French Press or Bialetti Percolator Coffee Maker - Smyth's Homevalue

If you are like me and can’t properly start your day until the first drop of coffee hits your lips then this is for you. As a cookshop with a lot of different types of coffee makers, we have a lot of experience when it comes to choosing the right coffee maker for you. Coffee has blown up over the last few years with new innovations and products making their way onto the market.

Here, we will look at two types of manual coffee makers, the cafetiere / French press and the Bialetti Moka Pot. We will go through what you can expect from these types of coffee makers and the type of coffee it produces.

• Cafetiere, also known as a French Press - A cafetière or a French press is a heatproof container, typically made of glass, with a strainer attached to the lid. Once the coffee has brewed, you plunge the strainer to the bottom to separate the spent coffee grounds from the coffee, leaving your perfectly brewed coffee to pour from the spout and the grounds remain secured in the base.

• Coffee Percolator – A coffee percolator works by forcing steam through the coffee grounds. The water boils up through the coffee grounds and is then collected in the third chamber. Only by now, it's not water, it's coffee.

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to coffee. We will look at some examples of these types of coffee makers and you can be the judge of which might suit you the best. If you are like me, you will end up with one of each, and chop and change depending on the type of coffee you want to make that day.

Cafetiere / French Press Coffee:

For best results using a cafetiere or French press we recommend using a medium ground bean, this will give you optimum taste, prevent the coffee grind passing through the strainer and make it easy to plunge. This is one of the most popular ways of brewing coffee and probably one of the easiest ways. You can expect a higher bodied taste, mixed flavour and less transparent coffee. The coffee itself will be cloudy.

Here are a couple of examples of Cafetiere / French Press Coffee makers we stock:

3 Cup Judge Double Walled French Press - €39.99

The Judge Double Walled Cafetiere French Press coffee plunger is a great option for a number of reasons. The double walled container keeps your coffee hot for longer as it seals in the heat. It’s stylish design is something to behold, there is no need to hide this away in the press, this can take pride of place on your countertop.

The Café Ole Colours Cafetiere French Press Coffee Plunger is your typical, iconic style French press. Simple and sleek in design. The glass container allows for clear visibility. Cleverly and safely designed to protect your hands and worktops from hot surfaces.

Coffee Percolator – We will be specifically talking about the Bialetti Moka Pot here:

The Bialetti is iconic in design and produces a cup of coffee that is equal in its beauty to the design of the of the coffee maker. The strength of this coffee is somewhere between filtered coffee and espresso coffee. This iconic Italian stove top coffee maker is without doubt my favourite type of coffee maker, the sound and aroma it creates when brewing is incredible.

We stock all sizes of Bialetti, here is the most popular size:

Bialetti 2 Cup Moka Express Coffee Maker - €24.99

 Of course, crucial to all these types of coffee makers is the coffee grinder. Here is an option worth considering in a coffee grinder:

The Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder expertly controls the coarseness of coffee grind you are looking for. It quickly and efficiently grinds your coffee. Stylish, lightweight and easy to use. It will become an essential part of your coffee brewing. 

Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder - €39.99