Cafetière
The humble French press. Big body, big flavour, no fuss — and our favourite way to brew for a table.
Where it comes from
The cafetière story goes back to 1850s France — there's a tale of an old Frenchman who'd take a tin pot and a wire-gauze plunger on his walks to escape his nagging wife.
The first commercial brewer we'd recognise today appeared in France in 1913, called the Cafeolette. It used hot milk to brew the coffee — the origin of café au lait.
It's still the most democratic brewer there is. Coffee in, water in, wait, plunge, pour. No filters to buy, no gear to fuss with.
Watch the brew · Common Coffee on Vimeo
What you'll need
- Cafetière (3-cup / 1L)
- Kettle
- Scales
- Spoon
- Timer
Step by step
- 01
Warm the brewer
PrepRinse the cafetière with hot water and tip it out. Cold glass robs heat from your brew.
- 02
Coffee in, water in
0:00Add 60g of coarse coffee. Pour 1000g of just-off-boil water in one steady stream, getting all the grounds wet.
- 03
Break the crust
4:00After 4 minutes, stir the crust gently with a spoon and skim off the foam and floating grounds. This is the move that lifts the cup.
- 04
Plunge & pour
4:30Drop the plunger in and press slowly to the bottom. Pour straight away — coffee left sitting on the grounds turns bitter.
Small things, big difference
Decant any leftover coffee into a warm mug or flask — don't leave it on the grounds.
If your cup is muddy, your grind is too fine. Coarse is your friend here.
