Cafetieres

Tea is one of our nation’s favourite pastimes, we’re also rather good at queuing. Yet coffee has certainly become a highlight of people’s morning routines, and who really wants to queue in the morning, waiting for their first coffee of the day? Now you don’t need to anymore! You can brew your own in less time while saving money every day.

Cafetieres (or a French press) can make an excellent present or housewarming gift for someone special. It is such a wonderful thing to wake up to in the morning – a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

What size cafetière should you choose?

Whether you’re a coffee aficionado or a casual drinker of cappuccinos, finding the perfect size can be tricky. There are so many different measures out there and the numbers never seem to quite add up.

So, let’s begin at the beginning, to start with remembering that a cup is smaller than a mug, about 125ml (or 4oz). This leaves space for your milk, or if you’d prefer a mug, you can top it up with some more hot water. This makes those cute little cafetieres (350ml) about 2-3 cups worth of coffee. They're brilliant for those quick coffees during the mad morning rush! The 1000ml French presses can make around 8 cups and are perfect for large families or for a treat when you’re entertaining at a dinner party. *

What do you use in a cafetière?

You use coffee grounds in cafetieres or French presses. Either pre-ground coffee or you can grind it up yourself from coffee beans.

There are many different types and flavours of coffee from all around the world. You can have fun and experiment to find the right flavour and strength for you.

If coffee’s not really your thing, cafetieres can also be used to brew loose leaf tea. The space allows for the flavours to infuse and the plunger means that all the leaves are caught at the bottom and you won’t need to worry about accidentally drinking the odd leaf.

How to use a cafetière?

It’s so simple, honestly! Remove the lid and plunger. Add your ground coffee (around one heaped teaspoon per cup/person or 70-75g per litre). Add your hot water - not boiling as this can burn the grounds and leave your coffee tasting bitter – so add the water just shy of boiling point, let’s say a cool 93°C. Replace the lid with the plunger pulled all the way up and leave it to brew for roughly 4 minutes. *

Now that the timer’s done and your coffee is perfectly brewed to your exact taste, slowly push the plunger down. This will separate the grounds from the coffee. And remember, don’t compact the grounds at the bottom of the jug as this can release a bitter taste.

All that’s left to do is to pour it into your favourite Mugs and enjoy. And maybe learn some coffee art!