How to use the online timer
Four minutes is the usual steep for a cafetière, long enough for a coarse grind to give up its flavour without sliding into the harsh, dry extraction that comes from leaving it standing. Other methods run to very different times: a pour-over is done in around three, an espresso in under thirty seconds, and a stovetop pot on however long the hob takes. This figure belongs to full immersion, where the grounds sit in the water throughout.
Grind size and water temperature both interact with the clock. Coarse grounds need the full four minutes, while anything approaching a filter grind over the same period turns muddy and leaves silt in the cup. Water just off the boil, around 92 to 95°C, extracts properly without scalding; straight from a freshly boiled kettle it is a little too hot, so let it stand for half a minute. A quick stir at the start wets any grounds still floating dry on the top.
Plunge slowly and evenly when the time is up, then pour the lot out, even if you only want one cup. Coffee left sitting on the grounds keeps extracting and turns bitter within minutes, plunged or not, so anything you are saving for later is better decanted into a warmed jug.
Common questions
Why does my cafetière coffee taste bitter?
Either the grind is too fine for immersion brewing, or the coffee sat on the grounds after plunging. Use a coarse grind and pour the whole pot out as soon as the four minutes are up.
Does this timing suit other brewing methods?
No. Four minutes is for full immersion. A pour-over runs to around three minutes in total and espresso to well under a minute, so those need their own timings.
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