Chemex – Timeless Design Icon and Coffee Maker

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Chemex is one of the best known brands when it comes to coffee making. Dr. Peter Schlumbohm, a chemist with over 300 patents to his name, invented the iconic piece of practical art back in 1941.

With matters of simplicity, beauty and great tasting coffee on his mind, he came up with a three-piece design consisting of a carafe made of borosilicate glass, a wooden collar and a rawhide tie. Since then, the product has remained practically unchanged.

In order to create that great cup, filters are also required. Chemex points that their filters are just as finely engineered as the actual coffee maker. According to the company, these filters offer just the right filtration rate. As an end result of using these filters rich flavor is ensured, as well as preventing that the unwanted components of coffee grounds do not find their way to your drink.

The parts of design coffee maker Chemex.

Design and Pop Culture Icon

Shortly after its introduction, Chemex started to gain traction. In 1943, New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) added Chemex to their collection, and is a now a permanent piece in the facility. Elsewhere, Illinois Institute of Technology included Chemex to the list of 100 best designed products of modern times in 1958.

Chemex has also had many moments on the entertainment stage. In Ian Fleming’s novel From Russia, With Love 007 brewed two cups, black and without sugar. You may also spot the carafe in many movies and TV series, including Interstellar, Friends, and Mad Men.

Chemex Today

Although the original version of the Chemex has stayed practically unchanged, the family-owned Chemex corporation haven´t rested on their laurels. During the writing of this article, Chemex offers the original carafe in the capacity of three, six, eight, and ten cups. In addition, the company offers other produc series that carry the same principles of the original, pioneering classic: blend of timeless design and function. These include Glass Handle-, Handblown- and Electronics Series, to name a few.