ICED CHEMEX BREWING GUIDE
This guide is for brewing iced coffee by flash-chilling — brewing coffee hot over ice (also known as Japanese-style iced coffee). We recommend this method because using heat is the best way to extract coffee's vivid flavors and aromatics, which are locked in immediately by the ice. In the other camp are those that brew coffee using cold water over an extended time, known as cold brew.
Oliver Strand of the New York Times said it best when he summed up the debate between the two methods: "Cold brew might have the popular vote, but ice brew is bigger with the pundits." For further reading on the differences between the techniques and why brewing hot over ice is preferred by the pundits, we recommend reading Peter Giuliano's post here.
Let's brew some coffee!
RATIO: 1:13.2 (60 g coffee, 266 g ice, 533 g water makes approx. 24 oz)
GRIND: Like kosher salt
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
- Chemex
- Chemex Filters
- Coffee
- Water Kettle
- Scale
- Grinder
STEP 1
PREPARE INGREDIENTS
Rinse Chemex filter with hot water and discard water. Weigh 266 g ice into the Chemex and replace filter (positioning the three folds toward the spout).
Weigh out appropriate amount of coffee. Fill kettle and heat water.
STEP 2
WEIGH & GRIND
Grind coffee similar to kosher salt.
Weigh out coffee into Chemex per recipe: 60 g for 2 12-ounce cups. Tare scale.
Just before boiling, remove kettle and let water settle.
STEP 3
BREW
Start timer and pour enough water to just saturate coffee bed, about 2 times the weight of coffee used.
Let bloom for 30-45 seconds.
Pro tip: Allowing the coffee to bloom (or expand) ensures even water dispersion and a delicious cup.
Pouring slowly in concentric circles, add enough water to raise slurry over halfway up the cone.
Use a spoon to submerge all of the coffee grounds, then continue adding water slowly in stages, continuing to submerge the crust as you go.
After crust has dissipated, pour into center of Chemex, raising the level of the slurry if needed toward the end in order to add all water in appropriate time.
Try to add all water by 3-3:30 minutes.
Once you’ve added all 533 g water, give it a shallow stir and let drain aiming for flat or slightly domed coffee bed.
Total brew time should be 4:30-4:50.
Pro tip: Since you are using more coffee when making iced coffee in the Chemex, you will have to pour faster and keep your coffee bed a little higher than when brewing hot coffee to achieve the same final brew time.
STEP 4
SWIRL & SERVE
Remove the filter and give the coffee a good several swirls to melt the rest of the ice and incorporate all of the coffee.
Serve over ice and enjoy!