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Nothing beats coffee in its purest form. Stainless Steel Herb Grinder
Food & Wine / Fred Hardy II
Coffee preparation is personal. For many coffee lovers, selecting how to enjoy coffee depends upon which preparation method they're in the mood for. From using a French press to a coffee percolator to a pour-over coffee maker, the options are endless. For those who prefer a lot of flavor extraction, French press preparation is a great choice. The best French presses bring out the bold flavors of coffee, intensely filter the grounds to leave behind a smooth and silky body, and offer a strong cup of coffee. A French press is an essential piece of coffee gear.
We tested nearly two dozen French presses and sipped our way through them to discover which ones had the best design, ease of use, and brew quality. Our top choices produced perfectly balanced cups of coffee with no bitterness or sediment. Grab your favorite coffee mug and fire up the electric kettle. These best French presses will have you brewing in no time.
The Bodum crafts a clean and smooth cup of coffee consistently every time.
The small screw that holds the cage in place with the handle may need to be tightened with frequent use.
Coffee lovers will instantly know the Bodum Chambord French Press because it's one of the most classic presses on the market and has been for what feels like forever. During our tests, we agreed that the history behind this French press delivered exactly what you expect from French press-made coffee — a cup that drinks smoothly and shows off a balance of acidity and flavor. While there is no added insulation, the Chambord maintains the consistent brew quality we expect from this brand.
Material: Borosilicate glass (carafe), stainless steel (cage and plunger), and plastic (handle) | Insulation: No | Capacity: 34 fluid ounces | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Food & Wine / Isaac Nunn
Food & Wine / Isaac Nunn
Food & Wine / Isaac Nunn
Food & Wine / Isaac Nunn
For those who like glass, this is a sturdy and safe option because it's reinforced with a thick, non-breakable cage that locks in place.
The glass carafe becomes quite hot to the touch.
This affordably priced and classically styled French press produces a very balanced and overall pleasant cup of coffee. In our tests, we raved about the taste results, which showcased clean, balanced, and flavorful coffee with no sediment. We like the sturdy base of this French press and the strong, locked-in cage that holds the glass carafe — which is by no means fragile, as it's engineered to be 40% thicker than classic French presses. For purists who believe glass is the only way to go, this is a tried and true style with essential features.
Material: Schott-Duran glass (carafe), polypropylene plastic (cage and handle) | Insulation: No | Capacity: 32 fluid ounces | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Food & Wine / Fred Hardy
The insulated carafe of this French press is not hot to the touch at all, and the all-direction pour spout is a great feature.
This French press is not dishwasher-safe, and the wood agitation stick will be hand-wash only as well.
The sleek look of this French press makes it a winner for design. It's modern and functional and will look lovely accompanied by a fancy brunch spread just as much as a coffee with dessert. In addition to this French press making a well-balanced and clean cup of coffee with rich and deep flavor, we liked the extra features: an agitation stick for stirring grounds, a counterbalanced handle for easy pouring, an all-directional pour lid, and guidelines for ratio of coffee grounds to water.
Material: Stainless steel (carafe and filter), BPA-free plastic (handle and lid), Non-stick PTFE-coated interior (PFOA-free) | Insulation: Yes | Capacity: 24 fluid ounces | Dishwasher-safe: No, only the mesh filter is dishwasher-safe
Food & Wine / Isaac Nunn
The double-wall construction for extra insulation keeps your coffee hot, and the press comes in four sizes, including a jumbo 44-ounce.
During our tests, we noted the lid is a bit wobbly when plunging.
This is an eye-catching French press you might find at your favorite trendy breakfast spot. In our tests, we noted that it crafts a bold cup of coffee with well-balanced flavors. The plunger offers medium resistance, but we found the lid to be a bit wobbly. While the carafe and lid are hot to the touch, the handle is not affected, despite its full stainless steel form. The true pro here is that if it takes you a while to enjoy your coffee or if you quickly want a second cup following the first, the double-wall construction provides so much insulation that the coffee inside the press stays hot for quite some time.
Material: 100% stainless steel carafe and plunger | Insulation: Yes | Capacity: 36 fluid ounces | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Food & Wine / Isaac Nunn
The double micro-mesh filters keep your coffee extra smooth and sediment-free.
The carafe becomes quite hot to the touch, so users should be vigilant.
The Espro P7 makes perhaps one of the smoothest cups of coffee you'll taste from a French press. It crafts a clean and consistent cup of coffee every time, and the insulation keeps whatever's left inside the press hot for whenever you're ready for the next cup. The plunger system was smooth and seamless, which resulted in a smooth and balanced cup of coffee with little to no sediment.
Did we mention it's beautifully made? The quality of construction and brew makes this French press worth investing in. One thing to note is that the basket filter is very fine, so you may consider grinding your coffee beans finer to find the perfect fit for your taste preference. Because the filter is so fine, there is no worry that the grounds will end up in your coffee.
Material: Stainless steel (carafe, handle, and lid), plastic (plunger and filter) | Insulation: Yes | Capacity: 32 fluid ounces | Dishwasher-safe: Yes, top rack recommended
Food & Wine / Isaac Nunn
The stoneware construction is solid and one piece, making it durable and easy to clean.
The stoneware construction renders the body of this French press very hot. The plunger and lid felt unstable while pouring.
Le Creuset offers a unique enameled stoneware construction that looks beautiful, though we did note that the carafe became very hot to the touch. This French press makes a nice, full-bodied cup of coffee but leaves a bit of fine silt at the bottom of the cup. Drawbacks here are that the plunger and lid felt unstable while pouring, despite the solid construction of the carafe itself, we stated.
That said, we liked the solid stoneware construction, which eliminates the need for inserting a carafe into a cage or base to use — making it solid and easy to clean. If you're on the hunt for a French press that will fit right into your existing stoneware dinnerware collection, we recommend this Le Creuset pick.
Material: Enameled stoneware | Insulation: Yes (stoneware is naturally insulating) | Capacity: 34 fluid ounces | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Food & Wine / Isaac Nunn
Our best overall pick, the Bodum Chambord, came out on top because it made a very balanced and enjoyable cup of coffee and had a high level of form and function for an affordable price. During our tests, we felt that the ultra-fine, double filtration made a difference in the quality of the coffee, and we think you will, too. We also liked the ESPRO P3 French Press. Its durable outer cage prevents any accidents, and besides its quality construction, it produces little sediment, making it a great buy all around.
French press pots can make as little as one cup or as many as a dozen cups at a time. Narrowing down your choice begins with determining how many cups of coffee or tea you want to make at once. If you just need a couple of cups at a time, your coffee or tea will brew quicker in a smaller model. If you make large amounts, you may want to consider an insulated model that will help keep the coffee hot for a while. In general, the average French press holds between 32 and 36 ounces.
The mesh filter inside the press is what captures the grounds or leaves and allows the coffee or tea to fully bloom. The mesh should allow for smooth function; too tight or too close a mesh will remove too many essential oils from your coffee or tea. Too loose, grounds and leaves can remain in the liquid as you pour.
In addition to a good filter, the French press should have an easy-to-use plunger that seamlessly plunges through the water while still having a tight seal that prevents grounds from escaping. It should also have a tight-fitting lid that prevents spills when pouring. Finally, look for a quality material, like stainless steel or thick glass, that will keep your coffee warm as it brews.
Some French presses are dishwasher-safe; some are not. Cleaning a French press can be a bit complicated since grounds and tea leaves can get stuck in the filter spring, so if easy cleanup is important to you, check that the model you choose is dishwasher-safe. Glass containers might also need occasional descaling or can get foggy over time. A combo of vinegar and baking soda will return them to their original shine.
Food & Wine / Isaac Nunn
In our tests, we carefully evaluated a total of 21 top-rated French presses from brands including Bodum, Espro, Fellow, Frieling, OXO, and Le Creuset. We assessed everything from design and ease of use to brew quality. We also took note of the insulation, additional special features, and how easy it was to clean. During the testing, each French press was tested for performance, quality of taste, and overall value.
Before using each French press, we took a proper look at its specs, assessing qualities like dimensions, volume, weight, included filters, and quality of material. Our first test was a taste test. After brewing for 6 minutes, we tasted each coffee and recorded flavor notes, depth, acidity/bitterness, and balance. After tasting, we poured the coffee through a paper coffee filter into another vessel, observing the amount of grounds caught in the filter. During each test, we recorded if the outside and/or handle was hot to the touch.
Next, we performed an insulation test. After brewing, we left 8 ounces of coffee in each French press for 10 minutes and recorded the temperature. We repeated this after 30 minutes. Following the insulation test, we performed a second taste test. Without using a scale, we eyed approximately the same amount of grounds from the first round of testing. We brewed the coffee using the same method. After brewing, we tasted each coffee and recorded flavor notes, depth, acidity/bitterness, balance, and any additional thoughts.
Finally, we tested the ease of cleaning. We washed each press according to the manufacturer's instructions, recording whether it was easy or hard to clean thoroughly and whether there was any wear and tear or stains on the product.
"That is a matter of preference," says Jessica Easto, author of Craft Coffee: A Manual. "I often recommend French presses to people who are beginners when it comes to manual coffee making. They are easy to master. A French press is a full-immersion method, which means the water and coffee are in contact for the whole brew time. Then you filter the grounds out. You don't have to worry about pouring, just how long you let your coffee set.
French press coffee has a distinct quality because French presses use a metal filter. The metal filter lets through coffee oils and fines (tiny coffee particles), which contribute to a distinct mouthfeel (heavier, more texture). Some people love this. Paper (or cloth) filters capture most of the oils and fines, so the mouthfeel is different (some describe it as "cleaner" or "lighter") with coffee brewed on devices that use paper or cloth filters. But whether you like it or not is your own preference."
Probably the trickiest part of French press coffee is figuring out when to press! "I have a recipe in my book. I do quite a long brew time: 8 minutes. But the trick is using very coarse coffee grounds."
Easto is a fan of cold brew, and her recipe requires patience for the best results. "For cold brew in a French press, I recommend a medium-coarse grind and about a 1:6 ratio of coffee to water. This will make a cold brew concentrate that you can dilute to taste (try 1:1 to start) with fresh cold water. In the book, I suggest using 96 grams of coffee (about 1 cup) and 600 grams of cold water (about 20.3 fl oz). Grind the beans and put them in the chamber of a French press, gentle shaking to level them out.
Add the cold water, insert the plunger, and depress it just enough to keep the grounds submerged under the water (so not all the way!). Put the French press in the fridge for 12 hours to brew. After that, you can depress the plunger and pour the cold brew concentrate into a separate container for storage.
However, instead of just plunging quickly, I learned from James Hoffman that there is a gentler way that does not agitate the coffee too much: stir the coffee a couple of times to break up the crust and let the grounds sink to the bottom for about 10 minutes. Then put the plunger back in and depress it just enough so that it rests on top of the coffee. Then pour the concentrate into a separate container. It should keep in the fridge for 1 to 2 weeks."
Bodum Caffettiera French Press Coffee Maker ($34 at Amazon)
This model is very similar to the Bodum Chambord, the only difference being a plastic lid and plunger handle. It is still a consistent brew with a classic aesthetic, but we just prefer the Chambord for its material.
Bodum Eileen French Press Coffee Maker ($32 at Amazon)
We were also fans of this coffee maker. A double mesh filter or a finer single mesh filter would be nice, but overall it did its job well, and we approve.
Kona French Press Coffee Press Maker ($55 at Amazon)
We liked the handle and aesthetically pleasing housing, but the quality of the brews was not as consistent as that of the Bodum Chambord or Caffettiera, especially for comparable price points.
Veken French Press Coffee Tea Maker (Currently unavailable at Amazon)
It is very similar in construction to the other similar presses, the only difference being that the handle has a slight curve at its base. Overall, it is a consistently mediocre brew, and its insulation fits in line with the other similar presses.
Coffee Gator French Press Coffee Maker ($37 at Amazon)
The insulation and brew quality is nice for the price point, especially when compared to the other similarly constructed carafes. We'd prefer a slightly more secure lid/better-fitting lid.
Wooden Hand Coffee Grinder While some French presses were quick to impress us, others had bad filtration systems, were too difficult to clean, had awkward designs, or produced poor-tasting coffee. Some of the models that didn't make our list of recommendations are as follows: