Making the best cafetiere coffee is a combination of both your choice of coffee as well as having patience with your brewing technique. Whilst brewing the perfect cup of coffee from a cafetiere can take several minutes, the overall taste and aroma is certainly worth it if you have the time.
Today we’re going to look at some of the best cafetiere (or French Press) coffee options available in the UK.
[lwptoc hideItems=”1″]What Kind of Coffee Should You Get for a Cafetiere/French Press?
To get the most flavour out of your coffee you should always buy your coffee fresh. With time, coffee starts to lose its flavour due to oxidation and you’ll often find coffees bought from places such as supermarkets fall foul to this.
In terms of the type of coffee, you can either purchase freshly ground coffee or if you have a grinder at home, whole coffee beans. If you do grind your own coffee beans, make sure the ground is coarse.
Our list below features some of the best coffee makers in the UK who will help you create the perfect cafetiere coffee.
1. Spiller & Tait – Best Cafetiere Coffee Overall
Spiller & Tait won our ‘best coffee beans‘ category so it comes as no surprise that they get our vote as the best cafetiere coffee overall.
With the longer brewing time, cafetiere coffee can really extract lots of flavour and aromas and that’s exactly what we got when testing the Signature Blend. It’s made up of 5 Arabica coffees in a delightfully rich and full-bodied tasting blend that brings out different tasting notes for each cup you make.
We always recommend choosing your coffee based on its freshness and Spiller & Tait know this better than anyone. They regularly roast their coffee in small batches so you can be sure you’re getting the freshest possible ground coffee for your cafetiere.
We should also mention this particular blend won the prestigious Great Taste Award in 2017. When industry experts are raving about them, you know they’re good!
Overall, the 500g bag is fantastic value for money and consistently results in a great cafetiere coffee.
Pros
- Ground ready for cafetiere brewing
- They offer fantastic customer service including follow up advice on how to brew your coffee
- Every cup offers you something slightly different
- In our experience we’ve always received a freshly roasted bag which means the flavour is always at its best
Cons
- None
Final Verdict
Whilst there are many great coffees on this list, we couldn’t look past Spiller & Tait. The combination of great taste, freshness and value for money is second to none.
2. Brown Bear
Brown Bear have worked hard to produce gourmet coffee at an affordable price and their Real Colombia single origin does just that.
Perfect for brewing in a cafetiere, expect a wonderfully bright coffee with tasting notes of sweet toffee apple and marzipan. It’s a medium roast that also gives off a nutty flavour whilst avoiding a bitter aftertaste.
Brown Bear regularly roast their coffee beans in small batches, giving you a freshness you know you can rely on. When we received our pack we noticed the roast date was only a few days before which is very important when choosing the best cafetiere coffee.
Overall, Brown Bear offer great value for money – the price per gram is much lower than other companies with similar coffee and if bought in bulk (1KG option) it’s even cheaper!
Pros
- Great overall value for money with a low price per gram
- Perfect to enjoy at any time of the day
- Smooth taste without any bitterness
- The grounds are perfectly coarse for cafetieres
Cons
- None
Final Verdict
This ground coffee is perfectly coarse for a cafetiere and the taste rivals even the most expensive gourmet coffees on the market. If you like medium roasts, this is the best cafetiere coffee for you.
3. Marley Coffee
Marley Coffee’s Misty Morning is the perfect dark roast cafetiere coffee to wake up to. It’s strong, has a great flavour profile and leaves no bitter aftertaste.
In terms of the taste and aroma, expect a gorgeous, strong, nutty aroma upon opening. Once brewed, expect plenty of body and tones of ripe red apple and apricots. The nutty aroma also lingers as a lasting aftertaste.
The grounds are suitably coarse for a cafetiere (or French Press if you call it that) and release plenty of flavour during the elongated brewing process. For coffee connoisseurs it can sometimes lack the freshness of other roasters but for the price, it’s overall good value.
Pros
- Provides a nice, strong flavour profile
- Great for those who prefer a darker roast
- Rated an average of 9.4/10 by thousands of customers
- Good coarseness for use in a cafetiere
Cons
- Sometimes isn’t as fresh as it could be
Final Verdict
As an everyday coffee this hits all the right notes. It has plenty of flavour, is well suited to cafetieres and doesn’t cost the earth.
4. Cartwright & Butler – Best Cafetiere Coffee Gift Set
Whilst Cartwright & Butler is more of a family bakery than a coffee roastery, they win our category for the best cafetiere coffee gift set.
The beans they use are the highest quality Arabica beans. Their Traditional Coffee is a medium roast and the final product is a coffee that’s intense but smooth.
As an independent, Cartwright & Butler regularly roast coffee beans in small batches which allows for the preservation of flavour. After they’re ground, they’re stored in an airtight gold tin that not only spares the grounds from oxidation but also makes for a fantastic looking gift.
Pros
- A nice medium roast that can be enjoyed by anyone
- Makes a perfect gift for a coffee lover
- Suitable to be brewed in a cafetiere
- The coffee is vacuum packed to ensure freshness
Cons
- Lacks a unique flavour
Final Verdict
When gifting coffee, it’s often hard to get the flavour right but this York Blend, whilst not earth-shattering, has good flavour that’s not too overpowering and can be enjoyed by everyone. The reusable gold tin is a fantastic extra gift feature.
5. Starbucks – Best Cafetiere Coffee by Reviews
Starbucks cafetiere coffee makes our list by virtue of lots of positive reviews by consumers and to be fair, their Veranda blend is one of the better light roasts available.
The Veranda blend is light bodied and has a delicate, fresh aroma when opening. In terms of taste, expect mellow cocoa notes along with a hint of lightly toasted nuts.
The coffee arrives fresh and has a long lasting use by date but we’d recommend using within a week or so once opened to enjoy maximum freshness. The lighter taste means oxidation doesn’t accentuate the bitterness like it would with a darker roast.
Coffee purists might prefer something stronger but if you’re just starting out on your speciality coffee journey, it’s worth trying if only to dip your toes in the water.
Pros
- Perfect for those who’ve yet to develop a palate for darker roasts
- Good value for money
- Has a light taste and can be drank by anyone
- It has lots of 5* reviews from happy customers
Cons
- The taste might seem a bit bland to someone with a more developed palate
Final Verdict
If you’re an instant coffee drinker looking to make the switch to more specialty coffees, Starbucks’ Veranda blend is probably a good place to start. It’s smooth, not at all overpowering and overall is good value for money when made in a cafetiere.
6. Presto
Presto Ground Coffee is a delightful espresso roast and is one of the best cafetiere coffees you can buy. Grown in the high altitudes of the Mogiana region in Brazil, these 100% Arabica beans are perfectly ground for use in a cafetiere.
It’s rich and full-bodied and is regarded as the best of Presto’s extensive range of coffees. In terms of taste, expect rich chocolate undertones tempered by a sweet fruitiness that’s finished with with almond and hazelnut. We especially love this coffee as you really get to experience different hints of flavour with each mouthful.
This particular coffee comes in either a refill tin, 500g bag or 1KG bag with the 1KG bag offering the best value for money.
Pros
- Perfect for those who enjoy a medium roast coffee
- Offers great value for money
- Gives a wonderful strong taste if left in the cafetiere for longer
- Presto offer a full refund if you don’t enjoy it making it a risk free choice
Cons
- It lacks character
Final Verdict
Presto’s Espresso Roast is a solid investment for any coffee lover. It’s not the strongest coffee in the world but still has a nice taste and aroma. Whilst classified as a medium roast we wouldn’t say it’s as strong as a typical medium roast.
7. Kiss the Hippo 
Kiss the Hippo are a great little independent coffee maker and their mellow and well balanced coffee is one of the best coffees for cafetieres. The coffee beans are farmed in Colombia and are washed so you know they are high in quality.
When it comes to the taste, expect something quite mellow with a tasting profile that consists of caramel, honey and green apple.
The beans are regularly roasted and then stored in a resealable nitrogen-flushed bag which facilitates maximum freshness and allows for easy storage.
We should mention that these are the only whole beans we’ve included on this list so if you are thinking about purchasing these, make sure you have a grinder handy at home.
Pros
- These are quality washed coffee beans
- Has achieved a 9.8/10 rating for flavour according to multiple online reviews
- The packaging is great at keeping the coffee beans fresh
- They’re good value for money
Cons
- Needs to be ground at home
Final Verdict
If you’re looking for a great tasting cafetiere coffee, this is one for you.
What’s the Difference Between a Cafetiere and French Press?
There’s NO difference between a cafetiere and a French press which often leaves people confused. They’re two different phrases for the same thing with British people often opting to call it ‘cafetiere’ and other countries calling it a French Press.
How Does a Cafetiere or French Press Work?
A cafetiere is one of the simplest but best manual coffee makers around and has produced great coffees around the world since it was patented by Attilo Calimani way back in 1929.
The modern design typically consists of 2 simple parts, the carafe and the plunger. The process of making coffee in a cafetiere is one where patience is key and a good cup of coffee is usually the result of a good 10 minutes of preparation and waiting.
Here’s the simple process of how a cafetiere works:
- You add your coarse coffee grounds to the carafe before adding in just-off-the-boil water and stirring them together
- Wait around 5 minutes so that the water absorbs the flavours of the ground coffee
- Most of the grounds will be at the bottom of the carafe after 5 minutes or so
- Spoon away any froth or remaining grounds from the top of your coffee
- Press down slowly with your plunger until you reach the point just above the grounds
- It’s tempting to start pouring at this point but wait a few more minutes to get the ultimate flavour
- Pour and enjoy
Summary
The best cafetiere coffees start with choosing the right coffee. All of the coffees on our list have been tried and tested by our team and have been backed up by thousands of online reviews, saving you time and effort. Whether you like a dark, medium or light roast, there should be something on this list perfect for you palette.
If you enjoyed this article, why not check out our “best filter coffee machine” article where we advise you on the best filter coffee machines in the UK.