Pour Over Guide: Chemex + paper filter

 

 In my last post I wrote about making pour over coffee with a Chemex and Kone filter.  However, the more common way you'll see pour over coffee being made is with paper filter.  Since I'm still using the Chemex, I elected to go with a filter made by and designed for Chemex.  I chose the Unbleached version because it's got less paper taste and therefore less chance of ruining your coffee!  After the jump, I'll detail my method using paper filters and compare it to using the Kone.

Materials:

• Chemex
• Paper filter
• Scale
• Timer
• Grinder
• Water boiler
• Cup/Mug

Step 1: Measure out coffee dosage (24g in my case), heat up water, and grind! I use a 33 on my Rocky.

Step 2: Wet the filter in Chemex to heat up the tools and wash out any paper taste. Dump the water.

Step 3: Put the ground coffee in the center of filter and level.  Then, put a dip in the middle same as with the Kone

Same as with the Kone

Step 4: Pour in around 35g of water.  This is called the bloom where the (fresh!) coffee releases it's gasses.  Let coffee steep for ~30 sec.

BLOOM

Step 5: Continue to pour water at a steady rate for about 30-40 sec.  Then let water flow for ~20 sec and pour again.  Repeat until all water is used (400g for me).  I recommend you adjust this time for your pour speed and amount of ground.  The idea is that you don't want so much water just floating in the filter it causes over extraction.  For me, I do about 30 sec pour followed by a 15-20 sec break.  I end up with about 2.5 cycles and my extraction finishes around the 4 minute mark.

Try to keep water level constant

Step 6: After extraction, throw up away used coffee ground and filter and pour into a pre-warmed cup. 

Clean cup

As you can see this cup is a much cleaner looking coffee.  This is because there are less oils passing through the filter.  Whether or not this is better depends on personal preference and coffee selection.  I have been finding that the single origins with a more bright or fruity notes work better with paper filter.  The Kone is more suited to full bodied, chocolatey coffees.