| Re: 1273.4
Chemex is the brand name of the filters and
hourglass-shaped glass carafes manufactured by
International Housewares of Housatonic, Ma. The
carafes come in several sizes: 1-3 cup, 2-6, 2-8,
2-10, and 2-13.
The story I heard is that the Chemex system
(design of the carafe and filter paper) was
created as the result of the need of a chemist in
research lab for a cup of coffee. The chemist
didn't have a coffeepot but did have his lab
equipment to substitute, that is, beakers of
various shapes and filter paper. The story goes
that the chemist liked the coffee he made so much
that he marketed the system.
To make coffee, open a cone-shaped filter and
rest it in the hourglass. Add the desired amount
of coffee to the filter and pour water over the
grounds.
The filter paper is the important part. I've
heard that Chemex filter paper is the heaviest
paper you will find. I don't know if that's true
but it's certainly much heaver than a Melitta
filter. I find that with Chemex I can brew a
wonderful cup of coffee without a lot of yukky
oils and sediment and which is more flavorful and
easier on the stomach (in our opinion and
experience).
I wouldn't use any other brand, that's how highly
I think of it. And I've been using it for close
to 10 years.
I don't think it would be absolutely necessary to
have the Chemex carafe (although I think it's a
handsome thing and the filter paper fits the top
of the hourglass perfectly); if your drip
coffeemaker will work with the Chemex filter
paper, I'd just change filter paper.
Chemex also makes an automatic brewer, ala Krups
and Braun. I have only the carafe. Some people
like an automatic brewer because the warming unit
will keep the coffee hot as long as you want it
to. I solve the problem of cold coffee at our
house by putting the fresh brew in a coffee
thermos; that way we don't worry about the coffee
getting a `cooked' taste from sitting on the
heat.
Last night I rummaged through my catalogs and
appliance information (I'm an A-1 packrat!) and
found the following information. From the Chemex
product information and one of their catalogs:
What is a Chemex Coffeemaker?
The Chemex (r) coffeemaker is an elegant, one piece,
hourglass shaped vessel made of high quality, heat resistant
glass. The traditional models come to you with a collar of
polished wood tied with a leather thong. The collar serves
as an insulated handle around the mddle of the coffeemaker.
...
Few products in this century can match Chemex's flawless
blending of design and function. Its visual elegance has
earned it an honored place in the permanent collection of New
York's Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian Institution
in Washington, DC. The Chemex coffeemaker was also selected
by the Illinois Institute of Technology as one of the 100
best designed products of modern times.
...
How to Make Perfect Coffee: The Chemex Filter Drip Method
The Chemex Coffeemaking System was developed by a chemist to
achieve one result...brew a perfect cup of coffee everytime.
The keystone of the Chemex method is the fractional extraction
of only the desirable parts of the coffee bean. Fractional
extraction at 200 degrees F leaves the coffee fats and bitter
elements in the coffee grounds, not in your cup.
Chemex-Bonded (r) filters make this possible. They are 20-30%
heavier and chemically cleaner than competitive filters--the
only ones that filter out all the sediment. They have been
specifically designed to give balanced performance when used
with the Chemex Coffeemaker. The Chemex-Bonded (r) filter
combines a very fine grain, required for holding back the
coffee mud, with the right filtration speed (not too slow,
not too fast) that promotes proper infusion. This produces
the full-bodied flavorful coffee that is never bitter and has
made Chemex the favorite of coffee connoisseurs for more than
35 years. The filter is guaranteed not to burst under the
weight of the liquid during filtration, and not to break when
lifting out the grounds. No other coffee filter is made to
Chemex quality specifications.
There's even more there but I won't bore you with
it. I hope that answers a few of your questions.
-mrs o
BTW: International Housewares
PO Box 829
Housatonic Ma 01236
(413) 274-3396
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