Chemex ratio: how much coffee for a Chemex?

For a 6 cup Chemex, use about 55 g of coffee, which is 11 level tablespoons or 5.5 scoops, with 30 oz of water. That is 1:16, and the usable range is 1:15 (stronger) to 1:17 (lighter). For an 8 cup Chemex use 74 g (15 tablespoons, 7.4 scoops) and for a 10 cup use 93 g (18.5 tablespoons, 9.3 scoops). The general rule for every brewer is on the how much coffee per cup page.

What is the Chemex ratio for each size?

Chemex counts a cup as 5 oz, so a 3 cup holds 15 oz, a 6 cup 30 oz, an 8 cup 40 oz and a 10 cup 50 oz. Those sizes are as commonly sold, and they vary a little by maker, so check your own. Tablespoon and scoop figures assume medium-coarse grounds at 5 g per level tablespoon, with a scoop of 2 tablespoons (10 g). Water is counted at about 29.6 g per ounce. Numbers are rounded.

We already have the full write-ups for two of these sizes, with smaller pours and pots per bag: how much coffee for a 3 cup Chemex and how much coffee for a 6 cup Chemex. This page adds the 8 and 10 cup sizes and puts all four side by side.

How fine should you grind, and how long should it take?

Medium-coarse is the usual starting point, coarser than a drip machine and finer than a French press. The Chemex filter is thick, so a grind that is too fine slows the drawdown and gives a bitter, heavy cup, while a grind that is too coarse runs fast and tastes thin. We do not have a tested total brew time for each size to give you, and it changes with your grinder, so we will not print a number. Use the cup as the guide. If it tastes sour or thin, grind a bit finer or add a tablespoon. If it tastes harsh, grind a bit coarser. Our Chemex too weak and Chemex too bitter posts go through each fix.

Which ratio should you pick, 1:15, 1:16 or 1:17?

Start at 1:16. Go to 1:15 if you like a heavier cup or you add milk, and to 1:17 if you want a lighter, tea-like cup. Our own brewing note for most of our coffees is 60 g per liter, which is about 1:16.7, so it sits between the 1:16 and 1:17 columns. For a 6 cup Chemex that is about 53 g. Change one thing at a time, and write down the number that worked. The pour-over ratio cheat sheet has the same reasoning for other pour-over brewers.

What if you are not filling the Chemex?

Many people pour less than the full size, because a Chemex is easier to control below the shoulder. The rule is the same: weigh the water you plan to pour, divide by 16, and that is the coffee. For example, 24 oz of water (about 710 g) takes 44 g, or 8.9 level tablespoons, in a 6 cup Chemex, and 32 oz (about 947 g) takes 59 g in an 8 cup. Do not fill a larger Chemex with a small dose, since the bed of grounds gets too thin to slow the water down. If you often brew one or two mugs, a 3 cup pot is the better fit, and the table in our 3 cup post covers it.

How many pots does a 12 oz bag make?

A 12 oz bag is about 340 g of coffee. At 1:16 that is about 12 pots of a 3 cup, 6 pots of a 6 cup, 4 and a half pots of an 8 cup and 3 and a half pots of a 10 cup Chemex. A large Chemex every morning goes through a bag in under a week, and our subscription is 11% off with skip or cancel in one click.

Which coffee for a Chemex?

The thick Chemex filter gives a clean, bright cup, so we would pour a coffee you want to taste. The roaster's note for No. 2 Good Sense is a pour-over at 60 g per litre and 94 °C, with a 40-second bloom, drunk black. The label lists milk chocolate, fruit and caramel, and the process is natural, hand sorted and dried on raised beds.

It ships free in the US as a 12 oz bag, whole bean or ground. Pick whole bean if you have a grinder, since a Chemex wants a medium-coarse setting you can control. You can browse all ten coffees as well.