A French Press is an invaluable piece of kitchenware, one that no-one should be left without. Equally useful for Coffee or Tea, it’s practically an essential for any lover of hot beverages, but in the hands of an expert, it can be so much more than that. While the modern k-cups and drip machines have given us added convenience, in the process we’ve lost touch with the art of brewing coffee. If you’re making your first foray into fine specialty coffees, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better companion that the trusty French Press.
1 – SterlingPro Double Wall Stainless Steel French Press
You can tell from the first moment you pick this up that you’re dealing with a superior product. The quality is second to none, and the stylish stainless steel exterior will look right at home in your kitchen. At just $36 dollars, this is the best French Press around, for my money. This is the French Press I personally use at home.
Their unique double screen filter ensures that no coffee grounds get into you coffee, as the second screen serves two functions. Firstly, it makes sure that the first screen is secured tightly around the perimeter of the container. Secondly, it’s designed to catch all the finer particles that may otherwise make it through into your cup. No grounds what-so-ever; they guarantee it! Furthermore, for a limited time, they are including 2 extra screens, completely free of charge. That’s a 25$ value! It is available in several different sizes and even features a “European” model which is a little more rounded than the completely cylindrical standard version.
There’s also much made about their double walled design which is intended to keep the coffee inside warm while the exterior is cool to the touch. Personally, this isn’t such a great feature for me as it’s a really bad idea to leave the coffee in the French Press longer than a few minutes. If you do, you’ll most likely over-extract the coffee, leaving you with a subpar final product. The coffee should be poured into a different container as soon as it is done brewing. With that said, the double wall construction can still be very useful for keeping hot drinks hot, or cold drinks cold, provided you have cleaned out and remaining debris before hand.
2 – KONA French Press
The Kona French Press features solid construction and a sleek design that would be at home on any modern countertop. It is one of the top selling French Presses on Amazon, and has over 10 thousand positive reviews from actual customers, for a total rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.
The carafe is made from thick, durable, borosilicate glass which is thermal and shock resistant, and is further protected from minor bumps and falls by the sleek looking outer shell. All of the internal pieces, those that will actually be making contact with the Coffee, are made from high grade stainless steel or glass. This, along with the fully detachable assembly makes hand cleaning a breeze but it is also dishwasher safe for your convenience. With a retail price of $26.97; it’s certainly one of the best options on the market, and could easily have been #1 on the list.
3 – SterlingPro Coffee & Espresso Maker
Sterling pro once again makes the list, this time with their glass version French press. In all honesty, any of the first three on this list are really suburb product and an argument can be made for any of them being the top coffee maker. Like the Kona, the SterlinPro is made from borosilicate glass, which is highly resistant to temperature and impacts. Like it’s stainless steel brother, it features a double screen system that ensure the screen is kept tight along the perimeter of the carafe, and that the finest particles are still filtered out of your final cup. This model also features the 2 extra screen free of charge for a limited time. The chrome plunger and exterior is very elegant and is perfectly complimented by the black handle. The glass carafe can be removed from the chrome base for easy cleaning and the entire assembly is dishwasher safe.
4 – Le Creuset Stoneware French Press
Le Creuset is a renowned maker of premium quality cookware. With this Stoneware French Press they bring their expertise to the world of coffee. Your stoneware French Press is coated with a non-porous enamel finish which is resistant to stains, odors, chipping, or cracking. In addition to providing long last protection, this enamel coating also ensure that cleaning your coffee maker is a simple as giving it a quick rinse. The internal elements are made of stainless steel for easy cleaning as well. While it’s easily hand washed, it is also dishwasher safe. It is available in many colors such as Cherry Red, Marine Blue, and Flame as well as some more traditional shades like black and grey. That means you’ll be able to find a model that suits your particular preferences and the esthetic of your kitchen. At $68 though, it can be a tough sell considering the much lower prices of the Kona and SterlingPro models.
5 – Bodum Chambord 8 cup French Press
Bodum is the company widely recognized for first popularizing the French Press across Europe. The design has changed at all since that time, and they’re still producing more or less exactly the same product that was rolling out of a small factory in Normandy back in 1982. This machine is very similar to the Sterling Pro glass press and features the same sleek chrome exterior, lid, and plunger. It is available in several sizes ranging from 12 to 51 oz. thought it does tend to be a little more expensive than either the Kona or the Sterling Pro. With that said, there are over 2,600 ecstatic Amazon users that have left this coffee maker with a nearly perfect rating.
6 – GROSCHE MADRID Premium French Press
The Grosche Madrid is extraordinarily elegant in it’s minimalism. Like many of the others, it features a borosilicate glass carafe housed with a stainless-steel body. It claims to have a double filtration system, but really this is just some clever marketing. In addition to the standard plunger filter, the second filter is found in the lid, and is no more than the typical slotted opening you find on any pitcher lid. While the price is a little steep compared to the others, you can take some solace in the fact that some of the proceeds of your purchase will go towards providing clean drinking water for underprivileged people through the Grosche Safe Water Project.
7 – Frieling Polished 18/10 Stainless Steel French Press
Much like #1 on our list, this French Press features a solid 18/10 stainless steel, double walled construction with a patented double filtration system that keeps the filter tight against the perimeter and a fine mesh which promises zero sediment in your cup. Because of it’s dual wall design, this can also double as an insulated pitcher, which they claim can retain heat up to 4 times longer than a glass container. Furthermore, it is suitable for both hot and cold beverages. It disassembles for easy cleaning but is dishwasher safe; and comes along with a 5 year warranty against manufacture defect. It is available in several sizes and finishes, but unfortunately, where it really set itself apart is in price, which is significantly higher than the top 3 options on this list.
8 – Bodum Insulated Stainless-Steel Travel French Press
Finally, a French Press you can take with you on the go! This single serving coffee maker is intended to be taken on the go (provided you don’t mind over-extracted coffee!) and features an antislip rubber exterior to make sure you maintain a tight grip throughout the day. It is made of stainless steel and features double walled construction to ensure that contents always stay hot while the exterior remains cool to the touch. It’s is dishwasher safe, and spill resistant thanks to the tight fitting silicone gasket. With that said, at 30 dollars, I’d be tempted to buy one of the better French Presses on this list and simply get myself a thermos.
Best French Press
