chemex was invented (or should I call it improvised use of a chemistry beaker and a specific grade of filter paper) by a Chemist who wanted to brew drip coffee his way. He chose a tool he was familiar with (a chemistry beaker) and a type of filter paper that he felt would produce the type of flavor he was aiming for in a drip brew.

Although the smooth flavor the thick white filtered chemex produces is not to everyones tastes (I happen to love it) more than enough people are on the same page with this chemist (I am) taste wise regarding coffee brewed this way.

It seems his ideas on good coffee is shared by many attesting to the success of his product (the Chemex coffee brewer with thick white chemex filters.)

As for control, it's a pour over, geez you can pour pretty much any way that tickles your fancy. Choose your kettle, spout size, spout legnth, pipping hot, almost boiling, preinfusing time, pouring pattern, whatever under this green earth you want, or even use a, gasp, stainless filter to brew in a more traditional way that requires a bit of skill and temperature control (all in your hands) which can produce a great, or even spectacular drip (cupper's brew,) although I wouldn't call it a Chemex drip when brewed that way.


If you don't like like Chemex type coffee you can save some money (although not much as price differences are not that wide) and get a common pourover cone.


As far as cone vs a wider pourover dispenser well you got me over a barrel there since in my opinion the results between the two taste different. I mean different, not better or worse, just different, and which I like better depends on the coffee I use. I have not kept tabs on what type of coffee I like better using these various methods but I have found which I like better depends on what I put in it.

adelemac
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#6: Post by adelemac »

For pourovers, my first choice is the Chemex with the Chemex filters (white squares). And similar to Yakster, I like the advantage of using the Chemex as a server. I also find the Chemex is more convenient to make coffee for two or more people, than the Hario.

I use the Hario sometimes when I am making coffee for myself - less clean up as it pours directly into my cup. It does pour through faster than the Chemex - I think the Chemex filter slows the process and makes the coffee have better flavor.

I also have the Coava Kone (first version). Have tried it both with Chemex and Hario. I prefer the coffee using the paper filters - the Kone left too much sediment for my liking (though I could have refined my technique more, and I have heard the newer Kone version works better).

I have not used the Clever Coffee Dripper - I like the concept that you can control when the flow starts, but I don't like the idea of using plastic on a daily basis.

I have also used a Melitta plastic cone pourover with chemex filters. We usually use this when we travel, as we have already broken one Chemex. The flavor is not a good as with the Chemex or Hario, but is infinitely better than using the hotel/motel coffee machines.

As for technique, I found that measuring the temperature of the water and using a slower pouring kettle, like the Hario, made the bigger difference in the taste of coffee than if I pour from the centre or from the edge.

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EricBNC
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#7: Post by EricBNC »

bigbad wrote:What can a chemex do, that a pourover can't?
My Chemex is a larger 8 cup version so I use it more often when making more than one cup. Convenience with a pour over cone is hard to beat if all you want is one cup so both have a place in my world.
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Chert
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#8: Post by Chert »

I've had Chemex twice. Once at a B & B where the owner enjoyed home-roasting but should not have shared it with guests. So that did not endear me to the process. Obviously I should discount that experience.

The other cup I had was at Stumptown where that particular cup was lackluster and I felt it was too cool as served.

Does it typically produce a fairly cool cup? With the Aeropress the cup temperature is nice and with Melitta one can heat the ceramic and receiving cup so that the first sips are fairly warm. Then as the cup cools the flavors change some as well which adds to the experience IMHO.
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adelemac
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#9: Post by adelemac »

opother wrote:

Does it [Chemex] typically produce a fairly cool cup?
If you preheat the Chemex, the coffee produced is not noticeably cooler than with a preheated Hario V60.

It is quicker to preheat the Hario, which is probably why I use the Hario when I want a quick easy single cup.

opother
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#10: Post by opother »

I think it produces a cool cup as in kool not in the cold sense but in a good sense. I usually preheat it first by rinsing the filter with boiling water then swishing it around in the brewer before pouring it out.

When the filter is wet it clings to the glass and does not come off when I pour out the rinse water. I clings good. Who could have guessed something so simple in design can function very conveniently.

Clean up is a breeze also.

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