Rising Sun

Even French press coffee aficionados and Bodum coffee gadget obsessives may not have heard of the elegant Chemex coffee maker. For its wonderful brew it is possibly the most underappreciated coffee maker on the market (well, at least it is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian). And at a mere 30 beans this Coffee-Geek-approved beauty is perfect for coffee lovers not ready to commit to a Kees van der Westen espresso machine.

For making Rising Sun coffee at the shop we decided to go with the Chemex for both its ease of use and the hands-on approach to producing a delicious brew. In principle all you have to do is pour 200 degrees Fahrenheit water over coffee grinds in a Chemex filter. In practice the barista needs to ensure grinds are coarse and exercise careful restraint to pour just enough hot water to saturate the grinds. Patience is then required to allow the coffee to drip into the serving vessel before continuing with the next hot water pour. This can be a maddening process for the caffeine fiend in the morning and makes the French press method seem almost automatic by comparison. We assure you it is well worth the effort. Experts describe the resulting cup to have the viscosity of wine, which is apt given the Chemex quite resembles a decanter.

As you can see from its 1943 patent the current Chemex has not deviated much from that design. Even the handy wood collar and leather tie are present.

If you would like to try a cup of Rising Sun coffee made with the Chemex manual drip method we invite you to our haberdashery in Pasadena to sip and shop. Our good friend Frank Barone gave it a whirl and may never turn back.