There’s often nothing better than holding your favourite mug, feeling the warmth through your hands, and breathing in deeply – the coffee intoxicating as you inhale. We’d go so far as to say this feeling is a human right. What do you think?
When you want a quick brew, one that takes almost no effort even for a crowd, the cafetiere should be your go-to option. The best thing is, almost every house has one tucked away. So, whether you’re visiting friends or making coffee for the family, get the cafetiere out and enjoy how easy it is to brew something delicious.
This method works because it’s simple. A cafetiere is an immersion brewer, meaning the coffee grounds steep in hot water – just like tea. Without the variables of pressure or paper filters, there’s less to go wrong, and plenty of room to adjust until you find your sweet spot.
You’ll Need
Freshly roasted coffee, ground medium–coarse (like peppercorn)
A Cafetiere.
Weighing scales or a trusty scoop.
A kettle or nearly boiling water c. 95’C.
Your favourite mug.
Brew Guide
Heat water to 94–96°C (about just off the boil).
Use a ratio of around 1:15 (e.g. 20g coffee to 300g water).
Rinse and preheat your cafetiere and mug.
Add ground coffee, then pour in all the water.
Stir to make sure the grounds are fully saturated and brewing.
Steep for 4–5 minutes.
Optional: most of the grounds will rise to the top – skimming off this “crust” gives a clearer, sweeter cup.
Plunge slowly and evenly.
Serve straight away and savour every sip.
Not quite right?
If you’re finding your coffee coming out bitter then adjust your grind to be coarser or if you’re leaving your coffee to continue to steep after the five minutes, try scraping away most of the grounds. If the brew tastes acidic or weak then try making your coffee grind finer or leaving your brew a little longer before pouring.
What coffee should I choose?
As an immersion brew, a considerable amount of small coffee grounds will have effectively dissolved in your brew and will find their way through your cafetiere’s metal mesh. All this means is that your cafetiere coffee ends up with what we refer to as lots of ‘body’ and to some extent will even taste ‘thicker’ than coffees brewed other ways. When brewing with your cafetiere you won’t find delicate and floral flavours jump out at you but if you choose a good ‘house’ coffee then you’re all set. Keep an eye out for medium-roasted or even slightly darker-roasted coffees with notes of chocolate or caramel.
Unsure where to start? Why not try our classic, house coffee – COAST TO COAST