I used to pre-wet my Chemex filter until I saw someone do a blind taste test at a shop in Portland

I always thought running hot water through the filter before brewing was just standard practice to get rid of paper taste. But last month I watched this guy at Coava Coffee set up two Chemex side by side, one with a pre-wet filter and one dry. He let me taste both blind and honestly I couldn't tell a difference, but the dry one brewed almost 45 seconds faster. Now I wonder if I was wasting time and water for years on something that didn't matter. Has anyone else tried skipping the rinse and noticed a real difference in the cup?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilychen1mo ago

Wait you're telling me people actually skip the rinse? I would have bet money that pre-wetting was non-negotiable for getting a clean cup. But if a pro at Coava couldn't prove a difference then maybe I've been overthinking this whole ritual thing for nothing.

oliver_ward141mo ago

Yeah I was the same way honestly @lilychen. I used to think rinsing was basically a must-do, like there was no way you could get a good extraction without wetting the filter first. But then I watched a video from a barista who did a side by side blind taste test and even he couldn't tell which cup was which. That kind of made me rethink everything. Now I only rinse if I'm using a paper filter that smells weird or if I'm brewing something really delicate where I don't want any paper taste sneaking in. Your mileage may vary but for most days I just skip it and my coffee tastes totally fine. I think the whole ritual side of it makes it feel more important than it actually is in practice.