Hipster coffee: How to brew with Chemex
Dubai’s caffeine king Karim Hassan from Seven Fortunes Coffee demonstrates how to brew your best with the Chemex.
“My love for coffee started at university. I would spend many sleepless nights in the library with friends preparing for exams. Coffee was our partner in crime; we started looking for different tastes, exploring beans from different origins; and learning about special brewing methods. We became obsessed.
After graduation I worked in finance until I turned my passion into my profession and now I operate Seven Fortunes Coffee from a renovated warehouse in Al Quoz.
What you need:
Chemex
Chemex filters
40g coarsely ground coffee
600ml water
I love the Chemex method for its tea-like quality. It makes for a particularly crisp and clean cup. It was invented in 1941 by German chemist Dr Peter Schlumbohm, who was a perfectionist. Nowadays, the Chemex (Dhs200 available at sevenfortunes.coffee) is the ultimate functional design piece that’s as convenient as it is trendy.”
1. Heat water to 96°C (or 30 seconds off the boil)
2. Fold the coffee filter into five triangles, placing the three-layer fold in front of the pouring spout
3. Pour hot water around the filter to get an even seal. This eliminates that papery taste from the filter and also heat up your glass. Then discard any residue
4. Add six flat tablespoons (40g) of quality ground coffee
5. Gently pour 60g of hot water using a circular motion. Let it “bloom” for about 30 seconds. The blooming process helps to enhance flavour and aroma
6. In a circular motion slowly pour hot water over the grounds to fill most of the filter. In total, use around 600ml of water
7. After four minutes, discard the filter and enjoy