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I got a chemex for xmas and I got to say it is awful.. can't make a decent cup with it for the life of me. Had no problems with a regular pour over into a pot.

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What problems are you having? Technique shouldn't be too different than doing pour over, except for a coarser grind.

Maybe that's the problem, I like a richer finer grind...

Chemex needs a much coarser grind. I’d advise trying it - I have a half dozen methods of making coffee and the Chemex is consistently one of the best.

Yup. You need a sea salt-like grind for Chemex because of how thick the filter is.

I'd check out James Hoffmann's YouTube channel -- he's the Alton Brown of coffee, which is a reference I hope you get.

I was a Chemex user for years before I went to espresso. You can get GREAT coffee out of a pour-over rig, but there are tricks to it.

Thanks, I watched it. I like strong coffee.. I feel like the chemex overextracts and is bitter and overly clean. I am able to make a strong pot of coffee with a pour over no issues and a regular paper filter.

But I'll try his technique tomorrow. I probably have my water volume measure wrong.

If you want stronger coffee, use a lower water-to-coffee ratio. For example, the standard ratio is 16:1 water to coffee, i.e. ~300g water to 18.5g coffee. To make it stronger, add an extra gram. Grind size doesn't affect strength.

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