A Chemex brewer is, without a doubt, the most aesthetically appealing way of brewing coffee. With beautiful glass curves and a sophisticated oak collar tied with a rawhide cord, your coffee is put on full, beautiful display in this pour-over brewer.
But despite how good it looks, the Chemex does present one little question – how do you keep your Chemex, and coffee, warm?
There are many ways of keeping your pour-over warm, from heated surfaces to Chemex cozies, so read on for the full list and helpful links!
Keeping Your Coffee Warm in a Chemex
There are several simple ways of maintaining a consistent temperature for your morning brew. However, there are also ways that will end up damaging or breaking your Chemex or other pour-over coffee makers, which you want to avoid.
Preheating Your Chemex
A great start to maintaining a warm and delicious cup of Joe is to actually preheat your Chemex brewer before you start your brew.
This will ensure your coffee is not losing its heat quickly and will help maintain a consistent temperature.
You can preheat your Chemex by:
- Filling it with hot or warm water before you begin brewing and let sit for a few minutes
- Place your Chemex in a sink or large bowl filled with warm or hot water before brewing
- Putting your Chemex on a hot surface to preheat before brewing (read on for which hot surfaces will not damage your Chemex)
Safe Heating Sources for Chemex
Not all heating sources are created equal. Check out this list to see which are safe, and which are not.
- Can I put my Chemex on a stovetop? Yes, and no. It depends on the stovetop. If it’s an electric glass stovetop with a smooth, flat surface, or a gas flame stovetop, then yes! But keep your heat source low, and have liquid in your Chemex at all times! If it’s an electric hot coil stove top, then NO. This will lead to your Chemex breaking and could also seriously burn you.
- Can I put my Chemex on a hot plate? Yes. If kept at a lower temperature, a hot plate is a great choice for keeping your Chemex warm. They even have special hot plates made specifically for pour-over brewers, which you can see below in our accessories section.
- Can I put a Chemex on a mug warmer? Yes. Much like a hot plate, a mug warmer is also an effective heat retainer for your Chemex brewer.
What to Avoid When Warming Your Chemex
Some thing to keep in mind when you have your Chemex on a heating source is to remember that your coffee will not retain its freshness for long, especially if left still.
It may help to swirl the brewer every few minutes to keep the coffee from burning or losing all its freshness. But be careful, the glass will be hot as well, so only touch it from the collar.
Chemex Accessories for Keeping Your Brewer Warm
Chemex offers multiple accessories for its brewer, some of which will help in retaining the heat of your coffee. Others you can find on Amazon or sites such as Etsy.
Glass Coffee Cover – this cover will help contain the heat inside your Chemex brewer through a glass wall, while also helping to avoid spills.
Wire Grid for coil Stoves – if you have one of those electric coil stovetops like me, you can NOT put your Chemex directly on the coils. They will overheat your brewer and cause it to crack or shatter. However, Chemex offers a simple solution of a stainless steel wire grid that will keep your brewer just slightly above the coils, making it a safe heating source.
Chemex Thermus – if you really want to get fancy, scrap the whole idea of keeping it in the brewer and get yourself one of these fancy thermoses. It will keep your cup of coffee hot, and tasting fresh, for much longer.
Chemex Cozy – this may be my favorite way to keep my coffee warm and fresh because they are just so freaking cute! Available on Amazon, and also lots of options on Etsy, a Chemex Cozy is just a simple little sleeve or jacket for your Chemex that wraps around the brewer and keeps your coffee nice and warm. It won’t last as long as a direct heat source, but it will retain the freshness of your coffee and won’t burn it either.
In conclusion…
There are a lot of safe (and cute!) ways to keep your Chemex brewed coffee warm.
Whether you use your stovetop, a hot plate, a Chemex Cozy, or just a good old fashioned thermos, your Chemex can accommodate different forms of heat to keep your coffee fresh and ready!
Happy Sipping!
