Cafetière (French Press)
Full-immersion brewer with a metal mesh plunger.
Simple, brews for several people at once, and produces a fuller-bodied cup.
How to use a cafetière
A cafetière and a French press are the same device — cafetière is simply the usual British name for it.
A cafetière brews by full immersion: coffee and water sit together for several minutes, then a metal mesh plunger separates them. Nothing to plug in, nothing to master.
Because the mesh lets oils and fine particles through, the result is a heavier-bodied cup than paper-filtered coffee.
- Ratio
- 60–70 g per litre
- Grind
- Coarse
- Steep
- 4 minutes
Step by step
- 1
Warm the jug
Swill hot water around the glass jug and tip it out. A cold jug drops the brew temperature straight away.
- 2
Weigh and grind coarse
Grind to the texture of coarse sea salt. As a starting point use 60 g of coffee per litre of water (about 15 g of coffee to 250 ml) — the ratio range published by the Specialty Coffee Association for filter coffee — then adjust to taste. A 3-cup (350 ml) cafetière takes about 21 g; an 8-cup (1 litre) takes about 60 g.
Coarse, even grinding keeps fines — and sludge — down. - 3
Add water just off the boil
Boil the kettle and let it stand for about 30 seconds (roughly 93–96C). Pour in all the water at once, wetting every bit of the grounds.
- 4
Stir the crust after one minute
A crust of grounds forms on the surface. Break it with a spoon at about one minute and give it a gentle stir; most of the floating grounds will sink.
- 5
Steep for four minutes
Put the lid on with the plunger raised and leave it for a total of about four minutes. Longer steeps taste heavier and more bitter.
- 6
Plunge slowly
Press the plunger down steadily over 15–20 seconds. If it fights you, your grind is too fine; if it drops with no resistance, it is too coarse.
- 7
Decant everything straight away
Pour the whole jug out immediately. Coffee left sitting on the grounds keeps extracting and turns bitter.
Coffee-to-water ratio chart
| Cafetière size | Water | Coffee (standard) | Coffee (stronger) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-cup | 350 ml | 21 g | 25 g |
| 4-cup | 500 ml | 30 g | 35 g |
| 6-cup | 750 ml | 45 g | 53 g |
| 8-cup | 1 litre | 60 g | 70 g |
| 12-cup | 1.5 litres | 90 g | 105 g |
Cafetière coffee ratio by jug size, using 60 g of coffee per litre of water (the Specialty Coffee Association filter ratio) and a stronger 70 g per litre for a fuller cup. "Cup" sizes are the manufacturers' own markings, not mug-sized servings.
Tips
- Leave the last centimetre in the jug — that is where the sludge collects.
- A cafetière suits medium and darker roasts and washed coffees with body; very light roasts often show better in a pour-over.
- Rinse the mesh discs apart after each use; trapped oils go rancid and taint later brews.
What you need
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Timemore Chestnut C3
Manual burr grinder with stainless steel conical burrs.
A widely recommended entry-level hand grinder: consistent grind for filter coffee at a modest cost.
Coffee Scale with Timer
Digital scale with 0.1 g precision and an integrated brew timer.
Lets you follow roaster recipes exactly and repeat a great cup.
See the full list on our coffee gear page, and buy beans direct from UK specialty roasters.
Frequently asked questions
- How much coffee do I put in a cafetière?
- Use about 60 g of coffee per litre of water — roughly 15 g per 250 ml cup. That is the middle of the Specialty Coffee Association's recommended filter brewing ratio. For a stronger cup go up to 70 g per litre rather than steeping for longer.
- How long should coffee steep in a cafetière?
- About four minutes in total, including the stir at one minute. Beyond that the coffee keeps extracting and turns bitter, so plunge and pour the whole jug out at four minutes.
- What grind size is right for a cafetière?
- Coarse — about the texture of coarse sea salt. If the plunger is hard to press or the cup is silty, the grind is too fine; if the plunger drops with no resistance and the coffee tastes weak, grind finer.
- Should the water be boiling?
- No. Boil the kettle, then wait around 30 seconds so the water sits at roughly 93–96C. Fully boiling water scorches the grounds and adds harshness.
- Why is my cafetière coffee muddy?
- Fine particles pass through the mesh. Grind coarser, plunge slowly over 15–20 seconds, decant the whole jug immediately and leave the last centimetre behind — that is where the sludge sits.
- Is a cafetière the same as a French press?
- Yes. Cafetière is the usual British name for the same immersion brewer sold elsewhere as a French press or press pot, and the method is identical.