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Cafetieres/French Press Coffee Makers - Introduction

French Press coffee machines, also known as cafetieres, are preferred by many coffee purists because less of the fine, powdery grounds are filtered through into the coffee, giving a more satisfyingly flavoured brew.

The water also comes into contact with the coffee at all times, more so than during the drip brewing process, reducing the likelihood of over or under extraction if you don’t stop the brewing at the right time.

French Press coffee makers are also very useful if you only want to make one or two cups of coffee.

How Do Cafetiere/French Press Coffee Makers Work?

This type of coffee maker works in a very simple manner. Place the recommended amount of ground coffee in the glass pot, using coarse to very coarse powder. Then pour in water that isn’t quite at boiling point (roughly 200 degrees) and place the lid on the top, but don’t press the plunger down. Leave your coffee to brew for about 3 to 4 minutes.

Once the brewing time is up, slowly push down the filter rod, which will push the ground coffee to the bottom of the pot. Using coarsely ground coffee will make this easier. Once the plunger is fully pushed down, your coffee is ready to serve.

Further Information

You can also find some hints and tips on what to look for when choosing a French Press coffee maker on our How to Choose and Buy page.

You can find out about specific brands and models of cafetiere/French Press coffee maker in our Brands section and on our Top Models page.

For information about some of the top online suppliers, including details of their delivery times and post and packaging costs, visit our Where to Buy section.