If you’re making a cup of coffee at home, or you work in an office where it’s practical to make coffee little and often, using a cafetière can be a good and inexpensive option. One of the simplest ways to make fresh coffee, the cafetière is a metal, glass or ceramic pot with a plunge handle, which allows you to brew the coffee then trap the grounds in a filter before pouring. The main problem with cafetières is inconsistency with the brew time and the water temperature, which leads to variations in coffee taste. If you’re serious about your coffee though, a little extra effort should give you a great result.
Brewing Temperature
For the perfect cup of coffee, the water should be just off the boil, or around 90.5 to 96.1 degrees Celsius. For a consistently accurate result, you’d need to invest in a thermometer and test the water each time before adding it to the coffee. For practical purposes through, letting the kettle boil and then counting to 20 should allow enough time for the water to cool sufficiently.
Brewing time
Experts generally recommend that coffee made in a cafetière is allowed to brew for four minutes. There are lots of variables, of course, including the size of the coffee grounds, the type of coffee and the personal preference of the drinker, but three and a half minutes should be a good starting point. Test the coffee after that time has elapsed, and allow it to stand for another 30 seconds if you’d prefer a richer, more intense flavour.
However you choose to brew your coffee, at the Wholesale Coffee Company we can help you with a range of coffee beans, coffee accessories and coffee ingredients, all available at wholesale prices. To browse our full range, please visit our coffee beans page.