But until the Frenchman conjured up that late, late leveller, Hammers had been staring an FA Cup exit firmly in the face.
"Every game is a different story," said Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri, after seeing Kanoute's seventh goal of the season wipe out Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's brilliant first half opener.
"We tried to win again, we scored and made a lot of chances, but Chelsea were not to be lucky today. That's football," said the animated Italian chief.
Having earlier seen Manchester United depart from the competition, there was no danger of Old Trafford transfer target Paolo Di Canio now becoming cup-tied as he returned to the scene of last week's crime.
And after being dismissed in that 5-1 Premiership Hammering, the Italian took his place in a West Ham side that made just one, enforced change as central defender Ragnvald Soma replaced an ankle-gashed Trevor Sinclair in a new-look 3-5-2 formation.
Following the high of last Sunday's victory and the low of Wednesday's bitter Worthington Cup exit by the same scoreline at Tottenham, Chelsea brought in Gianfranco Zola and Mikael Forssell for Mario Stanic and Boudwijn Zenden, while a warming-up injury also saw Mario Melchiot step in as a late replacement for William Gallas.
In an eventful opening Michael Carrick sliced wide before referee David Elleray - who had earlier carried out an eleventh hour pitch inspection on the sodden Stamford Bridge top - halted play after Graeme Le Saux had an object hurled at him from the Matthew Harding Stand.
But predictably it was 19-goal Hasselbaink who looked the most menacing as his low, skidding 30-yarder forced David James to save at the second attempt, before the Hammers' 'keeper then acrobatically palmed his glancing header to safety.
On 20 minutes, though, it was to prove third time lucky for the Dutch destroyer who, it seems, simply cannot avoid scoring against the Hammers. He trotted, unchecked, down the right flank and, with Soma retreating, cleverly curled a precision left-footed 20-yarder over the stranded James and under the left-hand angle.
In reply Kanoute flashed well wide, but with West Ham's
unconvincing passing frequently yielding possession the buoyant
Blues tightened their grip on the game.
Both Zola's stinging 20-yard shot and Le Saux's awkward
free-kick were well claimed by James, while tenacious Tomas
Repka's last-gasp tackle robbed Forssell in the act of
shooting.
Seven minutes before the break, Don Hutchison's frustration
led to a booking for felling Hasselbaink in full flow, but within
seconds the Hammers' midfielder was trying to atone as he
forced Carlo Cudicini into his first save with a downward header
before unleashing a fierce 25-yarder that the Italian gratefully
clutched into his chest to keep Chelsea's lead intact going
into the break.
Four minutes into the second period Frank Lampard met
Hasselbaink's chip with an angled volley which flew just a
whisker wide of the far post, and midway through the half, the
diving former Hammers' midfielder was booked alongside the now
suspended Repka following a skirmish with the incensed Czech.
Hutchison was subbed for Steve Lomas and with Jermain Defoe already on for Soma and new-signing Vladimir Labant about to replace the workaholic yet weary Nigel Winterburn, Joe Cole's surprise 20-yarder was athletically fisted out by Cudicini.
At the other end, James got down brilliantly to paw aside the fleeing Zola's low shot and that was to prove the turning point. For with three fresh pairs of legs, Hammers were to rally dramatically and when Labant's free-kick into the box was only half-cleared to Carrick, his 18-yard shot deflected off Cole to Kanoute, who secured that February 6 replay date with a crisp eight-yard volley that flashed past Cudicini - the perfect present for the French striker who became a father for the first time earlier in the week.
Minute-by-minute:
3 - Schemmel's cross is collected by Kanoute, who lays the ball back for Carrick to shoot well wide of the target.
7 - Hasselbaink's fierce low effort from 30 yards out is spilled by James but then gathered at the second attempt as Forssell closes in.
9 - Le Saux's dangerous inswinging free-kick from the right is met by Hasselbaink, whose header is instinctively palmed away by James and then cleared by Hutchison.
14 - Carrick's pass looks like releasing Kanoute but Cudicini is out quickly to clear. Winterburn directs the loose ball goalwards but Terry heads out for a corner with Di Canio lurking.
15 - James' long clearance is headed on by Hutchison but Kanoute completely misses his volley 10 yards out.
21 - GOAL. Forssell's flick-on finds Hasselbaink on the right and the Dutchman advances towards goal, cuts inside Soma and curls a stunning left-foot shot into the top corner. Chelsea 1 West Ham 0.
24 - Di Canio's square pass falls nicely for Kanoute, whose left-foot shot spins just wide of the target.
30 - A sweeping move through the middle of the field sees Hasselbaink play in Forssell, who looks set to score before a fantastic challenge from Repka denies him the opportunity.
34 - After Repka's foul on Forssell just outside the area, Le Saux's free-kick is comfortably held by James.
39 - Hutchison booked for foul on Hasselbaink.
39- Lampard's long range effort dribbles just wide of the post.
41 - Cole's intelligent pass finds Schemmel, whose cross from the right is headed goalwards by Hutchison but saved well by Cudicini.
42 - Hutchison's volley from 30 yards out is comfortably held by Cudicini.
Added time: 1 minute.
Half-time: Chelsea 1 West Ham United 0.
Second half:
49 - Hasselbaink picks out Lampard at the far post and the ex-Hammers man fires in a blistering right-foot volley that flies just inches wide of the far post.
61 - Le Saux's deep free-kick reaches an unmarked Terry at the far post but Winterburn's challenge denies the youngster.
65 - Substitution for West Ham, Defoe replaces Soma.
66 - Repka and Lampard both booked for an altercation off the ball.
69 - Substitution for West Ham, Lomas replaces Hutchison.
70 - Substitution for Chelsea, Gudjohnsen replaces Forssell.
74 - Cole's stinging right-foot shot is superbly kept out by Cudicini. Chelsea break away and Repka's slip lets in Gudjohnsen, who squares a pass for Lampard to fire wide.
75 - Substitution for Chelsea, Dalla Bona replaces Hasselbaink.
76 - Substitution for West Ham, Labant replaces Winterburn.
78 - Terry booked for foul on Defoe. Labant's curling free-kick is pushed away for a corner by Cudicini.
81 - Kanoute goes down under a challenge in the area but referee Elleray waves play on and Chelsea go on the attack. Gudjohnsen plays in Zola, whose shot is superbly tipped away by James.
82 - Ferrer booked for a foul on Di Canio.
82 - Substitution for Chelsea, Jokanovic replaces Petit
82 - GOAL! Hammers equalise with just minutes remaining as Labant's free-kick is cleared to the edge of the box, where Carrick is waiting to fire it back in. The ball hits Cole and falls for Kanoute, who hooks it into the back of the net to send the 6,600 travelling Hammers fans behind the goal into ecstasy. Chelsea 1 West Ham United 1.
87 - Gudjohnsen plays in Zola but James is quick off his line to clear the danger.
89 - Cole's ball over the top sets Kanoute away and, although he beats Cudicini to the bounce, his header trickles just the wrong side of the post.
90 - A Chelsea corner bounces around in the area and looks like falling for Lampard bu James is once again alert to clear any danger.
Added time: 3 minutes.
90 - Di Canio cuts infield and fires in a low shot that Cudicini comfortably holds.
Full time: Chelsea 1 West Ham United 1.