When it comes to making the perfect cup of coffee, the beans matter a lot. During my 10+ years as a professional barista and coffee trainer, I've tried many beans to find the best coffee for cafetiere lovers in the UK.
Whether you call it a French press or a cafetiere, this brewing method needs special beans.
First, finding the best coffee for French press can be fun but tricky.
The cafetiere can make rich and full flavours with the right beans. I have tasted many kinds and am happy to share the best ones.
From strong, earthy blends to smooth flavours, these coffees have earned a spot in my kitchen.
These three brands below have given me the best cafetiere coffee beans! Try them:
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Balance Coffee (Beginners & Expert Friendly) + GET 15% OFF
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Volcanica
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Koa Coffee
Note: Use the below SKIP LINKS to navigate to the section majority of the 2000 readers focus on.
What Coffee is the Best for Cafetiere UK?
The Rotate Espresso by Balance Coffee is, hands down, the best coffee for Cafetiere UK right now! It's a medium-dark roast, 100% Arabica and created to perfection - and of course it's single-origin and of top notch quality too.
To brew flavourful coffee using French Press, coarsely ground coffee steeps in the brewing water for several minutes. This fully extracts all the flavours from the coffee, and you have a fabulous mug of French Press!
The good news is that usually, all types of roast levels and flavour profiles work for Cafetiere. The exception is very dark roast, unless you like it extremely bitter.
But you still need to pick gourmet coffee. After all, no one wants a bitter and over-extracted coffee right before the workday starts, right?
But where can you buy coffee beans for cafetiere? Let's find out below, shall we?
Recommended For You: Best Coffee Beans London (Ultimate Verdict)
Where To Buy Coffee Beans For Cafetiere In The UK
To come up with a helpful list of the best coffee for French Press UK, I also had to research, analyse and measure it against these criteria in the table below.
See Table:
| Analysis Factor | How I Judged The Factor |
|---|---|
| Freshness of The Coffee | Roast date and size of the roasting batches |
| Healthy or Unhealthy Coffee | Tested and screened for nasties like mycotoxins, mould and pesticides |
| Traceability | High-quality sourcing and traceability of the supply chain |
| Flavour Profile (of course!) | Tasting notes and flavours |
| Brand credibility and reputation | Customer reviews |
| Value for money | The price and quality mix |
I have identified seven exceptional winners for our best cafetiere coffee beans list.
Each brand expertly roasts their beans to enhance the flavours and create a delightful cup of coffee using a cafetiere.
These brands have received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from thousands of satisfied customers.
Additionally, as a certified coffee barista with 10+ years of experience, I personally endorse three of the brands on this list.
Because I have bought, drank and tasted tested their coffee beans using my cafetiere I cherish so much.
These 3 brands stand out because, they offer FREE Shipping and FAST delivery to your doorstep. And in some cases even unbelievable discounts.
Limited Time Offer: If you place an order with Balance Coffee now, you will GET 15% OFF to relish in coffee beans specially crafted to enhance your vitality and increase your productivity by 100%.
| Product | Benefits | where to buy |
|---|---|---|
Rotate Espresso |
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Shop & Save 15% |
Costa Rica Peaberry |
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Shop Now |
Estate Coffee |
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Shop Now |
1. The Rotate Espresso by Balance Coffee
I have brewed some of the MOST delicious and rewarding cups of coffee using the Rotate Espresso. And trust me, I have made a lot of coffee in the past ten years!
So how does the Rotate Espresso do it? For starters, it is a speciality-grade, single-origin coffee from the Finca Santa Teresa farm in Mexico.
This 100% Arabica, medium-to-dark roast comes packed with flavoursome notes of rich, dark chocolate and cranberry.
And here’s the secret that will BLOW your mind!
This mouth-watering coffee is completely optimised for your health. That means. its regularly screened and tested for mould, mycotoxins and pesticides, so you get the good stuff.
The Rotate Espresso is rich in antioxidants and is sourced ethically. So feel free to brew a delicious, steaming cup of Cafetiere from the Rotate Espresso as many customers do daily.
See what they have to say for yourself:
Visit Balance Coffee shop to try out the Rotate Espresso.
2. Volcanica Costa Rica Peaberry
Remember how I told you about coarsely-ground coffee being an excellent match for Caftiere? Well, Volcanica’s Costa Rica Peaberry gives you just that!
It is a sweet and bright coffee that is made from Peaberry beans. Despite being ground while you get it, it tastes just as fresh!
This gourmet coffee is shade-grown at a high altitude and certified by the Rainforest Alliance. So you can easily count on its quality!
Regarding the flavour profile, you can enjoy notes of mild citrus.
It’s the perfect coffee to add to your daily caffeine intake and is also one of the best ground coffee for Cafetiere UK.
3. Koa Estate 100% Kona Coffee
Kona coffee beans are known for being some of the highest-quality beans in the world. And that’s because they are grown on an island with unique conditions that keep the beans in good shape.
Koa Coffee is known for supplying premium and 100% Kona coffee.
The flavour profile of the beans has a hint of chocolate coupled with nuts and tropical fruit like coconut.
This coffee is the best dark roast coffee for Cafetiere and, once brewed to perfection, produces a truly exceptional coffee.
4. Koffee Kult Colombian Huila Fresh Coffee Beans
Raise your hand if you’re a Colombian coffee-lover! Well, I know I am, and the reason is simple - some of the best coffee beans from Colombia taste incredible!
Koffee Kult’s Colombian Huila has a strong aroma that fills the room as you open the packet.
These premium Cafetiere coffee beans offer savoury-tasting notes of chocolate that come with a smooth finish and no bitterness!
It also has a muted flavour, so it's perfect for everyone who loves their Cafetiere mild.
5. Coffee Bros. Costa Rica
Another single-origin and medium roast on the list, the Costa Rica coffee by Coffee Bros is also a winner!
So what makes it so unique?
It’s not just any single-origin coffee; it is micro-lot coffee (the most authentic version of single-origin!). The coffee beans are top-notch and can easily be traced back to the producer.
But that’s not only why I picked them.
The beans are 100% Arabica and medium-roasted to yield a full-bodied coffee with sweet notes of cocoa and toffee (yummy, no?).
6. Coffee Bean Direct Sulawesi Kalossi Whole Bean
The Sulawesi Kalossi beans are dark-roasted and originate in Indonesia. The coffee beans have a rich and bold flavour that is hard to forget.
This is also one of the best coffee for Cafetiere in the UK because it has a creamy texture and a smooth finish.
It also has low acidity with hints of berry that works perfectly for sensitive stomachs.
The result of a French Press with these gourmet beans is spectacular.
7. Volcanica Coffee Ethiopia Yirgacheffe
This is one of the few light roasts on my list, but it still does an excellent job for a French Press.
Volcanica Coffee’s Ethiopia Yirgacheffe is distinct in that it is harvested from wild coffee trees.
These Arabica beans have floral and fruity undertones unlike any other you’ll ever taste.
You’ll undoubtedly enjoy its creamy texture, light body and bright flavours.
1. How to choose the best coffee for Cafetiere brewing
You might be asking yourself, what coffee should I buy my Cafetière?
Choosing the right coffee has more to do with learning about your own personal coffee preferences rather than the method of brewing itself.
Here's a quick overview of where coffee actually comes from and how it's produced. This is important to understand, since it'll help you choose the best coffee for your cafetiere later on in this article.
From Coffee Farm, To Cafetiere, To Cup
Coffee is grown in micro climates which provide the perfect environments to produce rich, delicious, flavoursome notes.
The journey of coffee begins somewhere near the equator, across what's known as the 'coffee belt'. Only a certain number of countries provide the perfect growing conditions for the coffee trees to prosper.
These micro-climates can provide incredible opportunities for very exciting, rare and unique coffees to thrive. Aspects like altitude and soil play a huge part in the flavour of the finished product.
At Balance, we have a selection of rare coffees which we source from the top 5% of coffee farms worldwide to ensure we bring you a healthy, naturally clean cup free from Mould, Mycotoxins and Pesticides. 
When the trees blossom, they produce coffee cherries. Inside of the cherries, there are hard, raw, green beans which are picked by hand by coffee farmers. (this is only quality coffee as commercial grade coffee uses machinery).
Once the coffee is sorted, it's shipped to coffee roasters from across the globe. It's time to roast the coffee...
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As each coffee and the location its grown is completely unique, we experiment to find the 'coffee sweet spot'.
In other words, this is the golden circle of where the coffee tastes its absolute best.
To roast coffee, you cook raw green beans in a coffee roaster at temperatures between 188 to 282 °C, for somewhere between 8-20 minutes per batch.
The time and temperature both affect the roast style and therefore, the flavour you are drinking.
Level Up Coffee for CafetiereRoast Type: Coffee for Cafetiere
The result of 'cooking' the coffee heavy influences the flavour notes that are produced in your morning cup. Coffee roasters use the roast type as reference for flavour too.
When the raw green beans arrive from origin, they are roasted to create a roasted bean. Coffee roast types are broken down into three categories, which no doubt you'll be familiar with already.
There are many differences between light and dark coffee, but the main point is to understand that roast type directly affects the amount of flavours in each coffee bean.
We'll walk you through the individual characteristics of light, medium and dark roasts, so that you'll be very ready to experiment with different styles to find your favourite.
So how do you know what roast to choose when looking for coffee for your cafetiere?
Read on to learn more.
Light Roast Coffee
Did you know? Light profiles often have a lot more flavour components to the coffees. The roasting style brings out far more natural characteristics within the individual bean. In essence, it unlocks far more exciting flavours, that can be compared to wine.
Light roasts are typically best suited to filter coffee brewing methods like Cafetière, Aeropress, V60, Chemex compared to Espresso. Generally, the flavour notes you'll experience will tend to be fruity and sweet focused.
One of the challenges with lighter roast coffees is they are less versatile than medium and dark roast coffees - meaning you won't have as much consistency.
Medium Roast Coffee
Roasting to a medium profile moves the needle further away from of the more fruiter, light coffees. Instead, with a medium roast you'll experience a deep, richer, chocolatey nutty.
Generally, the flavour notes you'll experience will tend to be chocolatey, nutty and sweet. Commonly described as perfectly balanced coffees (excuse the pun).
Dark Roast Coffee
Roasts which are dark are notable for their earthy and robust tones. Common notes of tabacco and bitterness which is the side-effect to the longer roasting time, since the coffee has been cooked for a longer period.
There's no 'best' option as it's really down to you. At Balance Coffee we only roast like and medium coffees as we believe it best preserves the expensive coffees we source.
I hope this helps you understand where you might begin? If you want to learn more on this topic, we've also put together an article on how to choose the right coffee beans.
Coffee Origins & Flavour Notes
Did you know? The world has over 50 coffee growing countries? I'd need to write a complete article on this topic, but for today we'll keep it simple.
Below is our overview by continent, so you can gain a broad understanding to get your upgraded coffee journey started.
As each country has a unique climate condition for growing coffee, this completely shapes the end result of the beans. It's also a great way to learn what flavours you enjoy with your cafeitere coffee.
Why? because you can use an origin as a reference when you are looking for particular coffee beans online.
African Coffees
Why is the African region such a popular choice? If you enjoy acidity in coffee with some bright fruity notes then you may have found your match. A coffee from Ethiopia often has tea-like body and blueberry tones.
Whereas, a coffee from Kenya typically has gorgeous grapefruit notes and a clean, crisp finish.
American Coffees
Central and South American coffee will likely be the coffee flavour profile that you're most familiar with. Why?
Because they are most commonly used in coffee blends, coffee shops and restaurants across the world. Primarily because they offer the most 'balanced coffee' experience (pun intended).
Generally speaking, you'll enjoy American coffees because they tend to be perfect all rounders. Understandably this cater to a wider audience.
Common flavours from this continent and region include, chocolate, nuts and buttery caramel notes. They also provide an incredible espresso base for milk based drinks which are undoubtedly the most popular choice in the UK.
Check out our top 11 best espresso coffee beans in the UK if you're looking for the best beans for your espresso!
Asian Coffees
You might be familiar with Asia for its enormous continent? With a good handful of its countries growing coffee, there is no short supply.
Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar to name a few. In recent years, China has also been producing speciality grade coffee in its southern region closest to Thailand.
Now let's get down to the flavours of Asian coffee. Sweet, clean, fruity coffees is the inherent characteristics which are popular in both single origin formats and coffee blends. Looking to experiment and discover new origins and flavours?
Sit back, relax and sip delicious balance coffee
You might like our discovery coffee subscription which provides you with an exciting flavour experience on your schedule. We've also packed the subscription with additional benefits to you can get even more value.
Healthy Coffee vs Unhealthy
Ready for our next top tip in finding the best coffee for cafetieres?
I hope so... Coffee that's been tested for Mould, Mycotoxins, Pesticides and other nasties are referred to as Healthy Coffee.
At Balance we pride ourselves on being 100% nasty free. Our sourcing practices ensure we bring you an organic coffee that gives you a clean energy boost to start your day.
If you want to ensure these benefits on a weekly, monthly basis then explore our six coffee subscription benefits that will help you to power your morning. Read our popular article on the benefits of healthy coffee.
Ethics and Sustainability in Coffee
If you care about choosing the ethical and sustainable option then that's great. It'll help people and our planet for the long term.
Next, you'll need to determine what companies align with your own personal sustainability values. There are some amazing coffee companies out there doing a fantastic job. You can review our initiatives here.
Here are some popular articles I wrote which you can read to go down the sustainable rabbit hole.
- A guide to Ethical Coffee
- Sustainable Coffee - Everything you need to know.
What's the Best Coffee for Cafetière?
This is the big question isn't it? Hopefully by this point you now have enough knowledge to get sampling different coffees from across the globe.
You'll just need to decide whether you purchase coffee beans, or whether ground coffee for Cafetiere is the best option for you.
No sweat though, at Balance we have both options on every product. There may still be a few questions you need answering relating to the coffee brewing process.
Here's a video I produced on making the perfect cafetiere coffee, which is VITAL to producing the best coffee for cafeitere.
And how coarse to grind for a Cafetière?
The fine vs course scale is really important to understand when brewing your coffee in a french press. You'll want the grounds to be pretty course, since the coffee sits submerged in hot water for anywhere between 4-9 minutes depending on the roast type.
In case you want to delve deeper into this topic, I've put together the cafetiere recipe explaining everything you need to know (including a video) so you can buy a bag of coffee and start making incredible coffee in just a few days.
Go and buy some of our coffees to enjoy in your cafetiere and you're ready to go.
I'm really excited for your improved coffee journey.
Ok, just one more secret tip, since you made it this far. Here's our cheat sheet on how you can froth milk in your cafetiere.
Let us know in the comments what you think, or reach out to us on Instagram.
