It’s tough to choose a great coffee bean when you are planning on brewing some amazing coffee with the Chemex. When I first started out brewing coffee at home, I had the same problem. This is why I wrote this article about what the best coffee beans for Chemex are.
In this article, I will go over the basics of how to brew great coffee using a Chemex, the correct grind size, and how to choose the best coffee beans for you.
But that’s not all… I’m going to try five of my favorite coffee beans from different origins. I will taste test these coffees and give you a tasting note, so you can check if you are going to like the coffee beans from that origin.
How to choose the best coffee beans
Coffee beans all taste very different. There isn’t one coffee bean that tastes exactly the same as another kind.
So how can you make a choice between all these coffee beans? I suggest making a choice on which coffee roast you like best and what origin the coffee has.
The coffee characteristics differ greatly between the coffee roasts and origins. The best way to try different coffees is to find a local coffee roaster that offers a ton of different coffees. This way, you can choose a different coffee each time you visit them.
Your coffee roaster will be more than happy to help you out, and maybe they can get you some smaller batches so you can get to know even more coffee in a shorter period of time.
Down below, I’ll go over the coffee roast I recommend when brewing coffee with the Chemex!
Recommended coffee roast for Chemex
Brewing with a Chemex gives you a lot of options regarding coffee roast. Most people like medium roasted coffee beans best for Chemex. But lightly roasted coffee beans from a small farm with a limited batch are a popular choice as well.
Personally, I really like medium roasted coffee beans for my Chemex brew. The complex flavors, with just the right amount of punch from the roast, taste absolutely amazing.
This is why I highly recommend starting with a medium roasted coffee.
However, smaller batched specialty coffees that are lightly roasted taste amazing as well. The filters of the Chemex take out more flavor than you might be used to, but this results in a balanced flavor profile that you’ve never tasted before.
Most coffee enthusiasts like to pick a light or medium roast from a small farm. These coffee beans have such a unique flavor to them, which the Chemex can elevate to an even higher level.
Down below, I’ll go over 5 countries that offer amazing coffee. I’ll go over a taste test so you can make an informed decision on which coffee origin will suit you best:
My top 5 favorite coffee origins
I have tested five of my favorite coffee origin coffees for this article. Down below, you can see my findings on the smell, taste, and look of the different coffee beans. I have merged all my findings into a list for each of the coffee origins.
I’ll note my finding on how the coffee smells and tastes in the lists below. I’ll use keywords to describe the coffee, and after that, I’ll give a small recap:
Peruvian coffee
What does the coffee smell like?
- Spices.
- Slight sweetness.
- Hints of corn.
How does the coffee taste?
- Dark chocolate.
- A slight bitterness of burned caramel.
- Spices again (gloves, cinnamon).
Great extraction of the coffee. Overall a very complex and bright cup of coffee. The coffee beans and grind size look like this for the Peruvian coffee:
Do Peruvian coffee beans interest you? Then I suggest checking them out here.
Brazilian coffee
What does the coffee smell like?
- Very sweet.
- Fruity notes.
- Slight grassy smell.
How does the coffee taste?
- Chocolate again, not dark chocolate, maybe more milk chocolate.
- Slight nutty taste, like hazelnuts or pecan nuts.
- Caramel sauce.
Amazing taste with a super balanced flavor profile. The Brazilian coffee beans look like this:
Do these Brazilian coffee beans touch the right coffee flavor you absolutely love? Then I suggest checking them out right here.
Guatemalan coffee
What does the coffee smell like?
- Strong coffee smell.
- Burned caramel.
- Spices (black pepper, cinnamon).
How does the coffee taste?
- Intense, much more body than the other coffees.
- Pure chocolate.
- Sweet caramel.
- Slight flower taste.
This coffee has a super intense flavor profile. It’s a unique mix of strong coffee mixed with a slight sweetness. Amazing. The Guatemalan coffee looks like this:
Do these Guatemalan coffee beans sound like something that suits your flavor profile? Then you should definitely check them out here, or you could click the image below:
- Our Second Most Popular Low Acid Coffee! This single-origin Guatemala coffee is grown in the Huehuetenango region. It is shade-grown under guava, plantain, and banana trees which give the coffee it's fruit undertones along with the caramel and chocolate notes. We roast the coffee only to medium so as to maintain those flavors.
- No Pesticides! We use only 100% organic certified arabica coffee whole beans, grown without chemicals or GMOs. In drinking our coffee you will only absorb beneficial antioxidants naturally found in coffee grown at high altitudes.
- Peace of Mind! In addition to being certified Organic, our Guatemalan is also certified Bird Friendly and Fair Trade. These certifications ensure that safeguards fair pricing, workers' rights, protects wildlife and the environment.
- Whole Bean is Better! We only package whole bean coffee for the best flavor and so you may grind your coffee for any brewer - regular drip, pour over, French press, espresso etc...
- Family Owned and Operated! We want you to be happy! If you are not satisfied with your coffee please contact us so we can make it right!
Ethiopian coffee
What does the coffee smell like?
- Super sweet.
- Very fruity.
- Aromatic spices.
How does the coffee taste?
- Sweetness overload.
- Jasmine.
- Honey.
- Tastes fresh, without any bitter notes like caramel can sometimes give off.
Amazing coffee. The taste is super sweet and fruity, great to brew Chemex with. The coffee from Ethiopia looks like this:
If you’re interested in getting your hand on some Ethiopian coffee beans, check them out right here.
Costa Rican coffee
What does the coffee smell like?
- Slight sweetness.
- Floral notes, but not in the foreground.
- Nuts.
How does the coffee taste?
- Chocolate taste, in between milk and dark chocolate.
- Nuts.
- Sweetness, like honey or agave syrup.
The overall flavor of Costa Rican coffee is well-balanced, with a slightly strong but floral flavor to it. The Costa Rican coffee looks like this:
If you want to get yourself some amazing Costa Rican coffee beans, you can check it out here.
It was amazing tasting all these coffee beans and giving you a rundown of their differences. As you can see, coffee beans differ in flavor a lot.
This is why I hope you can now make an informed decision about which coffee beans you are going to buy next.
Down below, you’ll find a few notes on the taste test that I did on the coffees above:
- Each of these coffee beans was roasted less than a week ago. The flavor of coffee beans will deteriorate after eight weeks. It’s best to use your coffee beans within this timeframe to get the most out of them.
- I have used the same coffee-to-water ratio for all my brews—20 grams of coffee to 1 cup (0.24 l) of water.
- The extraction time was the same for each brew.
- The water temperature was the same for each brew as well.
If you are interested in learning more about the grind size for the Chemex and reading a bit more on how to brew coffee using the Chemex, I suggest reading along as I will tell you all about it:
Correct grind size for Chemex
To brew the best Chemex coffee you’ve ever tasted, you’re going to need to use the correct grind size. I found that brewing Chemex coffee using a medium to fine grind works best to extract all the flavors out of the coffee beans.
Down below, you can see which coffee grind I use for brewing coffee my Chemex coffees in this article:
As you can see from the photo above, the coffee grind size looks pretty fine. I usually describe this coffee grind size as a touch finer than coarse sea salt. The coffee grind size still has a bit of structure in it, but not too much.
If you own a coffee grinder at home, I suggest playing around with the settings. Go a bit finer or coarser every time you’ve brewed a cup of coffee.
Do you feel like the coffee tastes a bit sour? Adjust your coffee grinder to a finer coffee grind.
Does the coffee have bitter notes to it? You might’ve gone too fine on the coffee grind. The coffee has over-extracted a bit. Adjust your grinder to a coarser setting.
Brewing Your Dream Coffee at home is all about trial and error. But the best part about that is: you get to enjoy various coffees from different origins along the way.
Trust me; once you find that perfect setting on your coffee grinder, you don’t want to drink coffee using a different coffee brewer anytime soon.
How to make Chemex coffee
If you have just read through this article about the best coffee beans to use for Chemex and you’ve not yet had the chance to brew coffee with a Chemex before, I suggest reading my pour-over guide.
The pour-over guide will include the use of the Chemex, so you will know exactly how to brew that amazing cup of joe.
If you are interested in reading the article, you can click here to take you straight to the article.
In that article, there’s even more information about the brewing of Chemex coffee, like the ratio of coffee to water and the difference between pour-over coffee and other coffee brewers out there.
Other great coffee beans
Not sure yet about brewing Chemex coffee with the coffee beans mentioned in this article? Or just curious to see which coffee beans are out there?
I’ve got you covered! Check out the lists below to find great coffee beans for different brewing methods and recipes:
- Best Coffee Beans for Cappuccino
- Best Coffee Beans for Cold Brew
- Best Coffee Beans for Espresso
- Best Coffee Beans for French Press
- Best Coffee Beans for Latte
Conclusion
To brew Your Dream Coffee at home, you’re going to need amazing coffee beans. But which coffee beans are best for Chemex? I went over 5 of my favorite coffee origins with you, which can help you find your favorite coffee beans.
After reading this article, I hope you’ll try a few of these coffee origins yourself so you get to taste how amazing these coffee beans are and how much they differ from one another.
I would love to see you back on my blog. If you are interested in exploring the coffee world further, I suggest checking out the links below. These links will take you to brewing guides so you get to learn more about different coffee brewers:
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