A cafetière is one of the simplest ways to make full-bodied coffee at home, but the coffee you choose makes a real difference. The best starting point is a medium or medium-dark roast with a coarse, even grind. This combination gives the coffee enough time to develop sweetness, body and flavour without becoming muddy or bitter.
If you prefer a brighter, fruitier cup, start with a medium roast. For smooth chocolate, caramel and nut flavours, medium-dark is usually the safest choice. Dark roasts work well when you want a stronger, heavier cup, especially with milk.
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Our top recommendations:
| What you enjoy | Best roast | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Bright and fruity | Medium roast | More origin character, fruit and gentle acidity |
| Smooth and balanced | Medium-dark roast | Sweetness, rounded body and chocolate or nut notes |
| Bold and strong | Dark roast | Fuller body, lower perceived acidity and a deeper roast flavour |
| Coffee without most of the caffeine | Medium-dark decaf | Good body and sweetness that suit immersion brewing |
What is the best roast for a cafetière?
Medium roast: brighter and more aromatic
A medium roast keeps more of the coffee’s natural character. In a cafetière, it can give you a fragrant cup with fruit, floral notes and gentle acidity. It is a good choice if you usually drink your coffee black and enjoy tasting the difference between origins.
Rwanda Inzovu – Medium Roast is a good place to begin. It is a light, bright and fruity speciality coffee, and the cafetière’s full-immersion method gives it body while retaining its lively character.
Medium-dark roast: the best all-round choice
For most cafetière drinkers, medium-dark is the easiest recommendation. It produces a smooth, rounded cup with enough roast development for chocolate, caramel and nut flavours, while keeping the coffee’s natural sweetness. It works well black and is strong enough for a dash of milk.
Rich Merchant is our everyday all-rounder. This speciality blend is smooth and balanced, with chocolate, nuts and subtle fruit. Monsooned Malabar adds body, making it particularly well suited to cafetière brewing.
If you prefer a single-origin coffee, try Brazil Cachoeira – Medium-Dark Roast. Its natural process helps develop caramel sweetness, hazelnut richness and smooth chocolate character. It makes a comforting, easy-drinking cafetière with a rounded body.
Dark roast: fuller and bolder
A dark roast is a good match if you want a strong, full-flavoured cup or usually add milk. Because a cafetière keeps more of the coffee’s natural oils in the drink than a paper-filter method, dark roasts can taste especially rich. Avoid brewing for too long, as this can bring out unwanted bitterness.
Mexico Siltepec El Jaguar – Dark Roast offers caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon and dark chocolate notes. It has depth without relying on heavy smokiness, making it a balanced choice for anyone moving from a medium-dark to a darker roast.
What grind size is best for a cafetière?
Use a coarse, even grind, similar in texture to coarse sea salt. A cafetière uses a metal mesh filter, so coffee that is ground too finely can pass through the filter, leave sediment in the cup and make the brew taste harsh.
- Too fine: the plunger may feel difficult to press and the coffee can taste bitter, dry or muddy.
- Too coarse: the coffee may taste thin, weak or slightly sour.
- Just right: the grounds look evenly coarse, the plunger moves smoothly and the cup tastes sweet and balanced.
If you do not grind at home, simply choose Cafetiere from the grind options on any of the coffees above. If you buy whole beans, grind them just before brewing for the freshest flavour.
Our simple cafetière recipe
A useful starting ratio is 60g of coffee per litre of water. For one 250ml mug, use around 15g of coffee.
- Preheat the cafetière with hot water, then empty it.
- Add coarsely ground coffee.
- Pour in freshly boiled water that has rested briefly.
- Stir gently so all the grounds are wet.
- Leave to brew for four minutes.
- Press the plunger down slowly and evenly.
- Pour the coffee straight away so it does not continue extracting.
Taste the result before changing too many things. If it is weak, use a little more coffee or grind slightly finer. If it is bitter or drying, grind slightly coarser or shorten the brew time.
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Can you make decaf coffee in a cafetière?
Yes. A cafetière is an excellent way to brew decaf because the immersion method helps create a rounded cup with plenty of body. Colombia Swiss Water Decaf – Medium-Dark Roast is a balanced option with chocolatey, smooth and gently fruity character. Choose the Cafetiere grind when ordering.
Frequently asked questions
Is medium or dark roast better for a cafetière?
Neither is automatically better, but medium-dark is the most versatile starting point. Choose medium for a brighter, fruitier cup and dark for a stronger, heavier flavour.
Can I use espresso-ground coffee in a cafetière?
It is not recommended. Espresso grind is much too fine for the cafetière’s metal filter and can produce a muddy, bitter cup that is difficult to plunge.
How long should cafetière coffee brew?
Start with four minutes. You can then adjust the grind, coffee dose or brew time to suit your taste.
How much coffee should I use?
Use around 60g per litre of water, or 15g for a 250ml mug. For a 1-litre cafetière, start with 60g.
Should I buy beans or ground coffee?
Whole beans stay fresher for longer, provided you have a burr grinder that can produce an even coarse grind. Otherwise, order freshly roasted coffee and select the Cafetiere grind.
Find your cafetière coffee
The best coffee is the one that suits the way you like to drink it. Start with a smooth medium-dark roast, then move lighter for more fruit or darker for greater intensity. Every linked coffee in this guide is available in a dedicated Cafetiere grind, so you can brew it without guesswork.
Explore the full Cafetières Coffees collection or browse all freshly roasted coffee beans.
