So I’ve been brewing a lot of coffee with my Chemex lately. One of the toughest things to do with the Chemex is to pour the water correctly. You don’t want to pour right on the circumference where the filter meets the coffee, as the water will just flow out the sides and leave a watered down mess below. Also, you want to pour lightly so you don’t “blow up” the coffee and again have the water reach the bottom of the filter too quickly. Either situation creates “channelling” where the water is allowed to exit the brewing area too quickly by following a path of lesser resistance.
Many pour-over gurus recommend pouring in a spiral pattern continuously, taking care to keep the water level stable. These folks use a special kettle with a long spout that ensures a smooth controllable flow of water. We’ll be getting those in sometime this year, but most of us at home are using either an electric kettle or a regular kettle off a stovetop. The’re great for heating/boiling the water but not always the best for pouring. That first pour can be a bit splashy.
Anyway, I wanted to pass along something that’s been working for me in this situation… after you level the coffee in the filter dig a little divot in the center with your finger and start your pour there. Once the coffee is blooming you can more easily add water without blowing up the grounds. Then you can pour around in a spiral pattern… not quite all the way out to the edge though.
Just remember if you boil the water to let it cool with the lid off for about a minute- otherwise it’s going to be too hot and you’ll burn your coffee.