A cafetiere is a French-pressed coffee maker in which hot water is poured over coarsely ground coffee and then pressed through a filter by a plunger. The term often refers to the device itself or to the coffee it produces, and it is used in both domestic and specialty coffee contexts. It’s a non-automatic method prized for its full-bodied brew and simple, durable design.
"I’m making coffee this morning with a cafetiere because it’s easy and gives a rich flavor."
"The cafetiere has a plunger that you push down after steeping the grounds."
"We debated whether a cafetiere or an espresso machine would suit our kitchen."
"She demonstrated how to clean the cafetiere to keep its filter working well."
Cafetiere comes from French cafetière, from café (coffee) + -tière, a suffix denoting a device or container. The French cafetière literally means ‘coffee maker’ and is formed from café (coffee) and the diminutive/agentive suffix -tière, related to -tière in French words like poêlière (pan), pâtissière (pastry chef). The use of cafetière in English dates to the 19th or early 20th century as the device gained popularity in Europe and in anglophone coffee culture. The term was anglicized with the acute accent often dropped (cafetiere), though many prefer the diacritic to preserve the original pronunciation. First known English attestations appear in domestic appliance catalogs and coffee-writing literature in the late 1800s to early 1900s, aligning with the rise of non-electric coffee brewing methods. Over time, cafetiere has carried connotations of traditional, manual coffee brewing and is sometimes called French press in American usage to avoid the French term’s accent. The pronunciation in English generally emphasizes the second syllable and follows the stressed pattern caf-e-TI-ere, though speakers vary with regional intonation. The word is now common in both culinary and coffee-house contexts, often used as a loanword retaining its French roots while adapting to English phonology.
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Words that rhyme with "Cafetiere"
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Pronounce it ca-FE-tyer with the second syllable stressed: /kəˌfeɪˈtjɛər/ for US, where the /tj/ cluster is pronounced as a single palatalized affricate leading into a mid- front vowel. The final -ère is like ‘air’ in British English but with a slightly shorter vowel in US usage. Begin with a light schwa, then 'fe' as in 'fed' followed by the stressed ‘ti’ with a /tj/ blend, and end with ‘er’ as a rhotic or non-rhotic ending depending on accent. Audio reference: listen to native speakers pronouncing cafetiere in coffee-related content and pronunciation databases.
Two common errors: (1) Stress misplacement, saying ca-FE-ti-ere or ca-fe-TI-ere; ensure the primary stress is on the third syllable: ca-fe-TI-ere. (2) Eliding the /tj/ cluster and turning it into ‘ti’ or ‘si’: keep the /tj/ blend as a distinct sound after the /fe/ syllable, producing /feɪˈtjɛər/. Practice a short pause before the final ‘er’ to keep the ending clear.
In US English, you’ll hear /kəˌfeɪˈtjɛər/ with a rhotacized or non-rhotacized ending depending on speaker. In UK English, it’s closer to /kəˌfeɪˈtiːə/, with a longer final vowel and less rhotic influence. In Australian English, expect /kəˌfeɪˈtiːə/ or /kəˌfeɪˈtiər/ with a rising or flat final syllable depending on speaker. The key differences lie in the treatment of the final -êre and the pronunciation of the -ti- sequence, and whether the final -er is pronounced as a schwa plus r or as a lengthened vowel.
The difficulty lies in the /tj/ cluster bridging the mid- front vowel /eɪ/ to the final /ɛə/ or /iə/ vowel, plus the French-derived suffix -ière which changes vowel quality and syllable length. The stress pattern can vary by speaker, and non-rhotic accents might influence the final /ə/ vs /ər/ sound. Training with careful articulation of /t/ + /j/ and the diphthong in /feɪ/ helps stabilize the sequence across contexts.
A unique feature is the tightly connected /tj/ sequence immediately after /feɪ/ that requires the tongue to raise to palate quickly, creating a brief palatalization. This is followed by a clear, often unrounded final vowel in non-rhotic accents or a rhotic ending in rhotic accents. Paying attention to the transition from /feɪ/ to /tj/ helps prevent mispronunciations like /feɪˈtiːɪ/ or /feɪˈtʃeər/.
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