Best Coffees for Chemex in India
Chemex highlights sweetness and clarity, so choose coffees with defined origin character.
Starting parameters
Grind
Medium-coarse
Closer to coarse sand
Ratio
1:16
Brew time
4–5 min
How this brewer behaves
Mechanism
Gravity-fed pour-over with thick bonded filter
Filter
Thick bonded paper filter, maximum oil and fine removal
How it works
Water pours through a thick bonded paper filter, 20–30% thicker than standard filters, into an elegant hourglass vessel. The thick filter removes almost all oils and fine particles, producing one of the cleanest cups possible. The slower drawdown gives more contact time than V60.
Why it stands out
Very clean, close to tea-like in clarity. The thick filter removes oils that V60 and AeroPress let through. If you want to taste only the pure flavour of the coffee without any body or texture, Chemex is the answer.
Indian Specialty Context
Chemex rewards Indian coffees with inherent sweetness and defined fruit character. The filter strips out any murkiness and lets clean acidity and floral notes come forward. Washed light roasts from Chikmagalur estates are what Chemex is for: jasmine, peach, and clean citrus come through with none of the heaviness you'd get on French Press. Honey-processed light-mediums from Coorg are also worth trying, since the sweetness carries. Avoid very heavy naturals on Chemex, where the thick filter can mute the fruit intensity that makes them interesting.
Common Mistakes
Roast Pairing Guide
Also Works
Avoid: Heavy naturals and dark roasts, which depend on body and intensity that the paper here strips out.
Clean enough for Chemex
Use a medium-coarse grind and keep a steady spiral pour for even extraction.
Kalledevarapura Estate
Bili Hu
From ₹849 / 250g
Monsooned Malabar
GB Roasters
From ₹500 / 250g
Arabica Plantation - AA Coffee
Devan's
From ₹500 / 250g
Summer Shade
Shodh Coffee
From ₹790 / 250g
Naga Washed
GB Roasters
From ₹735 / 250g
Catalogue last refreshed .
Brew like a pro
Hoffman Ultimate Chemex
by James Hoffmann
Slow, controlled pouring with Chemex's thick filters for ultra-clean extraction
A slightly coarser grind than V60 often works best for Chemex's slower flow.
Pour-over recipes
Dial in pour-over recipes and ratios for cleaner cups.
Read the Context.
The background behind what you are tasting, from our writing on Indian coffee.
Brewing with Chemex
Grind, batch size, and why the pour matters more here.
Explore More.
Discover other ways to find your perfect coffee.
Easy days on the *Kalita*
Balanced, dependable lots that suit a steady everyday pour.
Made for the *V60*
Clarity, brightness, and origin character with nowhere to hide.
The *light* end of the spectrum
Bright, acidic, and complex coffees roasted to preserve origin characteristics.
Washed process picks
Fermented and washed to remove mucilage before drying.