Why does my cafetière coffee have grounds in it?
Grind size, a worn filter and the way you pour — the three reasons a cafetière leaves sediment in the cup.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 10 min
- Read
- 3 min
Short answer
The usual cause is a grind that is too fine: fine particles pass straight through the mesh. Coarsen the grind, check the filter disc is not distorted or worn, and pour gently without tipping the last of the pot into the cup.
A cafetière filters by mesh, not by paper, so it will always let some fines through — that body is part of what the method is for. Grit in the bottom of every cup is a different matter and is usually fixable.
Step by step
- Coarsen the grind first.Cafetière coffee wants a coarse grind, roughly the texture of sea salt. Anything finer produces particles small enough to pass through the mesh, and pre-ground supermarket coffee is usually far too fine for it.
- Check the grinder is not the problem.Blade grinders produce a wide mix of sizes — some coarse, plenty of dust — regardless of how long you run them. That dust is what ends up in the cup. A burr grinder is the real fix.
- Inspect the filter assembly.Unscrew it and look at the mesh disc and the spiral plate. A mesh that is torn, or a spiral that has lost its shape, leaves gaps around the edge. Both are sold as inexpensive spares.
- Make sure the plunger fits the beaker.A replacement beaker or a mismatched plunger leaves a gap all the way round. The mesh should touch the glass all the way round with light resistance.
- Break the crust rather than stirring hard.Stir gently once after a few minutes to sink the floating grounds. Vigorous stirring breaks the grounds into smaller particles that then pass the mesh.
- Press slowly and stop at the surface.Push the plunger down steadily over several seconds. A fast press forces grounds up around the edges of the mesh, and pushing hard into the bed at the bottom stirs it up.
- Pour gently and leave the last of it.The bottom centimetre is mostly sediment. Pour slowly, keep the pot fairly level, and leave the dregs. Tipping the pot right up puts the fines directly into the last cup.
- Decant if it is not being drunk immediately.Coffee left sitting on the grounds keeps extracting and gets bitter as well as gritty. Pour it into a jug or a flask once it is brewed.
Tips
- Ask for a coarse cafetière grind if buying ground coffee — most default grinds are aimed at filter machines and are too fine.
- Rinse the mesh assembly properly. Old grounds packed in the threads hold the disc away from the glass.
- A little sediment is normal and part of the cafetière's character. If every cup is gritty, it is the grind.
If it doesn't work
Fine silt in every cup
Cause: Grind too fine, usually pre-ground or from a blade grinder — Fix: Use a coarse grind, ideally from a burr grinder. This alone solves most cases.
Coarse grounds escaping around the edge
Cause: Worn or distorted mesh, or a plunger that does not match the beaker — Fix: Replace the filter assembly, or match the plunger to the pot so the mesh contacts the glass all round.
Questions people ask
What grind should I use for a cafetière?
Coarse — roughly the texture of sea salt. Finer grinds produce dust that passes straight through the mesh, which is why supermarket pre-ground coffee often gives a gritty cup.
Is some sediment normal in a cafetière?
Yes. It filters by metal mesh rather than paper, so a little fine sediment and the body that comes with it is part of the method. Grit in every cup means the grind or the filter needs attention.