How to Make Cafetiere Coffee
How to brew ground coffee in a cafetiere: a coarse grind, water just off the boil, a four minute steep and a slow, steady press.

A cafetiere is one of the easiest ways to get a really good cup from ground Coffee, as long as you get a few things right. Use a coarse grind so it does not slip through the mesh, water just off the boil (around 92C) so it does not scorch, and give it a full four minutes before pressing.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the How to Make Cafetiere Coffee recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/coffee/how to make cafetiere coffee/
Press slowly, and pour it out rather than leaving it sitting on the grounds. Makes two mugs or four small cups.
You'll need
- 30g Costa Medium Roast No.3 Ground Coffee (about 4 heaped tablespoons)
- 500ml freshly drawn water, brought to a rolling boil then left for 45 seconds to drop to about 92C
- 1 600ml glass cafetiere French press
- 2 warmed 250ml mugs (or 4 warmed 125ml espresso cups)
Method
- Warm your mugs or cups with hot water and tip it out.
- Tip 30g of coarsely ground coffee into the cafetiere.
- Boil the kettle, then let it stand for about 45 seconds to drop to around 92C, just off the boil.
- Pour the water over the grounds in a steady stream. They will rise into a crust on top, the bloom.
- Stir the crust gently to settle the grounds back into the water.
- Put the lid on with the plunger up and leave it to steep for four minutes.
- Press the plunger down slowly and steadily; a fast press churns the grounds and makes it bitter.
- Pour it all out into the warmed cups straight away, or decant it, so it stops brewing on the grounds.
- Use a coarse grind, not fine; fine grounds slip through the mesh and leave silt in the cup.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Costa Medium Roast No.3 Ground Coffee, 200g
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