How to Clean a Chemex (Pour Over) Coffee Maker

I’m back again to badger you about why you should clean coffee gear. This time I want to talk about how to clean a Chemex coffee maker. You’ll thank me in the end, promise.

I should note that I don’t own actual Chemex. Chemex is the brand that made this style of coffee maker popular. The brand name has become a popular name for this pour over of brewer. I own the Bodum one. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll be referencing this model throughout the post and using Chemex as a reference for this style of coffee maker.

I think if you’re just getting started in pour over brewing, the Bodum is a great, affordable option.

I digress. You should be cleaning your Chemex every time you use it. But have you ever wondered about doing a deep clean on your Chemex glass carafe? I’ve got you covered.

Let’s pour over the details.

Why You Should Clean Your Chemex Coffee Maker

Like your drip coffee maker, your Chemex, or other hourglass pour over coffee makers get dirty and have scaling. This can affect the flavor of your coffee and the quality of the brew.

When the glass carafe of your Chemex gets mineral build up from naturally hard water, you can see the white film left on the glass. This white deposit is known as scale.

Scale is a result of higher amounts of naturally occurring magnesium and calcium contents in harder water. Its commonly known that magnesium enhances the flavor compounds in coffee.

But too much of a good thing is rarely a good thing. When your glass carafe gets mineral deposits on its walls, this can dramatically change the flavor of this prized brewing method.

Another reason you should clean (or descale) your Chemex coffee maker is to keep bacteria growth away. Bateria grows well on dirty glass (think your very own petri dish). Not only can bacteria make you sick, but they will also give an unwanted mold flavor to your coffee. No, thank you.

So, what is one to do? Clean the coffee maker. I clean mine every time I use it.

But I do a deep clean every 4 weeks or so to reduce the scale build up. I live in an area with slightly harder water, so it’s visibly noticeable when it’s time for me to get to work.

If you live in a community with softer water, then you may find your cleanings can be farther apart.

Let’s look at how to your Chemex coffee maker.

How to Clean Your Chemex Coffee Maker

Daily (or after every use) of your Chemex is the best way to impede bacteria growth on the glass carafe. If you make this part of your routine, you’ll most likely never see the unwanted green film on the glass carafe again.

The daily cleaning of your Chemex coffee maker is pretty straightforward. If you have a non-Chemex brand like mine, you’ll also need to clean the reusable filter and pour cap.

A Chemex coffee maker is a straightforward, quite simple brewing setup. You have the glass carafe, the heat barrier (wood or cork usually) known as the collar, and in my case, a pour cap and filter. That’s all the parts to this ingenious little coffee maker. Since I don’t own a Chemex brand, I will be giving directions for my Bodum brand, but you can adjust accordingly.

Here’s what you’ll need for daily cleaning of your Chemex coffee maker:

Warm Clean Water. Tap water is fine.
Long Handle Bottle Brush. I like this one. It’s leftover from when my daughter was a baby, and I fell in love with it. It’s affordable and easy to use. It even has a hidden scrubby in the end. Regardless of the bottle brush you use, please make sure it has a plastic or wooden handle to not scratch or break the glass carafe.
Unscented Dish Soap. The one we use at home is another leftover from when our daughter was still taking bottles. It’s environmentally friendly, has no harsh chemicals or smells, and is affordable.

Step to Clean Your Chemex Coffee Maker

Drink all the coffee. I’m joking but drink or pour out the unused coffee.
If yours has a pour cap and reusable filter, remove these and throw out the used coffee grounds. If you use a paper filter, throw out the used filter or compost the filter and grounds.
Remove the wood or cork collar that is around the middle of the glass carafe. It might seem like this isn’t meant to be removed but simply loosen the leather cord. The collar should come right off.
Set aside the collar. I don’t wash this part of the coffee maker. It shouldn’t be dirty, but you can use a wet cloth to clean up any drips.
Run your sink water to a reasonably warm temperature, so you don’t burn your hands.
Pour a few drops of the dish soap into the bottom of the glass carafe.
Fill halfway with water. It should make lots of suds.
Use the bottle brush to scrub the inside and remove any film leftover from the coffee. Coffee’s flavor compounds are oil based, after all.
Rinse the inside of the carafe.
Wash the outside of the carafe as you usually hand wash your other dishes.
Set on a clean towel, upside down, to dry.
At this point, you can hand wash your other pieces of the coffee maker or run through the dishwasher. I usually hand wash mine and set it on the same towel my carafe is drying on.
Once everything is dry, place the collar back on the carafe and place the reusable filter and pour cap back in its proper places.
Enjoy your clean Chemex or pour over coffee maker.

I do this every time I use my Bodum pour over coffee maker. This ensures no residue leftover from my previous brew, especially if I’m using a different roast the next time.

How to Deep Clean a Chemex Coffee Maker

If you’re using your Chemex on the regular, then a deep cleaning is crucial to keeping your coffee crisp, and the depth of flavor pronounced. I do a deep clean on my pour over brewer about every month. Since I usually buy my coffee once a month so when I open a new bag, this is the reminder I should do a deep clean.

Please note that these directions are just for the carafe. If you have a Chemex brand, then you won’t need to worry about the pour cap. If you’re like me and have another brand like Bodum, we are just cleaning the carafe. Your pour cap and filter should be fine with hand washing. There’s no need to do a deep clean on these parts of the coffee maker.

What you’ll need to deep clean your Chemex or pour over brewer:

Warm Water
Distilled White Vinegar. I like this one because the price is affordable, and it gets the job done. I talked about the importance of using food grade distilled vinegar with your drip coffee maker, and the same is going to be true for all your brew gear cleanings. Anything that says “industrial strength” is going to be too corrosive for your coffee gear. Steer clear.
Long Handle Bottle Brush. The one I mentioned above is perfect for this deep cleaning as well.
Unscented Dish Soap. We’re deep cleaning. You don’t want to add unwanted flavors or odors to your glass carafe with scented dish soap. Glass and plastic are porous, meaning they can absorb unwanted flavors or smells.

Step by Step Guide to Deep Cleaning Your Chemex

Empty the Chemex carafe and dump out any grounds. If you have a pour cap or filter, wash as usual and set it aside.
Let the carafe cool completely.
Remove the wood or cork collar, set aside.
Thoroughly clean the outside of the carafe with warm water and dish soap. Make sure to scrub as much of the build up as possible. Pay special attention to the area where the collar was. Stains and mineral deposits can build up here. If you can’t remove them all, then apply the next step to this area.
Fill the glass carafe of your Chemex with equal parts distilled white vinegar and warm water. My Bodum holds 8 cups. I use 4 cups of vinegar and 4 cups of water.
If the outside of your carafe is still dingy, then completely submerge your entire carafe in a 50% vinegar and 50% water solution.
Let the carafe soak in the vinegar solution for 3 hours.
Pour out the vinegar cleaning solution.
Use the bottle brush to loosen any build up of oils or scale that are being stubborn.
Rinse out your carafe with warm water.
Thoroughly wash the carafe to remove any vinegar smells or flavors.
Let dry on a clean kitchen towel.
Once dry, put the collar back on the carafe.
Enjoy your pristine Chemex or other pour over maker.

I think you’ll notice an immediate difference in the flavor of your next pour over brew. Not only that, Chemex (and ones like it) are so pretty to look at. Now your carafe is crystal clear and back to its fresh out of the box look.

What Not to Do When Cleaning a Chemex Coffee Maker

You know how important the grind, water temperature, roast, even how to store your coffee beans are. Coffee is just 2 ingredients and has been since its inception. When you start introducing

With complicated steps or processes to the cleaning regime of your brew gear, you’re going to experience some unintended consequences.

Mainly off flavors or broken gear. I talked about this issue when doing a descaling of your drip maker. These same rules apply.

Here’s a list of NOs when cleaning your Chemex coffee maker:

Never use bleach. Bleach is a highly toxic chemical that can absorb into the glass of your Chemex carafe. Not only will this cause off putting flavors, but it will also leach into your coffee. Yuck.
Don’t wash your collar. Unlike your clothing (haha), the wood or cork collar for your Chemex isn’t meant to be cleaned. The material can warp and become unusable. The cork collars are incredibly delicate. If you need to clean it, use a damp cloth to wipe off the stains when they happen.
Don’t use a metal bottle brush. I mentioned this before, but I need to say it again. A metal bottle brush can damage the glass carafe of your Chemex. In the best case scenario, it will scratch the glass. Worst case- it breaks. That would be a shame.
Don’t use house cleaning solvents to remove the scale. I know it’s tempting to use something like Oxyclean or a more potent cleaning product than the diluted vinegar solution. Please don’t. These products aren’t meant for food containers. They can absorb into the glass and leave you with a toxic mess.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep your Chemex cleaning to a minimalist approach. The above instructions work for a reason. There’s no advantage to making things complicated or over the top. Stick to what works.

Conclusion

I hope this post has inspired you to start a cleaning schedule for your Chemex coffee maker. Now that you know how to clean a Chemex coffee maker, you’re on the path to achieving that fame pour over flavor every time.

Remember, keep it simple, as they say.