The Chemex coffee maker is an hourglass shaped manual brewing machine that's popular among coffee snobs. President Barack Obama apparently likes his coffee ground and roasted on a Chemex and the White House recently acquired 150 units. The coffee makers are all marked with the Presidential Seal, according to Mass Live.
Inventor Peter Schlumbohm came up with the kitchen appliance in 1941 and formed the Chemex Corp. Today, Chemex coffee makers can be ordered online on sites like Restoration Hardware and Williams-Sonoma for $39 to $350, depending on the model.
Hipsters love the machine because it turns coffee-making into an art form. Despite its classic design still being manufactured and sold 75 years after its invention, the coffeemaker is actually on display at the Museum of Modern Art.
"It's all natural, our coffee makers are glass, wood and a leather tie. The filter is paper. They are not made in a machine. Everything is touched by human hands," Chemex's Jennifer Grassy told Mass Live. "There isn't any funny gurgling noise when you use them. It's for people who want to know what they are eating, what they are drinking and how it is made."
So, how does one actually operate a Chemex? There are four ways to brew the perfect coffee and it will depend on the type of machine you have, according to the official site. These all require a ritual and mastery of the coffee makers' mechanisms.
Watch this video demonstration using the classic Chemex below:
