Difference between V60 and Chemex?

V60 and Chemex are both cone pourovers, but they pour very different cups. Hario's V60 (60° cone, spiral ribs, large hole) gives a fuller-bodied, more aromatic, edgier cup. The Chemex (70° cone, thick Bonded filter, narrow neck) gives a strikingly clean, round, almost tea-like cup. The right pick depends on the flavour profile you're chasing.

The V60, launched in 2005 by Hario in Tokyo, is a 60° cone (hence the name) defined by three technical elements: a wide central drain hole (no flow restriction), spiral ribs along the inner wall (air escapes, paper doesn't seal against glass), and a thin paper filter. The Chemex, designed in 1941 by German chemist Peter Schlumbohm in New York, is a 70° cone of blown borosilicate glass with a wooden collar held by a leather tie, and above all a patented Bonded paper filter 20 to 30 % thicker than standard. Both pieces are icons — the Chemex has lived in MoMA's permanent collection since 1958 — but the coffees they pour diverge sharply.

Geometrically, the V60's sharper angle builds a tall, centrally concentrated coffee bed with fast top-to-bottom flow; the Chemex spreads the bed wider and drains slowly because of that thick paper. On the filter itself, the Chemex holds back far more oils — diterpenoids like cafestol and kahweol are filtered out by about 95 % — producing a clean cup with a light body and no perceptible fat. The V60's thinner paper lets more oils and fines through, giving a denser body and a more 'raw' aromatic signature: brighter fruit, sharper acids, often described as more expressive.

Recipes differ accordingly. Classic V60: 1:16 ratio (15 g for 240 ml), medium-fine grind (around 600 µm), 30 s bloom, spiral pours for a 2:30-3:15 total time. Classic Chemex: 1:17 ratio (30 g for 500 ml, sized for 3-6 cups), medium grind (700-800 µm), 45 s bloom, 4-5 min total. The Chemex is more forgiving of grind inconsistency thanks to its thick paper, but it demands a generous hot-water rinse to strip the paper taste.

Choice hinges on origin and taste. A washed Yirgacheffe sings through a V60 (bright bergamot, jasmine), while a washed Colombia Huila or a Burundi Bourbon stretch into chocolate-hazelnut roundness on a Chemex. To serve 4 to 6 at a Brussels breakfast, Chemex beats V60; for a solo cup, V60 fits better. Belgian third-wave roasters often pour the same coffee on both at tasting workshops — in Brussels, Ghent or Antwerp, it's an accessible way for a beginner to hear how filter geometry reshapes an identical grind.

V60 vs Chemex — technical comparison