I use a Chemex on a daily basis, but I have it teamed up with my Bonavita drip machine. The brew is remarkably smooth as a result of the Chemex filters. They're expensive compared to other types, but IMO they are worth it. It works out to about a dime per filter. Considering what I pay for my coffee beans, it's no big deal.
For a couple of years I was getting the filters cheap from an online retailer but just recently I found that they're charging as much or more than other sources. The best deal I found was from Crate and Barrel this time around. It depends on whether you can pick up or have to pay for shipping (even with Prime, Amazon has consistently been more expensive). I have to use the FC-100 filters since the standard square folded type won't fit due to the limited clearance the Bonavita has above the carafe. Chemex instructs to place the filters into the carafe with the three-layered side of the filter resting against the spout.
Way back in the '70s my sister got a Chemex Automatic drip machine. These were made by Norelco and looked similar to their drip machines, but they had a "shower head" emitter and also included an automatic wetting feature that paused the brewing process for about a minute just after the grounds were saturated. They also had a temperature control for the hot plate, and I think an on/off switch, all being features that the more basic Norelco lacked. The Chemex Automated machines are super rare and when they show up on eBay, etc. they're not cheap.
My Bonavita has a "shower head" type of emitter, so it's as close as you'll get to a Chemex Automated these days. The Chemex Otto machines are ridiculously priced, so the Bonavita is a reasonable alternative. If you really want to pause the brewing to mimic the wetting process, you can just shut the machine off for a minute or so and then restart it, but I rarely feel the need to do so.
If you prefer to go with the manual pour-over process, you'll need to come up with a way to keep the brew at drinking temperature. Since my sister's Chemex Automated finally bit the dust due to corrosion from decades of use (I repaired it a few times over the years), she does pour-over and then transfers the brew to a thermal carafe. With my Bonavita, I use the Chemex carafe with glass handle so it can be machine washed. The ones with the wooden collar are more common, but of course those need to be hand washed.
I'm interested in hearing what you think after brewing up a batch using the Chemex method. I have a '70s KitchenAid grinder and played around with settings to achieve the ideal one for the Chemex.
