# Chemex Ottomatic Source: https://dailyextraction.com/methods/chemex-ottomatic/ Last updated: 2026-10-16 > The Chemex Ottomatic is Chemex's electric coffeemaker. It heats the water and pours it over the coffee in a Chemex for you, handling the pre-infusion, temperature and contact time, then keeps the pot warm on a hot plate. Chemex unveiled it in 2014; the current Ottomatic 2.0 adds an iced coffee mode and comes with a 6-cup Classic Chemex. ## At a glance - Grind: Medium-coarse - Category: Pour-over & Drip (Percolation) - Difficulty: Beginner - Origin: United States, 2014 - Also known as: Ottomatic 2.0, electric Chemex, Chemex Ottomatic 2.0, automatic Chemex ## Steps 1. **Fill the tank**: Fill the Ottomatic's water tank with fresh, cold water for the amount of coffee you want to make. 2. **Fold the filter**: Fold a Chemex filter into a cone and seat it in the Chemex with the three-layer side against the pouring spout. 3. **Add the coffee**: Add coffee ground medium-coarse to the filter. Use the same ratio you would for a manual Chemex. 4. **Place the Chemex**: Stand the Chemex on the hot plate under the spray head. 5. **Choose hot or iced**: On the Ottomatic 2.0, choose hot or iced mode and switch it on. For iced, put ice in the Chemex first; the hot plate stays off. 6. **Serve**: When it finishes, lift out the filter and pour. The **Chemex Ottomatic** is Chemex's **electric coffeemaker**. Instead of you pouring from a kettle, it **heats the water and pours it over the coffee in a [Chemex](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/chemex/)** for you, handling the pre-infusion, temperature and contact time, then keeps the pot warm on a **hot plate**. Daily Coffee News reported Chemex unveiling it in **December 2014**. The current **Ottomatic 2.0** adds an **iced coffee mode**. Here's how it works and whether it's for you. ## The short version - **An electric brewer that pours over a Chemex** for you. - **Handles pre-infusion, temperature and contact time** automatically. - **Hot plate** keeps the coffee warm. - **Ottomatic 2.0 adds an iced mode**: brew onto ice, hot plate off. - **Sold with a 6-cup Classic Chemex**; the common version is 120V for the US. ## How does the Ottomatic work? It's a filter coffee machine built around the Chemex. You fill the water tank, put a Chemex filter and coffee in a Chemex, and stand it on the hot plate under the **spray head**. The machine heats the water and pours it over the coffee in stages, starting with a **pre-infusion** (its version of the bloom), so you get Chemex-style coffee without standing over a kettle. ## Hot and iced modes The **Ottomatic 2.0** has two modes: - **Hot:** brews into the Chemex, then the hot plate keeps it warm. - **Iced:** you put ice in the Chemex first, and the machine brews onto it, like [Japanese iced coffee](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/japanese-iced-coffee/). The hot plate stays off. ## What comes with it? Retailers sell the **Ottomatic 2.0 with a 6-cup Classic Chemex**, and some bundles add Chemex filters and a cleaner. Bundles vary, so check the listing. The version most widely sold is **120V**, made for the US, so check the voltage if you live elsewhere. ## What grind and ratio should I use? The same as a manual Chemex: **medium-coarse**, about like kosher salt, with the ratio you like. Counter Culture Coffee's manual recipe uses **1:17**, 45 g of coffee to 750 g of water; see the main [Chemex guide](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/chemex/). ![Chart of coffee grind sizes from extra fine to extra coarse, with medium-coarse highlighted for the Chemex Ottomatic](https://dailyextraction.com/diagrams/grind-size.svg#medium-coarse "Use a medium-coarse grind in the Ottomatic, as for a manual Chemex.") ## How do you use the Ottomatic, step by step? 1. **Fill the tank** with fresh, cold water for the amount you want. 2. **Fold and seat a Chemex filter**, three-layer side to the spout. 3. **Add medium-coarse coffee** to the filter. 4. **Stand the Chemex** on the hot plate under the spray head. 5. **Choose hot or iced** and switch it on. For iced, put ice in the Chemex first. 6. **Lift out the filter** when it's done, and pour. Don't fill the tank beyond what your Chemex holds: a reviewer found a full tank can overflow the 6-cup carafe. ## How do you clean it? Throw away the filter and grounds, and wash the Chemex as you would any Chemex (collar off first). Descale the machine as its instructions say. *General guidance only. It's an electrical appliance with a hot plate and glass carafe: follow the instructions that come with yours.* ## Should I buy an Ottomatic or a manual Chemex? - **Buy the Ottomatic** if you want Chemex-style coffee without the hands-on pouring, or like it kept warm. - **Buy a manual [Chemex](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/chemex/)** if you enjoy pouring yourself, or want something simpler that works anywhere. - **Look at an [automatic drip machine](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/automatic-drip/)** if you just want hands-off filter coffee and don't mind which brand. ## Ottomatic vs other brewers - **[Chemex Classic](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/chemex/):** the same coffee, poured by hand. - **[Automatic drip coffee maker](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/automatic-drip/):** the wider family of filter coffee machines. - **[Japanese iced coffee](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/japanese-iced-coffee/):** what the iced mode makes, by hand. - **[V60](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/v60/):** a single-cup pour-over with a finer grind. Explore every pour-over in the [pour-over chapter](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/pour-over/). ## Words used in this guide - [Bloom](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/bloom/): The bloom is the first small pour of water in a brew, usually 2–3 times the weight of the coffee, followed by a 30–45 second pause. - [Steeping](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/steeping/): Steeping is leaving ground coffee to sit in water so its flavour dissolves out, as in a French press or cold brew. - [Pour-over](https://dailyextraction.com/glossary/pour-over/): Pour-over is a way of making filter coffee by hand: you pour hot water over ground coffee in a filter cone and let it drip through into a cup or jug. ## FAQs ### What does the Chemex Ottomatic do? It does the pouring for you. It heats the water and sprays it over the coffee in a Chemex, handling the pre-infusion, temperature and contact time, then keeps the coffee warm on a hot plate. ### When did the Chemex Ottomatic come out? Daily Coffee News reported Chemex unveiling the Ottomatic in December 2014. The current model is the Ottomatic 2.0. ### Can the Chemex Ottomatic make iced coffee? The Ottomatic 2.0 has an iced coffee mode. You put ice in the Chemex, the machine brews onto it, and the hot plate stays off. ### What comes with the Chemex Ottomatic 2.0? Retailers list the machine with a 6-cup Classic Chemex, and some bundles add filters and a cleaner. Check the listing, as bundles vary. ### Does the Ottomatic work outside the US? The widely sold version is 120V, made for the US. Check the voltage before you buy one for use elsewhere. ### Should I get an Ottomatic or a manual Chemex? Get the Ottomatic if you'd like Chemex-style coffee without standing over the kettle, or want to keep it warm. Get a manual Chemex if you enjoy pouring yourself, want something simpler, or live where 120V isn't the standard. ## Sources - [Ottomatic coffeemaker](https://chemexcoffeemaker.com/collections/ottomatic-coffeemaker) - [From manual to machine, Chemex unveils the Ottomatic coffee brewer](https://dailycoffeenews.com/2014/12/02/from-manual-to-machine-chemex-unveils-the-ottomatic-coffee-brewer/) - [Chemex Ottomatic 2.0 review](https://www.techgearlab.com/reviews/kitchen/drip-coffee-maker/chemex-ottomatic-2-0) - [CHEMEX Ottomatic 2.0 brewer (and six-cup Classic) (120V)](https://eightouncecoffee.com/products/chemex-ottomatic-2-0-brewer) - [Chemex Ottomatic 2.0 automatic pour-over coffee maker](https://www.crateandbarrel.com/chemex-ottomatic-coffee-maker/s557489)