The short answer
Choose a Chemex for the cleanest cup and a brewing ritual you enjoy. Choose a certified drip machine like the Bonavita Connoisseur for very good paper-filtered coffee with no attention and a carafe that keeps it hot.
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Quick picks
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1. Choose this for the clearest cup
Chemex Classic 6-Cup
Manual tier · A single-piece borosilicate brewer that uses very thick bonded filters.
Bonded filters and your own pour - the cleanest cup, with full attention.
The Chemex 6-Cup holds 30 oz in one borosilicate vessel with a wood collar and leather tie.
Its bonded filters are much thicker than ordinary papers, which is why its cup is so clean and tea-like.
You control the pour, the pace and the grind, which rewards care and punishes a rushed morning.
It serves from the brewer, so there is no carafe to wash separately.
Specification
- Capacity
- 30 oz
- Size
- 8.5 in H x 5.125 in diameter
- Material
- Borosilicate glass, wood collar and leather tie
- Filters
- Chemex Bonded (FP-1, FC-100, FS-100, FSU-100)
What it does well
- The thick bonded filter produces the cleanest cup of any common brewer
- Brews and serves in one vessel, which matters when guests are involved
- It looks like an object, not an appliance
Where it gives ground
- The proprietary filters are a permanent running cost
- Slow, and unforgiving if you grind too fine
- Glass, with a wood collar that should not be soaked
Skip it if
Skip it if you want coffee ready when you wake up. A drip machine's timer does that - see the Chemex review.
2. Choose this for no attention
Bonavita Connoisseur 8-Cup
Mid tier · A one-button SCA-certified brewer with a flat-bottom basket and an optional bloom.
One button, SCA certified, and a carafe that holds heat for about two hours.
The Connoisseur is SCA certified to the Golden Cup standard: a 1500 W heater brings water to 195 to 205 F, and a hanging flat-bottom basket brews over about six minutes.
Its 1.3 L stainless thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for about two hours with no hot plate.
It has an optional pre-infusion for freshly roasted coffee, and otherwise one button.
It makes consistent coffee every time, because nothing depends on your pour.
Specification
- Certification
- SCA Certified, Golden Cup standard
- Heater
- 1500 W, 195-205 F
- Basket
- Hanging flat-bottom
- Carafe
- 1.3 L stainless thermal
- Brew time
- About 6 minutes
What it does well
- One button - the whole interface is one button
- Optional pre-infusion mode for fresher beans
- Flat-bottom basket is more forgiving than a cone
Where it gives ground
- No timer or programming at all
- The lid and basket are more fiddly to clean than they look
- Plainest-looking machine in its class
Skip it if
Skip it if the ritual of brewing is part of why you drink coffee - see thermal carafe coffee makers.
Why both taste clean
Both brew by percolation through paper, so both avoid the oils and sediment of a French press. The Chemex's thicker filter makes it even cleaner, and your pour gives you more control - or more ways to go wrong.