This beautiful coffee maker is a wonderful accessory for any midcentury home. Designed in 1942 and still in production today, the Chemex® Coffeemaker is so revered that it’s in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
And guess what – the company that makes it is just one town over from me in Pittsfield, Mass.
According to their website: “This merging of form and function came out of Chemist Peter Schlumbohm’s taste for fine flavor. Applying the techniques used to insure laboratory purity, he set out to brew what may have been the first cup of truly, clear, full-bodied coffee – free of undesirable fats, oils, sediment and most of all…bitterness.”
There are a number of models to choose from and buy, directly on the Chemex coffee maker website.
A Retro Renovation re-run originally posted Sept. 6, 2007
atomicbowler-dave says
Oh…maybe not. Do you just dump the water thru these?
Maybe I have to settle for one of my vintage Pyrex warmers with the candle underneath one. Still a must-have!
How DO these work?
Dave
CarolK says
Dave, They’re drip coffee pots. You pour boiling water over the ground coffee in a square folded paper filter. I’ve been drinking coffee for almost 58 years and the Chemex makes the best coffee I’ve ever had. I keep the coffee hot over a low flame.
atomicbowler-dave says
When we find that elusive Atomic Dream House, I will HAVE to get one of these for the gas countertop stove!
Man, I might even have to light candles here and there so that I could see the gleaming class and the perking coffee with the blue glass flame under it…
If you could ever set a romantic scene with a coffeemaker, this would be the coffeemaker for sure!
Culver City Bronwyn says
I just got a Chemex for Christmas (looks great in my 50’s kitchen) and besides it being beautiful, it really does make a fantastic cup of coffee. I can’t get over how much I love this thing!
Cafme says
I saw one of the Chemex warmers on ebay quite some time ago, and I haven’t seen one since. I even emailed Chemex to ask about them, but apparently whatever information their sales/support staff have does not include information on older products.
RetroRuth says
Love this! Now I know what to get Hubs for his birthday! Thanks Pam, you always come through for me…
puddletown says
I had one of those in the sixties. All my friends did. Couldn’t wait to get rid of it because no matter what I tried, it dribbled. My friends had the same problem. But they sure look good. That’s what seduced me, oh so long ago!!!
Mitzi says
Hey, that looks familiar! I have a vintage one that is ending at auction tonight! I was soooo tempted to keep it, very cool!
Ben says
My girlfriend bought me a Chemex Coffeemaker a couple of months ago and let me tell you… best cup of coffee ever! The filters are still some of the best around and you can be sure to enjoy a grounds-free cup of joe.
Elvis (aka) Jane says
I have always loved the elegant Chemex coffee carafe. Thanks for that bit of history to add to the picture!
Dr. Swanky says
I know this is a rather old post, but I’ve been looking for Chemex info for a while.
I have a wonderful chemex in my office. But it isn’t just the glass carafe, I also have a plastic unit that heats the water and has a warmer to keep the coffee hot once it is in the carafe. I have looked around for information on this unit but haven’t found anything. My husband picked it up in a second hand store for just a couple of bucks. Does anyone know anything about the heater units for the Chemex?