Coffee Makers - Filter Coffee, Cafetieres, Espresso Pots and Percolators

When we talk about coffee makers, we are not including lever or pump-based espresso machines. This is where you'll find simpler coffee making equipment like filter coffee makers (drip brewing), percolators, cafetieres (French press) and stove top espresso pots (moka pot). The method of introducing water to the coffee grounds differs with each of these types of coffee maker, and this in turn brings out different flavours in the coffee depending on the method used to make it. Many people prefer the flavour of these coffee makers to that of an espresso machine.

Filter Coffee and Coffee Percolators
FROM £20.00 - The popular filter (drip) coffee maker is very straightforward to use. Water is heated in one chamber, and then dripped over coffee grounds held in a conical filter. The resulting coffee is collected in a glass carafe, and usually kept warm on a warming plate. Coffee percolators work on a similar principle, though the water and coffee use the same chamber. Water drips through the grounds and collects back in the pot, ready to be cycled through the process again until all of the liquid has reached the correct temperature. Percolators once enjoyed great popularity but were supplanted in the early 1970s by the filter coffee maker.

Cafetieres/French Presses
SAVE UP TO 50% - A cafetiere, or French press, is a beaker shaped coffee maker with a plunger, consisting of a wire mesh filter attached to a metal rod. Coarse ground coffee is placed in the cafetiere, and hot (not boiling) water is poured in. The coffee is left to brew for a maximum of four minutes, and then the plunger is depressed. Though simple, cafetieres allow for a full flavoured cup of coffee because the coffee grounds remain in direct contact with the brewing water and the grounds are filtered from the water via a mesh instead of a paper filter. Over the last few years, the cafetiere has become ever more popular, to the point that there are even travel versions available, so you can enjoy a proper coffee while on the move!

Espresso Moka Pots
SAVE UP TO 21% - Italian in origin, the stovetop espresso maker was invented by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933. The Bialetti company still produces the leading model of espresso pot, known as the Moka Express. It consists of three parts; a base chamber with a safety valve, a middle section which holds the coffee (medium grind), and the top section into which the coffee flows. It does not create a true espresso, as the pressure created is not nearly enough to create the separation of oils, which an espresso machine will do, though it is a very enjoyable coffee in its own right.