With so many ways to make coffee, from single-serve Keurig cups to fancy espresso machines, the appeal of the simple French press endures. Though they may seem old-fashioned, these iconic devices are easy and satisfying to use. Without expensive gear or complicated recipes, a French press will produce coffee with luxurious taste, aroma and texture that’s very different from drip coffee.
The components of a French press are simple enough: a carafe, a plunger and a filter. Still, there are many variations on the market and options for fine-tuning your experience. We tested a variety of models, from very basic to high-end, to find the best French press for you.
The Espro P3 is well-designed and affordable, and the company's double filter design gave us the best, brightest-tasting coffee of all the French presses we tested.
With an insulated stainless carafe available in an array of attractive finishes, the P7 wraps Espro's winning filter design in a more durable and appealing package that's worth the extra money if you're a serious French press fan.
The best French press overall: Espro P3
$40 at Amazon
While most French presses work the same (and produce similar results), Espro has added an innovative twist. The brand uses a unique double-filter design that produces bright, flavorful coffee and leaves almost no grit at the bottom of the cup. The filter works in two stages: An outer basket is more coarse, to catch most of the ground beans and separate them from the brewed coffee, and an inner basket with a fine mesh filters the coffee again, removing whatever grinds are left.
The double filter system also prevents over-steeping, which is what can give your coffee the bitter aftertaste that many people associate with the French press method. Even if you let the coffee sit for up to an hour, while it won’t retain heat like our upgrade pick, the flavor will be consistent.
The fine mesh sieve allows you to experiment with different consistencies of grind. Most French presses do best with coarsely ground beans, but the Espro lets you get away with finer grinds, too, which you might find suits your taste. If you have the patience to tinker and perfect your technique, the Espro will let you dial in the perfect balance of grind and bean-to-water ratio for you.
The result is an unusually smooth cup of coffee. In fact, if you are used to conventional French press coffee, the bright taste of the Espro might surprise you, as will the lack of silt in your cup. In our estimation, it is the cleanest cup of coffee you will get from a French press. Tasting notes from our beans came through loud and clear (in our case, notes of chocolate and raspberry).
The plastic cage and lid are designed to lock together for easy transport. The glass is thick and reasonably well-insulated, compared to the glass carafes used on the other models we tested. A rubber ring surrounds the rim of the plunger, ensuring a snug fit. Usefully, it is dishwasher-safe. While it might not be built to last a lifetime, it’s a solid piece of gear at a reasonable price that offers exceptional results
The P3’s glass carafe may not prove as durable as the stainless steel P7, though the whole package feels well-put-together and is at least on par with the many other presses available made from similar materials. But given the results and such an affordable price, if you’re looking for a dependably great cup of coffee, there’s not a good reason to buy anything cheaper than the Espro P3.
A great French press that’s worth the splurge: Espro P7
$120 (18 ounces) at Amazon or $150 (32 ounces) at Amazon
The stainless steel P7 takes the novel design of the Espro filter and places it in a high-end, more durable package. It is double-walled for insulation, keeping coffee warm for about an hour in our tests. Espro’s filters are designed to prevent over-steeping, so the P7 holds both temperature and flavor over the longest period of any model we tested. Some online reviews complain about coffee left over in the carafe after the plunger is down. This is the case, but actually helps stop the over-brewing, so it’s a feature rather than a bug.
The P7 is available in 18- and 32-ounce models, with six color and finish options. The finishes look deluxe and stylish, and the steel carafes should offer substantial longevity over glass (and allow for taking it with you wherever you go). There are very few drawbacks to this model, which feels like a refined piece of engineering. A minor quibble would be that the fill lines marking maximum and minimum water levels for coffee and tea inside the carafe can be hard to read.
If the P7 is unavailable, the very similar P6 is a good alternative. The only difference is a plastic handle compared to the all-stainless design of the P7. We think the extra durability is worth the modest upcharge.
How we tested
While you won’t find the dizzying array of recipes pour-over coffee enthusiasts have come up with, there are a few variations to the standard formula for making French press coffee. This is the procedure we recommend, but there is room for modification, especially when it comes to the coffee-to-water ratio. The quality of your beans will make a big difference. In our tests, we used Proyecto Cabanas, from Honduras, roasted by Little Wolf Coffee in Ipswich, MA.
? Rinse the carafe with hot water to raise the temperature of the press. This helps maintain a consistent temperature for optimal brewing.
? Measure and grind your beans. The ratio you are looking for is roughly 1:15 parts bean to water. Some people prefer slightly more or less, but this is a good starting point. Some roasters recommend as strong as 1:12 or as diluted as 1:20. Ideally, you will grind your own beans with a burr grinder immediately before brewing. Freshly ground beans are the best way to maximize the flavor of your coffee, but pre-ground beans will work, too.
? Boil your water to the right temperature. The ideal temperature is around 205 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are using a kettle without temperature control, you can simply wait another 30 seconds after the kettle shuts off. This will help prevent bitterness through over-extraction.
? Pour your water and stir the grounds,? making sure the beans are fully saturated. Use a wooden or plastic spoon to make sure the beans are evenly covered with water. Place the plunger in the carafe, but don’t press down yet.
? Allow the coffee to steep for four minutes. Slowly press down on the plunger until it reaches the bottom. Serve immediately for the best taste.
We tested each device with a few considerations in mind. Primarily, we focused on the quality of coffee it produced. If the coffee is not good, the other factors don’t matter much. We also evaluated construction, materials and assembly to ensure that the device could withstand daily use. Finally, we cleaned each device according to its instructions. It is important to clean your press between uses to prevent the buildup of bitter oils.
Other French presses we tested
Bodum Chambord
$30 at Amazon
Still using a 1950s-era design that has stood the test of time, Bodum’s Chambord is a popular model that produces classic French press coffee. With its chrome-plated frame and glass carafe, this press is a solid deal, though it lacks the advances more recent designs have brought to this style of coffee.
Bodum does not have Espro’s double-filter design, so you will end up with more silt at the bottom of your cup and potentially more bitterness. It could be argued that the Bodum produces the more authentic taste, since that flavor profile is what many people who already like the French press style expect. Bodum produces the Chambord in four different sizes (12, 17, 34 and 51 ounces), so it’s easy to find the right size for your needs. All parts are rated as dishwasher-safe, though hand-cleaning is easy, too.
One small annoyance is that the Chambord doesn’t have fill lines on the sides of the carafe. The carafe did not hold heat as well as the Espro P3, though this may not matter to some, as the best way to enjoy a cup of French press coffee is to drink it immediately. As this design is prone to over-steeping, however, you don’t want to let your coffee sit for long in any case.
Fellow Clara
$99 at Amazon
Though not as luxe as the Espro P7, the Fellow Clara offers an attractive minimalist design with quality construction. This insulated model has good heat retention in a durable package. Like Espro, Fellow also offers an advanced filter system, with a fine mesh to prevent silt deposits. The pieces fit well together, though we found the plunger did not depress as smoothly as in the Espro and some other models.
The least attractive thing for some about the Clara will be the nonstick “Easy Clean” inner surface. The company points out that the coating does not contain PTFEs and never reaches high enough temperatures that leaching is a possibility, but we felt like this was a solution looking for a problem. We didn’t have any trouble cleaning the other models with glass and steel carafes, and actually found the Clara more difficult to clean than glass or steel — the whole unit is hand-wash only, while many of the glass and steel models can go in the dishwasher, and you’ll need to take care not to scratch the coating.
Grosche Madrid
$45 $40 at Amazon
The Grosche Madrid is another time-honored design, with a touch of Art Deco to its chrome housing. Available in three sizes (11.8, 34 and 51 ounces), this device does its job well and looks more attractive than most. The Madrid is nearly all metal and glass, with just a bit of plastic under the lid. The filter could really use a silicone ring to help it guide smoothly against the glass; as it is, it tends to scrape. There are no marked fill lines, which some will find inconvenient. Still, if you are looking for a stylish twist on the classic form of the French press, the Grosche Madrid will make great coffee and look smart on your counter.
Frieling French Press
$140 $126 at Amazon
At first glance, the Frieling looks similar to the Espro P7, which also has an insulated stainless steel carafe. Upon handling the two devices, however, it is clear that the Frieling doesn’t have the style or the sturdiness of the Espro. Though both feel substantially hefty, the Frieling does not have the same level of finish, and the pieces don’t fit together as well. You don’t get a double filter like the Espro, and the Frieling forgoes the rubber ring around the filter that helps give the P7 its smooth plunger action and tight seal. Given the high price of both units, we can easily recommend spending a little extra to get the Espro P7.
Oxo Brew Venture French Press
$26 at Amazon
If you are familiar with Oxo products, you will know roughly what to expect from this model: functional, very basic and effective design with an accent on usability and safety. In this case, the carafe is made from shatterproof plastic, with a plastic top and cage. This could be useful in a dorm room or another high-traffic location, but for best performance, we recommend choosing a model with at least a glass carafe.
Hamilton Beach French Press Coffee Maker With Cocoa Attachment
$25 at Walmart
This basic Hamilton Beach model is no looker; it is more clunky in design than the other models we tested, and although it has a real glass carafe, the lightweight plastic lid and cage feel cheap and insubstantial. The cocoa attachment is unique among the models we tested, though. It is essentially a manual milk frother, though the attachment does not perform smoothly. It ships with the frother attached, and the coffee filter itself requires assembly. The parts don’t fit together as well as the Espro’s, and the whole machine feels rickety when put together. Unless you’re looking for something meant primarily for making frothy milk drinks like cocoa, there are better choices available at this price.
