Is the Chemex Dishwasher Safe?
Knowing how to clean Chemex is essential if you enjoy coffee. It is a lovely and functional coffee maker with a stylish glass design that is ideal for displaying on kitchen counters or brunch tables. If you don’t clean it thoroughly, you’ll have to hide it in a cupboard. Furthermore, the distinctive shape can be difficult to clean. The Chemex is dishwasher-safe, which is a huge plus.
Why to Clean a Chemex
You need to clean Chemex because of the oily coffee residue and mineral deposits from your water. They can build up over time and change the flavor of the coffee. So, please give it a deep clean once or twice a year or whenever the inside begins to cloud.
How to Clean a Chemex
Do you notice a sudden change in the flavor of your coffee? Is it sour, but you can’t figure out what’s wrong? Are you one of those people who rinses their Chemex after use? If any of these apply to you, you have not been cleaning your Chemex properly. Here are methods for your Chemex cleaning.
Use Salt and Water
The first method to clean Chemex is also the most straightforward. You’ll need water and salt to experiment with this technique. It is the most natural way to clean your Chemex because it does not use any chemicals.
Ensure you use enough salt to clean it thoroughly to remove any unwanted coffee stains and oil buildups in your Chemex. To clean your Chemex naturally, mix 0.04 pounds (20 grams) of salt with 1.1 pounds (500 grams) of water. So let’s get this started. The first step is deciding whether to use a cold tap or boiled water.
If you’re using cold water, leave this mixture to dissolve overnight. Prepare this salt and water mixture for 5 minutes before going to bed. Leave it in the Chemex overnight. This will help to clean itself properly. Fill the Chemex to the neck with cold water when using the cold water method. When you fill your Chemex with water, the salt will eat away all the oil buildups.
When you wake up, make sure to empty the water that was sitting in your Chemex all night. Rinse your Chemex thoroughly to ensure that there is no salt remaining. Have you ever made delicious pour-over coffee but forgot to clean your Chemex? When you have friends over, use the boiled water and salt method.
First and foremost, boil the water and weigh the salt. For this method, you’ll need 1.1 pounds (500 grams) of water and 0.04 pounds (20 grams) of salt. Because you will be swirling your Chemex, don’t use much more water than the 1.1 pounds (500 grams). Do not add a lot of water, as it will result in a big mess.
Add the salt and boiled water to your Chemex. Swirl the water/salt mixture for at least 5 minutes to remove all of the coffee stains from your Chemex. Remove the salt and water mixture and thoroughly rinse with fresh water.
If you come across some stubborn stains or oil, you may want to try another method to remove all stains and nasty buildup completely.
Use Vinegar
This method can use any vinegar and cold tap water. You may also need a long Chemex brush. Here are some kinds of vinegar you can find in your local store. You can use either regular distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar. These kinds of vinegar have high acidity and will easily clean your Chemex.
You will use the same swirling technique as in the natural way. We discovered that using 1.6 ounces (50 milliliters) of vinegar and 1.1 pounds (500 grams) of water produces the best results on your Chemex. To clean your Chemex with vinegar and water, follow the steps below:
For about 2 minutes, swirl the mixture. After stirring the mixture, take a soft brush that fits into your Chemex. Just ensure it’s not made of metal because using the cleaning brush incorrectly will likely destroy your Chemex.
You are now ready to thoroughly rinse your Chemex to remove all of the vinegar mixtures. Rinse it several times, discarding the “dirty” water after each rinse.
Use Ice
If you intend to use ice cleaning methods, make sure to use a high-quality Chemex. The ice will cause the Chemex to become quite cold. You may break the glass if you use a low-quality Chemex. This is something you want to avoid.
To begin with, this Chemex cleaning technique ensures you have enough ice in your freezer. If you have crushed ice on hand, use that instead of ice cubes. Either store-bought or homemade will suffice.
You can use the ice cubes you make at home with plastic bags to make round-shaped ice cubes. The shape of the ice cubes is less important, but remember that the smaller the cubes, the better they will touch the sides of your Chemex. This will result in a better Chemex cleanse.
This method requires ice cubes, a salt pinch, and a water splash. To properly clean your Chemex with ice, follow the steps outlined below!
- First, add about 20 ice cubes to your Chemex; fill it halfway with ice cubes. Then add some salt. This will keep the ice frozen for longer because the salt will allow the ice cubes to stick together; the more ice cubes that stick together, the colder the temperature.
- Add a small amount of water to allow the ice cubes to swirl through your Chemex properly. Swirl your Chemex for another 2 minutes. If your scheme has a lot of stains, you may want to increase the time by 2 minutes. You’ll see immediate results, so you’ll know when you need to keep swirling.
- Remove the ice cubes and rinse with cold water. You should now have a clean Chemex. If your Chemex did not clean itself thoroughly, you should consider cleaning it again with the same method.
Use Soap and Water
This may be the most common method of cleaning the Chemex. You’ll need mild dish soap, a long wooden or plastic brush, and warm tap water. If you use your Chemex more frequently (about three times per week), you may want to clean it more regularly. This is the most effective method, and this is how it works:
Remove the Chemex’s wood collar; doing so will keep it from getting wet and retain its color and shape for a long time.
You can decide to use dish soap to clean the inside of your Chemex. Fill a cup halfway with hot water. This water does not need boiling, and there is no need to begin boiling water for this technique.
Get around the Chemex’s edges and corners. Make sure to include the top of your Chemex and the pouring spout. This part tends to get a little messier as you use it than the Chemex inside that stores clean coffee. You can now rinse and dry your Chemex with lukewarm water.
Baking Soda
It is a great agent for cleaning your Chemex. Add a few tablespoons to a bowl of warm water and give it a good stir. Then, soak your Chemex for a few minutes in the mixture before rinsing it with clean water.
Chemex Cleaning Kit
A Chemex cleaning kit makes it simple to clean your Chemex coffee maker. The kit includes a cleaning brush, a decanter brush, and filter paper. The cleaning brush has a long handle that allows it to reach the bottom of the Chemex, while the decanter brush cleans the carafe. By removing any residual coffee oils, the filter paper ensures that your coffee tastes great.
Hot Rinsing
Hot rinsing is another option you could try. You will require hot water. Begin by boiling your water and then pouring it into your Chemex. Swirl the water around the flask for about two minutes before pouring out the hot water. This should remove any old coffee and ensure its flavor does not interfere with your next brew.
Remember that while hot rinsing cleans your Chemex, it does not sanitize it. This cleaning method is ideal for rinsing your Chemex between batches of coffee on the same day rather than deep cleaning it.
Use a Dishwasher
Is Chemex dishwasher safe? Yes! You can use your dishwasher if you want to clean your Chemex as quickly as possible. Because the Chemex is dishwasher safe, you won’t have to worry about anything going wrong with it.
To get your Chemex ready for the dishwasher, do the following:
- If your scheme has a wooden collar, remove it before putting it in the dishwasher.
- Untie the small tie in the collar and take it off completely. This will increase the lifespan of your Chemex, allowing you to enjoy it for a longer period.
- You can also safely put any other Chemex, such as a full glass Chemex, in the dishwasher. You don’t need to remove anything from the Chemex because there is nothing to remove. Leave the dishwasher to do its job. After that, assemble your Chemex as follows:
- Replace the wooden side panels on both sides of your Chemex.
- The next step is to replace the leather string on the Chemex
- Tighten the knot around the Chemex to improve grip when pouring out your coffee
You now have a very clean Chemex after letting the dishwasher do the cleaning work, which can sometimes be useful.
Why and How to Dry a Chemex
After cleaning your Chemex, make sure it completely dries before using it to make your next cup of coffee. You want to ensure the Chemex dries properly while it is still hot and steamy from the dishwasher or a soapy cleaning method. This is how:
- To dry your Chemex, use paper towels. This is the simplest method because you can discard the paper towel once the Chemex has dried completely.
- If a kitchen towel works better for you, use it. Ensure it’s not too dripping wet from drying your other kitchen utensils.
- Place a paper towel on the floor and fold the edge, creating a slight height difference on one side of the towel. You are also improving the airflow to your Chemex by doing so. This allows for more fresh air entering and faster and cleaner drying.
- Let the Chemex dry for a few hours. Alternatively, you can use a dishcloth to polish the outside and inside of your Chemex.
How Often Should a Chemex be Cleaned?
Your cleaning preferences in the kitchen will determine how frequently you clean Chemex. The best way to avoid potentially harmful bacterial buildup in your Chemex is to clean it with soap and water after each use.
If you prefer not to use soap or are short on time, you can quickly rinse your Chemex with hot water after use. However, you should still scrub it with soap and water at least once a week. We recommend rinsing it frequently in between deep cleans.
After brewing a pot of coffee and discarding the filter, remove the handle and run your Chemex under warm water. It will prevent a film of coffee from forming on the glass.
How Do You Get Coffee Stains Out of a Chemex?
You can avoid coffee stains by washing your Chemex regularly. Fortunately, because glass does not stain easily, you can remove even the most stubborn coffee buildup from your Chemex with a little scrubbing. Every time you use it, rinse or wash it with soap and water, and soak it in white vinegar if there are a lot of buildups.
What’s the Best Chemex Cleaning Brush?
You’ll need to buy specialized brushes that fit through the flask’s narrow central section. However, to avoid scratching or breaking your Chemex, make sure the handle is plastic or wooden.
Bottle cleaning brushes are widely available and inexpensive, and they can make cleaning your Chemex much easier. They have bristles attached to a thin, malleable piece of metal that allows the bush to bend while cleaning and maneuver through difficult-to-reach areas.
We recommend a soft-bristled bottle brush with a long handle. The soft bristles will not scratch the glass, and the long handle will assist you in getting to the bottom of the Chemex.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What distinguishes the CHEMEX from all the other coffeemakers that resemble it?
A: All other coffeemakers aspire to be like Chemex. It was invented in 1941 and never needed changing. It has awards in the design and science communities, and you will find it in the world’s most prestigious museums.
These are just a few examples of its iconic history that none of the others can match. Many people choose Chemex since time immemorial: over 75 years. They consider it one of the best ways to brew the perfect cup of coffee.
Q: How should I clean the Chemex?
A: Here are some possibilities: The Chemex is dishwasher safe; remove the collar and tie and ensure that the coffeemaker does not collide with anything. You can also wash it by hand. Swirling warm soapy water around in the Chemex and then rinsing out.
Q: Is it necessary to rinse Chemex filters?
A: While this is not a required step in brewing, some people prefer to do so. You can do this to remove any remaining paper fibers and to heat the Chemex. Before starting to brew the coffee, make sure to drain the water. This will make it easier to clean.
Q: Can you put Chemex in the dishwasher?
A: You can wash the glass carafe from the Chemex in the dishwasher. Untie the leather strap, remove the wood handle, and place the carafe on the top rack upside down. Make sure no other dishes come into contact with your Chemex. Although washing your Chemex in the dishwasher is convenient, you may not want to.
Q: Which is the best way to clean the inside of a Chemex glass carafe?
A: Glass carafes frequently become stained, which can be difficult to remove. Isn’t it more difficult to clean the inside of the carafe? Cleaning a glass carafe is simple if you have the right ingredients. You only need baking soda or vinegar. And, on occasion, both!
You must sprinkle a tablespoon of baking soda on the bottom and inside your carafe. To make a paste:
- Add a few drops of water
- Take out your glass cleaning brush and begin scrubbing
- If you don’t have a cleaning brush, scrub the carafe with a toothbrush
- Baking soda works quickly to remove even the toughest stains. After that, rinse the carafe with dishwashing liquid.
Q: Is it necessary to rinse Chemex filters?
A: While this is not a required step in brewing, some people prefer to do so. You can remove any remaining paper fibers and heat the carafe. Before starting to brew the coffee, make sure to drain the water.
Recap
At least one of these methods should check all of your boxes and leave you with a clean Chemex. Each will leave you with a clean Chemex to brew your next cup of coffee. It’s worth experimenting with each to see which best suits your needs and preferences.
Chemex coffee makers are good for flavor and taste that do not come from a paper filter. Furthermore, they are free of the lingering flavors of plastic or metal. Cleaning your Chemex thoroughly after each use is essential for preventing staining and odor. The best news is that, contrary to popular belief, cleaning is surprisingly simple. Read our article and find out about Basic Info on the Ideal Chemex Grind Size.