> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.unknowndivide.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Chemex Classic Coffeemaker: Why the 1941 Design Is Still Worth Buying - URL: https://www.unknowndivide.com/chemex-classic-coffeemaker/ - Published: 2025-06-15T19:25:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-22T05:55:57.000Z - Description: A chemist designed it in 1941 by combining a lab funnel and a flask. What the Chemex Classic coffeemaker is, why its hourglass shape lasted, which size to get and where to buy one. - Author: unknowndivide staff - Tags: Design, Gear Few kitchen objects are as easy to recognize as the Chemex. An hourglass of clear glass, a wooden collar at the waist and a leather tie with a single wooden bead. It looks like something from a design museum because it is, and yet it is also one of the simplest ways to make a clean, bright cup of coffee at home. Here is what the Chemex Classic is, where it came from and where to buy one. *Unknowndivide may earn a commission from purchases made through links in this post.* ## What it is The Chemex is a pour-over coffeemaker made from a single piece of borosilicate glass, the same type of glass used for laboratory equipment. You set a paper filter in the top, add ground coffee, pour hot water over it and the coffee drips into the lower half, which doubles as the serving carafe. The Classic Series is the one with the polished wooden collar and leather tie, hand tied the way Chemex says it always has been since 1941. According to [Chemex](https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/pages/about-us?ref=unknowndivide.com), the glass will not add any chemicals or flavors to the coffee. ## Who made it The Chemex was designed and patented in 1941 by Dr. Peter Schlumbohm, a chemist and inventor who developed more than 300 patents in his career, from cocktail shakers to automobiles. His focus was on making everyday objects more functional, attractive and enjoyable to use. Chemex says Schlumbohm was unhappy with the coffee brewing methods of his day. He built a working prototype by merging a laboratory funnel with an Erlenmeyer flask, then added a pouring spout, an air channel for efficient filtration and a small bump in the glass to measure volume. The company credits the Bauhaus school of design, along with the labware from his chemistry experiments, as the inspiration for the hourglass shape. He also developed paper filters based on lab-grade paper to pull out the elements he did not want in the cup. Recognition followed. Chemex says the [Museum of Modern Art displayed it](https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/pages/85-years?ref=unknowndivide.com) as a best designed product in 1943, and the museum now holds 23 of Schlumbohm's inventions in its permanent collection. In 1958, the Illinois Institute of Technology named the Chemex one of the 100 best designed products of modern times, at number 36, the only coffeemaker on the list. Chemex has been a family-owned company since 1980\. At its factory in Massachusetts, every coffeemaker is inspected, polished and hand tied before it ships, and the filters are cut in house. ## Why the filters matter The Chemex is only half the system. Chemex Bonded filters are designed to work like laboratory paper, removing fats, bitterness, acidity and sediment that other filters leave behind. The company makes the paper from virgin pine wood pulp in a heavy weight. The white filters are oxygen cleansed without bleach, and the natural brown filters skip that step. Both are compostable. The result is a cup that is noticeably clean and clear. If you like a heavier, oilier coffee, a French press or a moka pot will suit you better. If you like to taste the difference between beans, the Chemex is hard to beat. ## Which size to get Chemex measures its cups in 5 ounce increments, so a six cup Chemex makes up to 30 ounces. You can always brew less than the full amount. The Classic Series comes in four sizes: - **3 cup:** 15 ounces, good for one or two mugs - **6 cup:** 30 ounces, the most versatile size - **8 cup:** 40 ounces, for a household of coffee drinkers - **10 cup:** 50 ounces, for hosting The [Six Cup Classic](https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/products/six-cup-classic-chemex?ref=unknowndivide.com), item number CM-6A, stands 8.5 inches tall and 5 1/8 inches across. The bump in the glass, which Chemex calls the belly button, marks the halfway point on the 5 to 10 cup sizes. The glass carafe can go in the dishwasher once you remove the collar and tie. ## How to brew with it 1. Grind your coffee medium coarse. 2. Open a Bonded filter into a cone with three layers on one side, and set that thick side against the pouring spout. 3. Add one rounded tablespoon of ground coffee for every 5 ounce cup. 4. Bring water to a boil, take it off the heat and let it settle. Pour a little over the grounds and wait about 30 seconds for them to bloom. 5. Pour the rest slowly in circles, keeping the water level at least a quarter inch below the rim. 6. Lift out the filter and serve. ## Why it is worth buying - **It makes a clean cup.** The thick filters strip out sediment and bitterness. - **It is a design classic.** The shape has lasted since 1941 and earned its place in museum collections. - **It is simple.** No power, no pods, no moving parts. - **It doubles as a carafe.** Brew and serve from the same piece of glass. ## How it compares If you want something faster and more forgiving, the [AeroPress Original](https://www.unknowndivide.com/aeropress-original-coffee-maker/) is the easy alternative. For stronger stovetop coffee, there is the [Bialetti Moka Express](https://www.unknowndivide.com/bialetti-moka-express-stovetop-coffee-maker/). Our [pour-over coffee gear guide](https://www.unknowndivide.com/best-pour-over-coffee-gear/) covers kettles, grinders and other brewers, and to understand the design school that inspired the shape, read our [Bauhaus explainer](https://www.unknowndivide.com/bauhaus-explained/). ## Where to buy Chemex sells its coffeemakers and filters directly through its own store, and they are also sold through other retailers. Pick up a box of Bonded filters with your first Chemex. **Shop the Chemex Classic** [Classic Series at Chemex](https://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/collections/classic-series?ref=unknowndivide.com) [Chemex Classic Series, 6 cup](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000YWF5E?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) [Chemex Classic Series, 8 cup](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I1WP7W?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) [Chemex Bonded filters, square, 100 count](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N4W2SG?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) More classic objects are in our [design and art hub](https://www.unknowndivide.com/design-and-art/).