If you like to make “pour-over” coffee at home, you probably have a Chemex. I love my Chemex, especially when I have more than one guest over and can’t use my Moka Bialetti Espresso Maker.
Not only does the Chemex make great coffee, but it’s also one of my favorite ways to make a cold brew or even tea at home, even though there are some great tea kettles out there. Using a Chemex to make coffee is great, but many people have wondered How to Clean a Chemex after a party. Even though there’s no right way to clean, I’ve only found one way to clean your Chemex thoroughly and get rid of coffee oil buildup and residue. Not only does oily residue look bad, but it can also change how your coffee tastes.
If you keep your Chemex coffee maker clean, it will last longer and make better coffee. Making coffee with a Chemex is easy and fun, but you might also want to try brewing with an Aeropress. Chemex brewers are used everywhere, from slow brew cafes to coffee stands with drive-thrus. They are a flexible, stylish, and low-tech way to make coffee that tastes great.
Okay, so let’s get started!
Table of Contents
How Frequently Should a Chemex Be Cleaned?
This depends on how you prefer to clean your kitchen. The most effective method for preventing possibly harmful bacterial development in your coffee maker is to wash it with soap and water after each use.
If you prefer not to use soap or are pressed for time, you can quickly clean your Chemex with hot water after use. Nonetheless, you should still scrub it with soap and water at least once every week. We suggest routinely rinsing it in between deep cleanings. After brewing coffee and discarding the filter, remove the handle and rinse the Chemex under warm water. This will prevent a coffee film from forming on the glass.
Use a Dishwasher or Wash by Hand?
If you hate doing the dishes more than anything else, we have good news for you. The glass carafe of the Chemex can go in the dishwasher. Just untie the leather strap, take off the wooden handle, and put the carafe on the top rack upside down. You should also make sure that your Chemex is not touching any other dishes.
It’s easy to wash your Chemex in the dishwasher, but you might not want to. Why? You might end up making your beloved coffee maker last less long. Glass can break easily in a dishwasher, so your Chemex might get cracked or scratched.
How To Clean a Chemex Coffee Maker: Step-by-Step
If you use a Chemex coffee brewer, you know how difficult it is to reach the bottom half of this pour-over device. Fortunately, there are various straightforward methods for cleaning a Chemex, which I will detail below.
But in reality, you only need to thoroughly clean your Chemex once or twice a year. If you clean it with hot water after each use, the Chemex does not retain much calcium or coffee oil buildup because to its basic design and high-quality glass.
Daily Cleaning:
After brewing with your Chemex, just dump out the leftover coffee grounds and rinse with warm or hot water, swirling the water in the base for a minute.
If you need to, use a sponge with soap to clean the outside of the Chemex. Take off the wooden collar and rawhide tie first. Let air dry.
If you do this after every use and don’t let coffee sit in your Chemex for long periods of time, you’ll only need to give it a deep clean once a year. Even though I use mine every day, I haven’t seen any buildup after more than six months.
Deep Cleaning Your Chemex: (8 Methods)
Method #1: A Hot Rinse:
This method is less thorough than the one above, but it still cleans your Chemex. It just doesn’t make it safe to use again. Just bring some water to a boil, pour it into the Chemex, and stir it for a minute or two. This hot rinse will get rid of all the old coffee and keep the taste of your next batch from being changed or hurt by the last batch. The hot rinse method is more than enough for this simple goal.
Method #2: A cool wash:
You’ll need a full pint of ice, about two tablespoons of table salt, two or three drops of liquid dish soap, and water for this method. The first step is to make sure your Chemex doesn’t have any leftover coffee in it. Then add the ice, salt, and liquid dish soap and stir everything together. Next, pour water into the Chemex. About a third of the way should be enough.
As soon as you start to stir, you should see foam starting to form. The swirling ice gives the right amount of pressure to scrub the coffee oils and residue off the glass without scratching it, and the table salt acts as a mild abrasive to help get rid of any coffee stains and mineral residue from the water. If your Chemex really needs to be cleaned well, you should swirl it for a minute or two longer.
Method #3:Use Ice to Clean your Chemex:
If you want to use ice-based cleaning methods, make sure you have a good Chemex. The ice will make the Chemex pretty cold. If you use a Chemex that isn’t very good, you might break the glass. You should not do this.
Make sure you have enough ice in your freezer before you start this method to clean your Chemex. You can use ice cubes or crushed ice if you have either on hand. Both store-bought and homemade will work well.
I will use the ice cubes you make at home using plastic bags to make them round. It won’t matter much what shape the ice cubes are, but keep in mind that the smaller the cubes, the better they will touch the sides of your Chemex. Which will give your Chemex a better clean.
For this method, you will need ice cubes, a bit of salt, and a splash of water. Follow the steps below to clean your Chemex with ice the right way.
First, put about 20 ice cubes in your Chemex. You should fill it with ice cubes until it’s about half full.
The next step is to add some salt (about 5 grams). This will keep the ice frozen longer because the salt will make the ice cubes stick together. The more ice cubes that stick together, the colder it will be.
Just a tiny bit of water is all you need to let the ice cubes move around in your Chemex.
Stir your Chemex for another 2 minutes. If your Chemex is stained a lot, you might want to add 2 minutes. You’ll see the results right away, so you’ll know when you need to swirl for a little bit longer.
Throw out the ice cubes and rinse with clean water. You should now have a clean Chemex. If your Chemex didn’t clean up well on its own, you may want to clean it again using the same method.
Method #4: Soap and Water:
Even though this is probably the way most people clean their Chemex, I will still talk about it here. You will need mild dish soap, a long wooden or plastic brush, and warm water from the tap.
I try to clean my Chemex once a week because it’s a quick way to get it ready for the next time I use it. If you use your Chemex more than I do (about three times a week), you might want to clean it more often.
This is the best way for the method to work:
Take off the wood collar on the Chemex. This will keep it from getting wet and will help it keep its color and shape for a long time.
Put a small amount of dish soap inside your Chemex.
Turn on the tap to get as hot as possible warm water. This water doesn’t need to be boiled, and you don’t need to start boiling water for this method.
Make sure to get into all the edges and corners of the Chemex. Also, don’t forget to add the top of your Chemex and the pouring spout. This part tends to get a little messier as you use it than the Chemex inside, where the clean coffee is kept.
Now you can rinse your Chemex with warm water and set it aside to dry.
Method #5: White Vinegar And Water:
Many people who use a Chemex find that a white vinegar solution is an easy, cheap, and effective way to clean it. Pour about 2 ounces more than your usual amount of white vinegar into your Chemex and let it sit for this method.
After 30 minutes to an hour, wash it well with soap and water, or just water if you prefer, and set it aside to dry. It’s best to let it dry overnight in a well-ventilated area so that the vinegar smell and taste will go away on their own. When doing this, it’s important to put a part of the Chemex’s lip on something.
This is because if the lip is completely flat, there will be no airflow, which will cause condensation and, in the worst case, mold. To stop this from happening, make sure to prop up one side of your Chemex.
Method #6: Baking Soda and Water:
The oils that build up in your Chemex base can be broken down by baking soda.
Just fill your pour-over with warm water until it’s just below the neck, then add a teaspoon of baking soda. Let it sit for 10 minutes before pouring it out and washing it.
Method #7: Ice, Lemon, and Salt:
Fill the bottom half of the carafe halfway with ice in your Chemex.
Add a tablespoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of salt. Spin the mixture for up to 15 minutes, or wait until the ice is mostly melted before swirling for a minute or two.
Rinse the mixture after it has been dumped. Let the brewer air dry.
Method #8: The Chemex Way:
Chemex has a cleaning solution and a stiff brush that are made just for their product.
To get the best results, just follow the directions on the cleaning solution. These are highly recommended, but they might not be the best deal for everyone.
How to Properly Dry your Chemex so that it Appears More Cleaner:
After you clean your Chemex, you should let it dry completely before using it to make your next cup of coffee.
If you put the Chemex in the dishwasher or use soapy water to clean it, you want to make sure it dries well while it is still hot and steamy. This is how.
I’m going to dry my Chemex with a paper towel. This is the easiest way because when the Chemex is dry, you can just throw away the paper towel.
If that works better for you, you can also use a kitchen towel. Just make sure it isn’t too wet from drying other things in the kitchen.
Put a piece of paper towel on the table and fold up the edge to make a little difference in height on one side of the towel. By doing this, you improve the flow of air through your Chemex. This will make it easier for fresh air to get in, and it will dry faster and better.
The Chemex needs to dry for a few hours. You can also use a dishcloth to clean the outside and inside of your Chemex.
So, you can show off your Chemex to family and friends. It will look even better when it’s hanging out in your kitchen, ready to make you more coffee.
Bottom Line: How to Clean a Chemex
So, that’s the end of it. You now know everything you need to know to get a brand new Chemex for your home.
There are now different ways to clean your Chemex. You can try any of the things I have told you about. If you use a clean Chemex, you will enjoy your coffee even more.
FAQ’s: How to Clean a Chemex
How do you Clean a Chemex of Coffee Stains?
If you wash your Chemex often, it will be less likely to get stained. Glass doesn’t stain easily, so a little scrubbing can get rid of even the thickest coffee buildup in your Chemex. Every time you use it, rinse it or wash it with soap and water. If there are a lot of buildup, soak it in white vinegar.
What is the most Effective Way to Dry my Chemex?
Air drying is the best way to go. Just put the carafe upside down on your kitchen drying rack or on a paper towel and let it sit there until it’s dry.
If you need to use it quickly, dry the outside and as much of the inside as you can reach with a paper towel or clean hand towel.
Can I Wash my Chemex in the Washer?
Yes. It can go in the dishwasher. Just don’t forget to take off the oak collar and the rawhide cord.
This will help keep your Chemex from getting clogged up with oil, but it’s not the best way to clean it thoroughly.
How to deep Clean a Chemex
To deep clean a Chemex coffee maker, follow these steps:
- Rinse the Chemex with hot water to remove any loose grounds and debris.
- Mix a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water in the Chemex.
- Let the solution sit in the Chemex for about an hour.
- Rinse the Chemex thoroughly with hot water.
- If there are still stains or buildup, use a soft brush or sponge to scrub the inside of the Chemex with a mixture of baking soda and water.
- Rinse the Chemex again with hot water, making sure all baking soda residue is removed.
- Let the Chemex air dry completely before using it again.
Related Posts: