
Top Pick
Chemex
Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker
- Highlights
- Made in EU, Recyclable packaging, Recycled materials, Dishwasher safe, Pour over, 6 cups, Manual
9.4
Performance score
010
Where to buy
- AmazonSee price
Pros
- Produces a very clean, smooth cup of coffee with no grounds in the cup.
- Looks attractive sitting on the counter and the all-glass design appeals to people avoiding plastic.
- Simple to use once you dial in your ratio, especially paired with a kitchen scale and gooseneck kettle.
- Versatile enough for one cup or several; the 6-cup size works well for solo use and small batches.
Cons
- The glass is thin and fragile; multiple people had theirs crack or shatter from minor impacts or normal use with hot water.
- The full pour-over process takes 10 to 15 minutes, which is noticeably slower than drip machines or pod brewers.
- Coffee cools quickly once brewed, so you need to drink it right away or have a way to keep it warm.
- The hourglass shape and wooden collar make it awkward to clean; a bottle brush is basically required.
- Pour-over brewing in a single piece of borosilicate glass (the same type used in lab equipment), so nothing between the hot water and your coffee can leach flavors or chemicals. For anyone shopping for non-toxic coffee makers, the all-glass construction means there's no plastic or metal touching the brew.
- The proprietary thick paper filters do more than strain grounds. They're designed to function like laboratory filter paper, pulling out oils, sediment, and bitter compounds that standard drip filters let through. The result is a noticeably cleaner, lighter cup than most drip machines produce.
- You control the entire brew: heating water separately, pouring it over grounds by hand, and adjusting strength by changing the coffee-to-water ratio. It's a hands-on, 4-to-5-minute process, not a set-it-and-forget-it appliance.
- Invented in 1941 by a chemist who applied his understanding of extraction chemistry to coffee brewing. The design hasn't fundamentally changed since, and it's still manufactured and hand-tied at the company's factory in Massachusetts.
- No moving parts, no electronics, no heating element. The glass carafe is dishwasher safe (once you remove the wood collar and leather tie), and the paper filters are compostable.
- Borosilicate Glass
- Wood
- Leather






















