Learning how to brew your filter coffee with a cafetiere, otherwise known as the French press method, couldn’t be easier with our step-by-step brew guide to preparing, steeping and pouring the perfect brew. The cafetiere method allows you ultimate control over dosage and coffee brewing time, meaning you can easily learn how to create an awesome tailor-made cup for you.
Step 1: Boil your water
Start out by boiling your water. It will need to sit for a moment to ensure it comes down to the optimum temperature for brewing coffee - between 92 - 96°C.
Top tip: we recommend using filtered water to extract the best flavours from your coffee.
Step 2: Preheat your cafetière & cup
Pop some hot water into your cafetiere and cup to preheat them. Dispose of the water once they are warm.
Top tip: preheating your cafetiere and cup will help to prevent a drop in temperature during brewing.
Step 3: Weigh & grind coffee
Measure the appropriate amount of coffee based on the size of your cafetiere and grind it to a coarse grind size similar to that of granulated sugar (unless already pre-ground).
What cafetiere do you have? Generally speaking a 3 Cup Cafetiere will take 350ml of water, and an 8 Cup Cafetiere will take 800ml of water.
Step 4: Pour in water & brew
Start your timer and pour your water into the coffee. While pouring, make sure to maintain a consistent circular motion to agitate the coffee grinds and enhance the brewing process.
Brew the coffee for 2 minutes before giving it a little stir with a spoon. Then allow it to brew for a further 2 - 3 minutes.
Top tip: stirring helps to agitate the grinds and encourage further extraction for a more full bodied brew.
Step 5: Plunge your coffee, pour & enjoy!
Now it’s time to press down the plunger and secure the lid onto your cafetiere. Slowly lower the plunger to prevent coffee grinds from pushing in above the mesh. Serve your coffee straight away to prevent over-extraction, and voila! You’re ready to enjoy a delicious, bold cup of coffee.
Top tip: the plunger should lower smoothly without much resistance. If your plunger doesn’t want to plunge, it could be because your grind size is too fine or you’ve put too much ground coffee in your cafetiere.
Cafetière coffee
For a full immersion brewing method that’s easy, consistent and reliable, the Cafetiere is a top choice. This iconic brewer has stood the test of time since its invention in 1929 and is perfect for making multiple cups of rich, full-bodied coffee. With our easy-to-follow guide and a few Mozzo tips, you’ll be brewing like a pro in no time.
Personalise your cup of coffee:
Change to a different grind size, dose and brew time will extract different flavours from your coffee. Personalise your cup of coffee to your tastes by using the information below:
- Adjust your grind: coarser coffee grinds will produce a lighter-bodied brew. While finer grinds will give you a fuller-bodied coffee.
- Adjust your dose: by changing the dose of ground coffee you use, you can adjust the strength of your coffee to your liking.
- Adjust your brew time: similar to a tea bag, leaving ground coffee in contact with hot water for too long can result in an overly bitter and over-extracted cup of coffee. Our brew time is only a guide. Decrease or increase the brew time to adjust the intensity of the brew to your taste.