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I bought this item because of it's beauty (I bought the hand blown model.$78). I like a flavorful stronger brew (somewhat like Starbuck bold). This coffee maker produces a milder brew because the hot water does not brew in the coffee beans long enough to produce the rich flavor that I prefer. After one use I went back to my French Press which produces a much better cup of coffee.
The only criticism of the Chemex that I have, is that the glass is not heat resistant, so I do not place the coffee maker on direct heat of any kind, nor do I wash the carafe in the dishwasher. I home roast my own beans and the coffee I get from this coffee maker is very good tasting and consistent.
The design of the Chemex places the pouring spout at the top of the carafe, rather than at the mid-carafe level. This top placement results in less spilled coffee when pouring, since it is less confusing to the eye and brain and more intuitive.
I purchased this Chemex 8 Cup Coffee Maker after having bought a smaller, similar type glass filter coffee maker a few months previously. This is not a fault in the design, but rather an unintended consequence of my decision to purchase more capacity than necessary.
The 8 cup is more capacity than needed, since I brew for two persons. This may explain why the coffee tends to cool faster than desired, since the large surface area of the carafe allows for more heat loss during the brewing process.
I use the Chemex square unbleached filters, which also seem to perform quite well. I rinse the carafe with cold water and use the Chemex cleaning brush periodically to clean it thoroughly.
Chemex makes great coffee, never bitter. it takes more effort than an automatic machine, but the results are worth it. If you can manage not to break a Chemex, it will last forever. The filters can be hard to find, but shops that sell the Chemex will have them, and they are available on line.
I would have rather had the 10-cup model instead but sure as heck didn't want to go thru the hassle and time to repackage, resend the 8 cup-er. This purchased turned into a real cluster. I purchased the 8-cup @ around $38 bucks, and right after I received the coffee maker I received an email from the Amazon supplier that my same coffee maker was now $30 bucks, and that the 10-cup model was $38. This was just a hassle. Yes, the difference was credited to my credit card, but ultimately thats not what I wanted knowing that I would have had the larger pot.
And when you are finished, all you have to do is rinse it out with hot water. This is the best option for brewing coffee at home. Think of it as a first step to realizing that there is something better than an auto drip coffee maker. The chemex coffee maker on the other hand, has a thick filter that removes undesirable oils from the coffee and allows you to use a finer ground coffee for better extraction. This coffee maker made a big impact in our daily routine. However, the french press also leaves behind undesirable oils from the coffee, a metallic taste from the plunger, and they are ridiculously difficult to clean.
I would encourage anyone considering this coffee maker to try a cup of coffee from one, the difference is mind boggling. Anyone that appreciates a fine coffee knows that a French press creates a full bodied coffee. You do not have any off metallic flavors, you do not have the puny extraction of a an auto drip (not to mention the flavor of 20 meters of aluminum innards laden with lime build up). And the longer you leave the coffee in the press, the stronger it gets. Not a good thing. Understand that I am a man of convenience and I drank instant coffee for years because I did not like the mess and inconvenience of an auto drip or french press.
Truly wonderful.
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