Bond’s coffee is brewed, not poured from a pot that has stood on a hotplate. In From Russia, with Love he makes it in an American Chemex and drinks two large cups, black, without sugar. The Chemex coffeemaker is still made, and is the right place to start.
In the books
The scene is Bond’s London breakfast, in chapter 11, where Fleming sets out the coffee before moving on to the jam and marmalade. It is one of the book’s quietest details of how Bond lives when he is not working. Browse the films to see how that life changes on screen.
Owning it now
Chemex makes the Classic series in three, six, eight and ten cup sizes, each with a polished wood collar and leather tie. Chemex measures its cups in 5-ounce increments, so the six-cup holds about 30 ounces, enough for two large cups. The glass is borosilicate, the type used for laboratory ware, and the maker says it adds no flavours. It uses Chemex Bonded filters (FP-1, FC-100, FS-100 or FSU-100).
We would choose the six-cup: two generous mugs at breakfast, or coffee for two. Take the collar and leather off and it can go in the dishwasher, but we would hand wash it. More in Food & Drink.
Specifications
| Model | Chemex Classic Series Six Cup, item CM-6A |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 30 ounces (six 5-ounce cups) |
| Size | 8 1/2 inches high, 5 1/8 inches in diameter |
| Material | Borosilicate glass, polished wood collar, leather tie |
| Filters | Chemex Bonded FP-1, FC-100, FS-100, FSU-100 |
| RRP | US$49.50 (at the time of writing, October 2026) |
Sizes and care notes are on Chemex’s own page.
