Chemex 3-cup starting recipe

The 3-cup size suits one or two mugs. A first brew to start from. Brewer sizes vary between makers, so check yours.

Dose25 g
Water400 g
Ratio1:16
Time4:00 to 4:30
Water temperature92 to 96 °C
GrindMedium, ~700 µm

Steps

Rinse the filter and warm the server. Add 25 g of ground coffee.
Pour 75 g of water, wet all the grounds, and wait 30 to 45 seconds.
Pour slowly in circles up to 400 g over the next 1:30 to 2:00.
Let it drain. Total time is around 4:00 to 4:30.
Taste. Sour: grind finer. Bitter or dry: grind coarser.

Tuning

Taste	What to change
Sour or thin	Fast and sour: grind finer by a step or two.
Bitter or dry	Slow and bitter: grind coarser.

Grind setting by grinder

Grinder	Chemex 3-cup setting
Comandante C40 MK4	26 clicks
1Zpresso K-Ultra	0.9.2
1Zpresso JX-Pro	3.8.1
1Zpresso J-Ultra	2.8.5
1Zpresso Q2	2.0.2
1Zpresso X-Ultra	2.1.9
Timemore Chestnut C2	22 clicks
Timemore Chestnut C3	18 clicks
Timemore Sculptor 064	6
Kingrinder K6	1.22
Kingrinder K4	1.23
Baratza Encore	19
Baratza Virtuoso+	20
Baratza Sette 30	21
Fellow Ode Gen 2	5.6
Fellow Opus	6
Eureka Mignon Specialita	1+4
Niche Zero	0.56
Hario Skerton Pro	4 clicks
Hario Mini Mill Plus	9 clicks
Breville Smart Grinder Pro	49
Wilfa Svart	9
DF DF64 Gen 2	54
Kinu M47 Classic	4.3
Option-O Lagom P64	4.6
Porlex Mini II	12 clicks

Other sizes and styles

These are common starting points, not rules. Different beans want different recipes, which is why the recipes on CuppaData come from people brewing the same coffee.

Questions

What is a good starting recipe for Chemex 3-cup?

25 g of coffee at 1:16, 400 g, 4:00 to 4:30, 92 to 96 °C. Use it as a first brew and adjust by taste.

The Chemex 3-cup tastes sour. What do I change?

Fast and sour: grind finer by a step or two.

The Chemex 3-cup tastes bitter. What do I change?

Slow and bitter: grind coarser.