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Chemex Classic 6-Cup Pour-Over Coffeemaker

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Chemex Classic 6-Cup Pour-Over Coffeemaker

A borosilicate glass carafe with a wood collar, used with paper filters. Nothing plastic touches the water or coffee. An independent lab found a PFAS marker in Chemex’s Natural filters in 2023, so use the white or a reusable filter.

Best for Anyone who wants a plain, plastic-free way to make two to four cups of filter coffee, and who will use white paper or a reusable filter instead of the Natural paper.

Our rating
Fair (3.4 of 5)
Price range
Budget
Size
Six cup (30 oz, counted as 5 oz cups), polished wood collar with leather tie
Made in
Glass made in Taiwan and Germany; each coffeemaker is inspected, polished and hand-tied at Chemex’s factory in Massachusetts, USA (per Chemex)

approx. $49.50 for the six-cup (30 oz)

See it on Chemex’s site → (opens in a new tab)

We are not affiliated with Chemex. This link goes to the maker’s own page, with no tracking code. How we're funded.

Also sold at Amazon ($47), Williams Sonoma ($48), Crate & Barrel ($48) .

Reader ratings & reviews

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    Reviews are personal experiences, not research, and they never change our quality ratings. Every review is read by our team before it appears.

    How we evaluated it

    How it scores Our rating, metric by metric Fair, 3.4 of 5
    1. What touches the water and coffee 45% of the rating 4 of 5

      Glass and paper only: no plastic, metal, seal or electronics. One point off because an independent lab found a PFAS marker in the Natural filters and the white filters have no published test.

    2. Independent testing 10% of the rating 1 of 5

      Chemex says it does “periodic testing” but names no lab and publishes nothing. The one independent test we found is adverse (the Natural filters), and nothing tests the glass.

    3. Durability 20% of the rating 3 of 5

      Glass lasts for years but breaks, and Chemex does not warrant against breakage. Spare collars and ties are sold; the carafe cannot be repaired.

    4. Trust 10% of the rating 3 of 5

      No recall, Prop 65 notice or lawsuit found, and Chemex names its glass and paper. But we found no reply to the 2023 filter test, and its testing claim has no detail.

    5. Value 15% of the rating 4 of 5

      About $49.50 for the carafe and $11 for 100 filters: about $8 to $19 more than the ceramic and steel drippers here, and far under the steel press, a kettle or any electric brewer on this list.

    The rating, 3.4 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank coffee makers & gear and our standard.

    Where to buy Stores and the prices we saw 3 stores

    Prices as we saw them on October 23, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.

    What it’s made of What touches your food, water, skin or air 3 materials
    1. Borosilicate glass carafe with the funnel built in. Chemex: “the same type used for labware”. Glass made in Taiwan and Germany.
    2. Chemex Bonded paper filters: virgin pine pulp. The white paper is “oxygen cleansed using a bleach-free process”; the brown (Natural) paper gets hot water baths only.
    3. Wood collar and rawhide tie, held in the hand and not in the water path. Chemex does not name the finish.
    Who tested it What each test found, and who paid for it 2 tests
    • Independent Mamavation, using an EPA-certified lab (the site earns affiliate income) August 2023

      Total and organic fluorine in Chemex Natural filters bought on Amazon: 32 ppm organic fluorine. It is a marker test, so it points to PFAS without naming one. The white filters and the glass carafe were not tested. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    • Maker’s own test Chemex

      Says it has “periodic testing done” on its products to confirm they keep meeting its standards. No lab, method or result is published. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)

    Who paid, and why it matters
    • Independent The tester took no money from the maker for it: a consumer group, a journalist, a university or a regulator.
    • Paid certification An outside lab or certifier tested or listed it, and the maker paid for that.
    • Maker’s own test A lab report or certificate of analysis the maker commissioned and published.

    A certification is a floor, not a verdict: it checks what its program checks and nothing else. We weigh tests by someone with no stake in the result most.

    What people ask Worries raised online and elsewhere, and what we found 3 questions
    Do Chemex filters contain PFAS?
    In 2023 Mamavation (opens in a new tab) had Chemex Natural filters tested and reported 32 ppm organic fluorine, a marker that can point to PFAS. It did not test the white filters. We found no public reply from Chemex. Until there is one, we suggest the white filters or a reusable filter.
    Is the glass safe for hot coffee?
    Chemex says the carafe is borosilicate glass, “the same type used for labware”, and that it has periodic testing done (Chemex (opens in a new tab)). It shows no result, so this stays the maker’s word.
    Are the filters bleached or treated?
    Chemex says the white paper is oxygen cleansed with no bleach, the brown paper gets hot water baths only, and neither uses bleach or chemicals (Chemex FAQ (opens in a new tab)). We found no outside check of that.
    Why we chose it What put it on our list 4 points
    • Glass where the coffee is. Chemex’s page calls the carafe “high quality and durable borosilicate glass, the same type used for labware” that “won’t impart any chemicals or flavors”.
    • The paper is named. Chemex’s materials page says it is virgin pine pulp, the white paper is “oxygen cleansed using a bleach-free process”, and its About page says the filter paper is made in the USA from USA materials.
    • There is no water path to hide: no boiler, tubing, gasket or electronics. Hot water from your own kettle touches glass and paper only.
    • A family-owned company, “led by a brother and sister”, that sells spare wood collars and rawhide ties. The glass is dishwasher safe once the collar and tie are removed.
    Trade-offs What to weigh before you buy 4 points
    • An independent lab found 32 ppm organic fluorine, a PFAS marker, in the Natural filters in 2023. The white filters are untested, and we found no reply from Chemex.
    • No test report is published for the glass. Chemex says it has “periodic testing done” on its products but names no lab and shows no results.
    • Glass breaks, and Chemex says it does not warranty against “traumatic breakage”. Its warranty also needs proof of purchase from an authorized seller.
    • It brews one batch at a time and needs a separate kettle, ideally stainless steel or glass.
    What to know Details worth knowing first

    The Chemex is a glass carafe with the filter cone built into its neck. Hot water from your own kettle runs through a paper filter and into the glass, so the only things it touches are paper and glass. There is no heater, tubing or seal to ask about, which is why it scores well on what touches the water and coffee.

    The filter is the open question. In 2023 a lab test commissioned by Mamavation found organic fluorine, a marker that can point to PFAS, in Chemex’s Natural filters. The white filters have not been tested, and Chemex has not published a result for either kind. We used to suggest the Natural paper for anyone avoiding bleach. We no longer do. Use the white filters, or a reusable filter, until there is a clean result.

    Our coffee page recommends paper-filtered coffee because paper removes the diterpenes (cafestol and kahweol) that raise LDL cholesterol. A steel or cloth filter avoids paper but lets more of them through, as a French press does.

    What we cannot show you is a lab report on the glass. Chemex describes its materials and says it tests periodically, but publishes no results. Use a stainless steel or glass kettle with it, since heating water in plastic is the habit this setup is meant to replace.

    What we checked Each claim, and how sure we are of it 9 checks
    How Chemex Classic 6-Cup Pour-Over Coffeemaker measures up against our coffee makers & gear criteria
    What we checked What we found
    Inert materials in the hot path Maker’s claim Borosilicate glass carafe with the funnel built in. Hot water touches glass and paper only. Stated by Chemex.
    Lead-free brass Maker’s claim Not applicable: no brass or other metal parts on the product page (glass, wood collar, leather tie).
    No PTFE or PFA in the water path Maker’s claim None described: glass, wood, leather and paper.
    Filters you can name Maker’s claim Chemex Bonded filters: virgin pine pulp; white paper “oxygen cleansed using a bleach-free process”; pulp from SFI, FSC and PEFC programs (all stated by Chemex).
    PFAS marker in the filters Verified An EPA-certified lab found 32 ppm organic fluorine in Natural filters for Mamavation (2023). The white filters have no published test.
    Built to last Maker’s claim Dishwasher safe with the collar and rawhide removed; spare collars and ties sold. No coverage for breakage, and warranty only with proof of purchase from an authorized seller.
    Independent testing Not verified Chemex says “periodic testing” is done. No lab or report is named.
    California Prop 65 notices Verified No notice naming CHEMEX Corporation in the California Attorney General’s 60-day notice database (searched 2026-10-23). The “Chemex” hits are MedChemExpress, an unrelated company, and a 2001 air-emissions notice naming a “Chemex Inc.” that we could not link to the coffeemaker maker.
    Recalls Verified No Chemex coffeemaker recall in the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recall database (title search, 2026-10-23).
    What the labels mean
    • Verified We opened an independent record that confirms it: a certifier’s listing, a regulator’s list or a lab report. It is linked under Sources.
    • Maker’s claim The maker says so on its own page or label. We read it but found no independent record.
    • Not verified We looked and could not confirm it, or the maker does not say. Treat it as unknown.
    Sources Where our facts come from 9 sources
    1. Chemex: Classic 6-Cup Pourover Coffeemaker product page (price, care, warranty). Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    2. Chemex: Materials & Process. Maker’s page. Source for borosilicate glass, the filter paper and the “periodic testing” line. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    3. Chemex: FAQs (where the glass is made, filters, care). Maker’s page. Says the glass for the Classic Series is made in both Taiwan and Germany. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    4. Chemex: About Us (factory in Massachusetts). Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    5. Chemex: Bonded filters, pre-folded white squares. Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    6. Chemex: Bonded filters, pre-folded Natural squares. Maker’s page. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    7. Mamavation: Chemex Natural coffee filters, PFAS indicator test results (2023). Test report. A lab test commissioned by a site that earns affiliate income. Organic fluorine is a marker for PFAS, not an identification. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    8. California Attorney General: Prop 65 60-day notice search, defendant name “Chemex”. Certifier or regulator listing. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
    9. CPSC recall database, title search for Chemex. Certifier or regulator listing. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
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