The Chemex Coffee Maker is the most successful design by Schlumbohm, an inventor and chemist who immigrated to the United States in 1935. In developing its form he was inspired by the modern spirit of the interwar period and particularly by the Bauhaus school of design in Germany. He explained, “A table must be a table; a chair must be a chair; a bed must be a bed. When, in 1938, the personal desire for coffee came up, my aspect simply was: A coffeemaker must make coffee, and then I applied my knowledge of physics and chemistry.” Schlumbohm was inclined to adapt scientific principles and laboratory equipment, in this case an Erlenmeyer flask, to the design of domestic objects. He obtained over three thousand patents over his distinctive career.
Chemex is yet another interpretation of the “pour-over” technique where the filter holder and jug is combined into one. The coffee made by Chemex is known for a very gentle and round taste.
