CAFETIERE / FRENCH PRESS GRIND COFFEE
What is French press coffee?
A Cafetiere, or French press, is a coffee machine that immerses ground coffee in hot water and then separates the grounds from the coffee by pressing down the filter. Keeping the temperature within 90-100 degrees c, depending on your desired flavour profile, is essential when using a French press. If you brew coffee below 90 degrees C, you won’t extract the full potential from the coffee, resulting in an undesirable cup.
The most significant advantage of this brewing method is using any ground coffee with it. You don’t have to buy pre-ground coffee, which doesn’t always taste as fresh as whole beans unless freshly ground and roasted as Iron and Fire do! Our coffee bean experts have handpicked a range of coffee beans that we feel will work well when brewed using a cafetiere. See our cafetiere coffee brew guides for help, and check out our suggestions below for the best coffees for a cafetiere.
Showing all 17 results
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Colombian Jazz Speciality Blend
Chocolate, Caramel, Cherry From £6.90 Inc VAT -
India Monsooned Malabar AA
Complex, Spice, Tobacco, Malty From £7.55 Inc VAT -
Lo Caf Low Caffeine speciality blend
Chocolate, Caramel, Raisin From £7.60 Inc VAT -
Roaster’s Choice Speciality Coffee
Chocolate, Spice, Fruit, Floral, Nut, Caramel From £8.22 Inc VAT -
Nicaraguan Organic Jinotega Aldea Coffee
Medium Bodied, Cocoa, Almond, Malty From £7.30 Inc VAT -
Costa Rica San Jorge
Lychee, Chocolate, Spice From £8.70 Inc VAT -
On The Rocks Whiskey Infused Blend
Whiskey, Spice, Oak From £7.80 Inc VAT -
House Blend Speciality Coffee
Full Bodied, Chocolate, Nut, Caramel From £6.90 Inc VAT -
Peruvian speciality coffee Lima
Milk Chocolate, Almond, Lemon From £7.70 Inc VAT -
Brazilian Samba Speciality Blend
Rich, Chocolate, Hazelnut From £6.90 Inc VAT -
Papua New Guinea Elimbari
Apple, Chocolate, Treacle From £8.45 Inc VAT -
Severn Blend Speciality Coffee
Full Bodied, Chocolate, Spice, Caramel From £7.80 Inc VAT -
Choc A Bloc Speciality Blend
Milk Chocolate, Caramel, Smooth From £8.45 Inc VAT -
Mombasa Twilight Speciality Blend
Full Bodied, Chocolate, Floral, Berry From £8.45 Inc VAT -
The Dark Side Speciality Blend
Full Bodied, Cacao, Tobacco, Treacle From £6.90 Inc VAT -
Honduras Women’s Project
Toffee, Chocolate, Fruit From £7.40 Inc VAT -
Burundi Mutambu Coffee
Caramel, Nectarine, Red Berry From £8.45 Inc VAT
What is the Best Coffee for Cafetiere?
The cafetiere’s total immersion process makes it harder to over-extract your coffee. This simple saturation method makes the cafetiere an ideal brewing method for beginners. Not much can go wrong, and it generally provides a rich, robust, full-bodied cup of cafetiere coffee.
Coffee from South and Central America and Indonesia often works well with the cafetiere. These countries usually provide coffee beans with nutty and chocolate tones that work well with the French Press method.
In addition to the flavour profile, there are types of roasts that best suit the cafetiere brewing method. While you can brew any coffee with a cafetiere, fuller-bodied, more decadent coffees or medium and dark-roasted coffee beans are, in broad terms, appropriate for brewing with the cafetiere. A dash of milk works well with the earthy, chocolatey flavour it tends to bring out of the profiles.
Our coffee experts recommend looking for nutty and rich flavours such as hazelnuts, almonds and chocolate.
The Ideal Grind for Cafetiere Coffee
The best grind size for your cafetiere is a coarse grind, similar to kosher or sea salt. Grind size is not as crucial for cafetiere as with other methods; however, the advantage of going coarse means you are less likely to get coffee solids in your drink.
When using a cafetiere, keeping the temperature within a 90-100°C range is essential, depending on your desired flavour profile. Brewing coffee below 90°C will prevent it from achieving its full potential, resulting in an undesirable cup.
Don’t have your coffee grinder? We stock a range of high-quality coffee grinders, ensuring that you have the perfect coffee grind!
History of the French Press
Unsurprisingly, it was a Frenchman who created the very first French press. It was created by necessity when he noticed that he had not added coffee to his already boiling water. He needed something that would press down the coffee into the water, or it would float at the top, and he wouldn’t enjoy his coffee.
He found a passing merchant, a stick, and a piece of metal, which allowed him to plunge. The French press has come a long way from that and has become one of the most popular home coffee brewing methods, producing a rich cup of coffee.
Frequently asked questions
Is french press coffee worth it?
This coffee brew is excellent if you love more decadent, full-bodied coffee. This brewing method favours chocolatey roast profiles. However, you can brew almost any coffee with a cafetiere with great success. They are really user-friendly and perfect for fuss-free coffee.
How much coffee do you put in a french press?
We recommend using 1 part coffee to 15 parts water or 20g of coffee to 300g of water. This is a great starting point, and if you prefer your coffee a little stronger, you can reduce the ratio to suit your tastes. If you prefer weaker coffee, then just add more water. Use a brew time of around 4 minutes to extract the coffee fully.
Can you use regular ground coffee in a french press?
We recommend using a coarser coffee grind for your cafetiere, which we can grind for you. If you have a pre-ground coffee, reduce the brew time for the finer grind size.
What is the ratio for french press or cafetiere coffee?
We usually opt for 1 part coffee to 15 parts water as a good starting point.
How long should coffee steep in a french press?
We usually recommend around 4 minutes as a guide to steep your coffee in your cafetiere, then adjust to taste.
Can you make cold brew in a cafetiere?
You can make cold brew in a cafetiere! You will need to increase the time of brewing to fully extract your coffee, and you will need a coffee filter for afterwards, but we have a blog post here that gives you a step-by-step guide.
How do you make coffee in a cafetiere?
Cafetieres are simple and make great coffee. First, add your ground coffee to your cafetiere and top it with your off-boil water. Give it a quick stir to ensure all the coffee is wet, and leave to brew for 4 minutes. Add your plunger, and plunge through the water until it is halfway through, then pour. Read our step-by-step guide here.
How much coffee do you put in a cafetiere?
How much coffee you put in your cafetiere will depend on the size of your cafetiere, but usually, one serving, anywhere between 15g and 20g of coffee, is a good starting point. Adjust with more coffee or more water to taste. Read our step-by-step guide here.
What is the difference between filter coffee and cafetiere?
Filter coffee is a percolated brew in which water passes over the coffee to extract it, which is usually filtered out using a paper filter. This results in a lighter cup of coffee with less oil or residue. Cafetiere is an immersion brew in which the coffee is steeped for a period of time to extract it. This usually leads to a fuller-bodied cup with a little bit of oil and silt present in the cup. Read our blogs for tips and brew recipes
