Brewing To Perfection On A Chemex
May 29, 2026
Cinco Cielos Journal · June 2026 · Issue No. 2 · 7 min read
There is something unhurried about the Chemex. In a world where coffee is often something you do in the background — a pod, a button, a bypass — the Chemex asks you to be present. To weigh. To pour. To wait. And when the coffee in your cup is a GESHA grown at altitude in the mountains of Tolima, that patience is not inconvenience. It is ritual. It is the last step in a very long, very careful journey from our farm to your hands.
This is how we brew Cinco Cielos GESHA on a Chemex. Follow it once and you'll understand why this method and this bean were made for each other.
A Note on Your Grind
Grind size is one of the most consequential decisions in any brew — and for the Chemex, the answer is medium-coarse. Think rough kosher salt — slightly finer than coarse, with a touch more texture than fine sand. On a standard burr grinder (1–10 scale), aim for a setting of 6 to 7. On a Baratza Encore, around 22–26. On a Comandante hand grinder, approximately 24–28 clicks.
The Chemex filter is significantly thicker than a standard paper filter. It slows the flow rate, meaning water spends more time in contact with the grounds. A fine grind here over-extracts, producing bitterness that obscures the hazelnut, cranberry, and dark chocolate that make Cinco Cielos worth talking about. A medium-coarse grind gives you the best of both worlds — enough resistance to build complexity, while still allowing the water to move at the right pace through the thick bonded filter.
"The Chemex filter is the brewer's silent partner — doing half the work, asking for none of the credit. Respect it by grinding medium-coarse."
— Cinco Cielos Brew NotesThe Chemex Bonded Filter: Small Detail, Big Difference
Chemex Bonded Filters — Our Recommendation
We recommend the Chemex Bonded pre-folded square filters. Made from proprietary bonded fibre — 20 to 30% thicker than standard paper filters — and certified biodegradable and compostable. After brewing, compost the filter and grounds together. No waste, no guilt. The thicker fibre also removes more oils and sediment, producing a cup of exceptional clarity — the ideal canvas for GESHA's delicate aromatics.
The Brew, Step by Step
✦ The Bloom — Your Coffee Coming Alive
Start your timer. Pour 40–50ml (1.4–1.7 fl oz) of hot water in a slow circular motion, saturating all the grounds. Stop and watch — the coffee bed will swell and bubble upward, rising like bread proving. This is CO₂ escaping from freshly roasted coffee. Allow this bloom to continue for a full 45 seconds before your next pour. The bloom opens the cellular structure of the grounds for an even, balanced extraction.
The Pour Stages
| 🌸 0:00 | Bloom Pour — 40–50ml (1.4–1.7 fl oz) Saturate all grounds in a slow circular pour. Watch the bloom rise. Set the kettle down and wait 45 seconds. |
| 💧 0:45 | First Pour — up to 150ml total (5.1 fl oz) Pour in steady concentric circles until your scale reads 150ml. Set the kettle down. Let the water draw fully through the bed — rest until the level drops almost entirely before continuing. Target: approximately 3 minutes elapsed. |
| ⏳ ~3:00 | Rest — Let the Bed Draw Down Patience here. The water is still extracting as it passes through the grounds. Pouring too early dilutes the layers of flavour developing in the bed. |
| 💧 ~3:00 | Second Pour — up to 300ml total (10.1 fl oz) Resume slow circular pouring until your scale reads 300ml total. Maintain a deliberate pace. The brew should finish drawing through by approximately the 6-minute mark. |
| ✅ ~6:00 | Brew Complete Remove the filter and grounds. Compost both. 300ml of Cinco Cielos GESHA awaits below. |
The Swirl — Finishing with Intention
Before you pour, hold the Chemex with both hands and give it a gentle swirl — a slow, circular motion that integrates all the layers of brewed coffee. GESHA extracts in strata: the bloom captures the lightest aromatics, the first pour draws sweetness, the second brings depth. Swirling composes the cup. Don't skip it.
"The swirl is the last act of care before the first act of pleasure. It takes two seconds and changes everything in the cup."
— Cinco Cielos Brew NotesWarm Your Cup, Then Serve
Pour a small amount of hot water into your cup, wait 30 seconds, discard. A cold cup drops the temperature of your brewed coffee the moment contact is made — dulling the aromatics that lift GESHA above every other coffee you have tried. A pre-warmed cup lets those first sips arrive as they were meant to.
Pour. No milk. No sugar — not on a first encounter. Let the hazelnut find you, then the cranberry's bright lift, then the long, warm finish of dark chocolate. Taste it first.
Enjoy Cinco Cielos.
Grown slowly in the mountains of Tolima, Colombia. Brewed with care in your kitchen. Yours now, entirely.
Every variable in this guide exists for a reason. None of it is ceremony for ceremony's sake. Follow this method and you are working with the bean — not against it. We'll see you for the next one.
The Cinco Cielos Team
Tolima, Colombia · Est. 2024
