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Chemex Classic 6-Cup Pour-Over Coffeemaker

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Chemex

Chemex

Classic Series 6-Cup Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker

The benchmark plastic-free coffee maker: glass, wood, leather, paper. Nothing in the brew path to leach or shed.

1 / 10 Low plastic footprint $$

A one-piece borosilicate glass brewer with a wood collar and leather tie. Hot water and coffee touch only glass and a paper filter; there is no plastic in the brew path at all.

How this score breaks down

Plastic in the product and its packaging Little plastic
Non-porous borosilicate glass body that will not absorb odors or residues, per Chemex. The collar is polished wood with a leather tie; the only consumable is a paper filter. No plastic parts in the product.
Microplastic shedding and leaching Doesn't shed
None expected. Hot water contacts only glass and a paper filter, which is the cleanest possible hot-beverage path; hot liquid on plastic is one of the highest-release microplastic scenarios this brewer avoids entirely.
End of life: persistence and recovery Recovers well
Recyclable, repairable, or genuinely recovered; low persistence.
Plastic-derived chemicals of concern No leaching concern
No PFAS, PTFE, BPA, or other leaching plastics in food or heat contact.
Transparency and verification Mostly disclosed
How fully the brand discloses its materials and coatings, and whether independent testing backs it up.

Strengths

  • Zero plastic in the product or brew path
  • Borosilicate glass tolerates boiling water without leaching
  • Buy-once design unchanged since 1941
  • Wood and leather parts are replaceable

Trade-offs

  • Requires proprietary paper filters (compostable, but an ongoing consumable)
  • Glass is breakable
  • Retail packaging contents not verified, so we do not claim plastic-free packaging

What's inside

Non-porous borosilicate glass body that will not absorb odors or residues, per Chemex. The collar is polished wood with a leather tie; the only consumable is a paper filter. No plastic parts in the product.

Free of Plastic housing, plastic brew basket, nonstick coatings

Packaging
Not stated
Microplastics
None expected. Hot water contacts only glass and a paper filter, which is the cleanest possible hot-beverage path; hot liquid on plastic is one of the highest-release microplastic scenarios this brewer avoids entirely.

Attributes

What this product is, at a glance.

Plastic-Free ProductReusable

Certifications

None listed. We only show independent third-party certifications we can verify with the issuing body, and this product does not currently hold any.

About Chemex

The Chemex has been made to the same 1941 design for over 80 years and sits in the MoMA permanent collection. It brews with paper filters and nothing else.

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Melissa Walker, founder of Thriving Sustainably

Hi, I’m Melissa-founder of Thriving Sustainably

Melissa Walker is the founder of Thriving Sustainably. A mom who started reading the labels after learning how much microplastic ends up in our bodies, she co-leads the environmental pillar of a Fortune 500 company’s employee sustainability program and rates brands against public certification databases so families can lower their microplastic exposure without the guesswork.