Cafetière brew guide

How to use a cafetière to brew at home like a Japanese coffee master

A classic piece of kit for home brewing, the cafetière is one of the simplest ways to brew coffee at home – provided you use it correctly. To avoid the common mistakes that can spoil your coffee, read on and let our coffee masters guide you in your pursuit of perfection.

What is a cafetière?

Also known as a French Press, the cafetière is a coffee pot typically made of glass, which contains a plunger made of fine mesh attached to the lid. This method brews coffee through immersion, resulting in a heavier bodied cup.

Cafetière brewing equipment:

• Cafetière
• 15g coffee per serve
• Grinder (if not using ground coffee)
• 250ml fresh filtered water per serve
• Pouring kettle
• Paddle or spoon
• Scales
• Timer

Cafetière brew time, ratio, and temperature:

• Cafetière brew time: 4-5 minutes
• Cafetière grind size: Coarse

Note: For the best results we recommend using a coffee grinder to grind your fresh coffee beans right before you brew.

• Coffee to water ratio: 15g grounds and 250ml water per serve

Note: If you like your coffee very strong, try increasing this to 17g per serve. If still not strong enough then you can try a darker roasted coffee for that intense flavour.

• Ideal water temperature: 93 degrees Celsius / about 200 Fahrenheit

Note: If you don’t have a coffee thermometer, we advise to leave boiled water for 1 minute to cool down before pouring to achieve the target extraction and taste from the coffee.

How to make a perfect cup of coffee with a cafetière

Are you ready to begin?

1. To start, preheat your cafetière by filling it with hot water and leaving it to stand for a few minutes. This will help heat up the glass and keep your coffee hotter for longer. (Empty once warmed and before adding any ground coffee).
2. Next, measure out 15g of fresh coffee beans per serve (around two tablespoons) and grind them until they are coarse.
3. Now add your freshly ground coffee into the cafetière and add the required hot water to the grounds making sure they are all wet with no dry patches. 
4. Place your cafetière on the counter with the plunger up and leave for around 4-5 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and skim the grounds off the top with two spoons (the coffee tastes bitter if the grounds are left in) then discard responsibly (e.g. in food waste / on your plants)
6. Finally, slowly start pushing the plunger down until you reach the bottom. 
7. Pour, share, and enjoy.

Now that you've brewed your cafetière coffee, you can also use this to make a host of drinks such as our Japanese iced coffee. 

Lastly, remember to always dispose of your coffee grounds ethically and sustainably. You can always reuse your coffee grounds around the garden.

For more tips and tricks to help you in your pursuit of coffee perfection, check out our coffee brew guide.