Brewing Basics – Cafetiere

Cafetiere also known as French Press or Coffee plunger, is probably the most underrated method of brewing coffee. It is cheap, easy, repeatable and just about everyone has one at home.

Considering its name, it seems somewhat surprising to discover that the most familiar version of the French Press was invented and patented by an Italian called Attilio Calimani in1928.

The other relatively unique aspect of French Press is the way that it filters the grounds from the brewing liquid: by using the metal mesh. Due to relatively large holes in the mesh more of the non-soluble material from the coffee gets into the cup. The advantage of this is you get a little of the oil and some tiny suspended pieces of coffee in the cup, which gives the resulting brew a bigger, richer body and texture. The disadvantage is what puts many people off the French Press:the sludge. At the bottom of the cup you will often find a reasonable quantity of silty  particles of coffee that (if accidentally drunk) are quite unpleasant.

METHOD

GRIND SIZE: Course

RATIO: 75G Coffee per 1L

BREW TIME: 4 minutes

• Preheat your Cafetiere by pouring in some boiling water and giving it a swirl.
• Discard the water, then put in your pre-measured ground coffee.
• Pour some just-of boiling water over the coffee to saturate all the grounds, then slowly pour in the rest of the measured water.
• Let it steep for 4 minutes, with the plunger cap on, but not pressed down (that’ll stop the heat escaping)
• Remove the plunger, then stir three times with a spoon.
• A little foam and some floating grounds will remain on the top. Use the spoon to scoop them off.
• Replace the plunger, and carefully plunge at a slow, steady pace.
• For the best result, don’t let the brewed coffee sit on its grounds for more than a few minutes.