Coffee lovers need this 3-Cup Chemex
Take a look at any coffee connoisseur’s home brewing station. Among the mugs, tools, beans, and brewers on the shelves, there’s a good chance you’ll notice a large glass vessel shaped like an hourglass with the top sliced off, a polished wood collar wrapped around its midsection, and a thin leather cord tied on top.
You’re looking at a Chemex coffeemaker, the unofficial symbol of craft coffee and one of the world’s most beloved brewing systems for its function and design.
What distinguishes Chemex coffee from other brands?
While the six-cup Chemex is the most popular size and occupies a significant amount of shelf space in both homes and coffee shops, there is a lesser-known model that may be a better fit for some coffee lovers.
The first thing to understand about the three-cup model is that it does not sacrifice any of the characteristics that define Chemex. This includes the non-porous Borosilicate glass used in its construction, which is durable enough for laboratory use, refrigerator-safe, and odor- and chemical-resistant — all of which are important characteristics when brewing a cup of coffee. This includes the fact that, like the six-, eight-, and ten-cup models, each three-cup Chemex is inspected, polished, and hand-tied prior to its journey to its new home, your home brewing station.
It’s the ideal size for small batch production.
The second thing you should know about the three-cup Chemex — and all other sizes, for that matter — is that its name is somewhat misleading. While the three-cup model technically holds three cups, the filter takes up a significant amount of space, leaving only one pint (or two cups) of brewed coffee in the bottom of the vessel.
Consider the following when determining the appropriate size Chemex: You wouldn’t prepare a single serving of soup in a monstrous stockpot, would you? Similarly, using a large Chemex to make one or two cups of coffee does not feel right. That is where the smallest model is advantageous. Because I am almost always brewing for myself or for my husband as the designated morning coffee maker in my house, the three-cup Chemex is usually my vessel of choice.
