Chemex VS French Press – Which’s the Best & Why?

The Chemex and the French press are totally opposite types of coffee makers, starting from their build to coffee brewing style. However, if you are the one searching for the best one between them. Here is a detailed comparison between Chemex VS French press so you can decide it on your own.

Moreover, we have also included the best products according to our choice and we would like to suggest them to you. Now, let’s get started with the guide, and firstly, we will know what they actually are and how they work. 

Chemex VS French press 

What is a chemex?

A Chemex is actually a type of pour-over coffee maker which is made out of glass. Moreover, unlike other pour over coffee makers, the paper filters are what make it different. They are thick and let the coffee drip slowly, extracting all the flavors of the coffee.

However, it does take longer than a normal pour over, but the wait is worth it. Besides that, using a Chemex is extremely easy. Moreover, the filter is known for removing all the unwanted and bad elements from the coffee easily. 

Benefits of using a Chemex

• The coffee is filtered out and fully flavored because of its thick filter which doesn’t let the unwanted oils enter your coffee 
• Moreover, as the grounds pass within lesser time, the coffee is not at all acidic
• It’s extremely easy to use a chemex pour over coffee maker in which you have to simply pour hot water over the grounds 

Downfalls of using a Chemex 

• The 30% thick filters are expensive and hard to afford for a person who uses them daily 
• Also, it’s difficult to clean from the inside due to its narrow neck and glass body 

What is a French press?

A French press is also a type of coffee maker which uses the steep method. In this method, the coffee grounds fully blend with the water as they directly come into contact.

The French presses are actually easier to use as you don’t have to measure and everything, yet you can control the strength and temperature of your brew.

However, due to the steeping method, the grounds are not fully filtered out, so the coffee remains unfiltered, which might be bad for people with high cholesterol. 

Benefits of using a French press

• The French press allows you to fully control the brewing method without any constant interference 
• Moreover, the flavor is strong as compared to chemex as the coffee grounds get fully mixed with the water. 
• You won’t require any constant heating source for French press so only hot water is enough for brewing 

Downfalls of using a French press 

• As the French press uses the steeping method, the coffee grounds don’t get filtered out, which is not good 
• Your bad cholesterol levels may get increased due to unfiltered coffee drinking. 

How does a chemex differ from a French press?

There is a lot of difference between a Chemex and a French press starting from their construction to their brewing process and many more.

The most obvious difference is their build as the French press has a cylindrical shape and Chemex has a kind of chemical flask shape that looks straight out of a chemistry lab.

Furthermore, Chemex uses a pour over method and a thick paper filter to keep the grounds out and the coffee is less acidic and not too strong.

On the other hand, the French press uses a plunger which you have to press below and allow steeping. Moreover, the coffee is acidic in taste and stronger as compared to a Chemex.

Here is the best Chemex according to us:

Chemex Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker

Why do we love it?

• This chemex coffee maker will let you control each and every aspect of your coffee brewing 
• Moreover, it’s very easy to use as you have to simply pour over water on the thick filters filled with grounds
• Also, it’s strong enough to not break easily and also can be refrigerated with the aroma and flavor intact 

So after reading all the comparisons, if you want a chemex coffee maker, here is the best chemex coffee brewer for you which has the capacity of 700ml.

Moreover, the non porous borosilicate glass makes sure that the flavors and aroma are intact and not absorbed. Furthermore, brewing is much easier. 

What makes it different from other pour overs is the thick filters which won’t let the grounds reach your filtered coffee. Also, it looks elegant with its wooden handle and you will really enjoy brewing coffee with it.

Therefore, you should definitely get this coffee maker as it won’t harm you in any way and will also give you the best pour over coffee. 

We would highly recommend you to get this Chemex coffee maker if you want to have a smooth tasting coffee with a balanced flavor. Besides that, the glass build is strong as its borosilicate.

Furthermore, the heat-resistant handle will make sure that you can handle it easily and won’t get burnt. However, the thick paper filters take a lot of time to brew coffee as compared to those normal ones and they are expensive too. Therefore, make sure you can afford them. 

Here is the best French press you can ever get :

Mueller French Press Double Insulated

Why do we love it?

• This French press includes 4 layers of filtration which will not let more amounts of grounds enter your coffee 
• Furthermore, you can store the coffee for two hours and still find it hot as the coffee maker is well insulated. 
• Lastly, the build is strong enough and won’t rust for years as it’s made out of food grade stainless steel. 

For people who specially love some grounds left in their coffee, here is a French press for you that has a great stainless steel build and also stays warm for a long time.

As said earlier, the stainless steel coffee maker is double insulated, so the coffee is warm even after two hours of brewing. Moreover, it comes with 4 mesh filters which don’t let more amounts of grounds enter your coffee while brewing. 

Furthermore, you can also use it for brewing tea or frothing milk and many more. However, with this pack, you won’t get any spare filters. Hence, you should definitely get this French press coffee maker for you as it’s the best budget deal you can get. 

This French press is one of our personal favorites when it comes to the best of all. Unlike other French presses, this one doesn’t let the coffee grounds enter in the coffee and the small ones stay but that’s what French press is popular for.

Besides that, you can also use it for tea or any other item. However, you cannot see the brewing process as it is a stainless steel build but it is insulated. Therefore, you can consider this option. 

Conclusion

As both of them have their own pros and cons, we cannot actually tell which one is the better. However, if you don’t love strong coffee taste, you can get a chemex. Also, if you love a strong full-bodied coffee, get a French press for you. We hope that you have enjoyed our Chemex VS French press guide and now you can get the one perfect for you and we have also featured two of the best chemex and French press you can get and tested them on behalf of you. You can also check out our other comparison articles if you wish for such as 

• French press VS aeropress 
• Chemex VS pour over 

These comparison guides will help you to get the best one according to your preferences.