Maslow’s 'Hierarchy of Needs' states that the most basic human needs are food, water, warmth and rest. With 95 million cups of coffee sold in the UK per day, coffee has definitely made its way in as a basic human need for many; and its become more of a necessity than most of would like to admit. Anyway, with the increase of café culture, and the ease of making a great tasting coffee at home, it has never been so easy to make exceptional tasting coffee.
But, in the height of home brewing and one-button coffee machines, a lot of us are favouring tradition in the form of the pour-over method. Its now seen as the method that a lot of coffee aficionados adopt in order to make the smoothest brew around. Chemex are the champions of excellently brewed coffee and victors of mastering the design of the perfect coffee pourer. People are waking up to the benefits of pour-over coffee around the world due to its hourglass-shaped glass flask, funnel neck and filters that combine to create the clean crisp taste that coffee should have every time. You can join in on the pour-over coffee revolution too by reading up on the full and thorough Chemex coffee review below.

Who are Chemex?
Dr Peter Schlumbohm invented the Chemex coffee pourer in 1941 and, in doing so, he revolutionised coffee. An extraordinary man, who developed over 300 patents in his time, Schlumbohm focussed on making everyday objects more functional, attractive and enjoyable to use. Being a chemist, Dr Schlumbohm understood the chemistry behind the extraction of flavour and caffeine from the coffee beans and used his understanding as a gift to coffee enthusiasts around the world. Not only this, but Schlumbohm’s appreciation and interest in aesthetic design meant that the Chemex Coffee Maker had to be a vessel of beauty, to be admired by artists and coffee lovers alike. Successful as he was, the Chemex Coffee Maker is on display at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and is crowned as one of the Top 100 Best Designed Product of Modern Times by the Illinois Institute of Technology. Chemex has remained a family-owned corporation for over thirty years, preserving Dr Schlumbohm’s iconic legacy throughout that time.
What is the Chemex Coffee Maker?
The hourglass shape has become a statement in American history and an icon in global design. Simply made from one piece of borosilicate glass, complete with a wooden collar and a rawhide tie that act as a handle, the Chemex Coffee Maker combines function and aesthetic so seamlessly that it is no wonder the design still reigns high today.
Available in a range of sizes and designs the Chemex Coffee Maker is accessible for all coffee lovers. From the Classic Wooden Collar 3 Cup Drip Coffee Maker to the 10 Cup and every size in between, there is something for everyone and something to satiate your morning caffeine kick.
How does the Chemex Coffee Maker work?
The Chemex Coffee Maker consists of two components; the hourglass-shaped glass carafe, and proprietary filters. These filters are made of bonded paper that is thick enough to absorb coffee oils to make ‘cleaner’ better quality coffee. The process of pour over coffee is intricate, and attention to detail is vital.
After rinsing in hot water, fix the filter paper in the top of the coffeemaker and pour the desired amount of ground beans into the top. For best results, use boiled water at around 95°C and pour it into the carafe little at a time allowing the carbon dioxide to escape from the ground coffee mixture. The force of gravity will pull the water and ground coffee through the funnel neck, with pure good quality brewed coffee collecting in the bottom half of the carafe.
Although this is a time consuming and longer way of brewing coffee, Rome was not built in a day. The finer things in life take time, and while pour over coffee may sound simple it will require your patience and your time too. It takes practice in order to perfect the perfect cup, but the Chemex Coffee Maker allows consistent great quality coffee every time. Making coffee with Chemex Coffee Makers is a rewarding experience. The satisfaction of making something delicious by hand is irreplaceable.


For those not quite ready to master the art of manual pour over coffee…
Understandably, the Classic Chemex Coffee Maker isn’t for everyone, that’s why Chemex have introduced the Ottomatic 2.0 Pour Over Coffee Machine; the next generation of pour over coffee. With the ability to brew both hot and iced coffee, as well as the capacity to manage brewing variables such as water/coffee contact time, water temperature and complete with a stage brewing cycle. The machine’s hot plate ensures that coffee remains warm without compromising flavour, and deactivates after 30 minutes to prevent scalding and also to reduce its footprint. The refined design compliments the elegance of the original Chemex carafe and allows consistent quality and functionality, with minimal effort on your behalf.
Key points to consider when it comes to the Chemex Coffee Maker:
- Impressively beautiful and timeless design
- Highly flexible thanks to its open brewing process
- Brews a beautiful tasting, clean and clear black coffee that abrings to life the personality of the coffee bean
- It is BPA-free
- The Ottoman 2.0 Pour Over Coffee Machine allows you to create consistent delicious coffee with little effort.
- At first, it will be difficult to use. It takes practice. But it’s worth it.
- It's fragile, especially the all glass frame. Arguably the most fragile pour over coffee maker.
- The Ottoman 2.0 Pour Over Coffee Machine takes out almost all the manual labour that makes up the rewarding taste of quality coffee

Overall verdict:
The Chemex coffee range offers a unique opportunity to combine modern aesthetics with traditional home brewing techniques. This puts Chemex on a pedestal above any other coffee brewer out there as it provides perfectly brewed coffee each and every time.
Shop and explore the entire Chemex collection at OPUMO.
All photography by Thibault De Schepper
If you're still on the hunt for more coffee secrets, then be sure to check out the 5 Essentials for the Perfect Cup of Coffee.
Shop Chemex at OPUMO.