Best French Press: My 6 Favorite Options

I love a good pour over brew as much as anyone, but there’s something special about a French press. The best French press can make a cup of coffee so sweet and full-bodied that it feels like a whole breakfast!

I’ve been using my French press coffee maker at home for years and it never disappoints! But like everything in the coffee industry these days, innovators are breaking ground in the French press realm.

So, I thought I’d highlight my 6 favorite French press coffee makers, with a focus on both high end and budget options. Take a look below!

Best French Press Coffee Makers at a Glance

Here’s a quick look at the French press coffee makers I’ll be reviewing today.

Overview: Why Buy a French Press?

You don’t see too many French presses in the specialty coffee world these days, but why not? Sure, they’re not as flashy as the newest pour over or home espresso machine. Still, French presses are easy to use and generally affordable.

In my opinion, a French press is the gateway into making specialty coffee at home. Fancy recipes abound across the internet, but the easiest way to make French press is as follows: add coarse ground coffee, pour boiling water, wait, plunge (or not).

The point is, a French press is an accessible and sustainable option for making hot coffee at home. A budget grinder like the Capresso Infinity Plus will work fine, and you don’t need an expensive gooseneck kettle or any coffee filters.

Oh, and if you’re into cold brew, a French press doubles as a cold brew coffee maker, too.

I should mention that French press is a full immersion brewing method. This means that the coffee grounds are immersed in hot water for the entire extraction time.

If you’re in the coffee world for a caffeine fix, you’re in luck: a French press cup can be even more caffeinated than an espresso shot!

Incidentally, the French press brings out all the flavor nuances that we love in high quality coffee beans. A classic French press cup is full bodied and creamy. Plus, thanks to the full immersion method, it’ll also intensify any tasting notes inherent in the coffee.

With lower quality French presses, you’re likely to end up with some silt or grounds at the bottom of your cup. This is especially true if you like to plunge your French press.

Some people are drawn to this heavy mouthfeel. However, if you prefer a cleaner and smoother cup of joe, you might want to check out my more premium picks.

How to Choose the Best French Press

Of course, you have the option of going out and buying any old French press you can find. But since you’re a Coffeeness reader, I know you’ll put more thought into it!

As with any new coffee-related purchase, there’s a lot to consider when buying a French press. I’ll break it down for you below.

Price

I know this is the biggest factor for many of you, which is why I’ve put it first. There is a huge range in price for this type of brewing method – budget models are in the low double digits, while high-end presses can be in the triple digits.

Often, with the more premium products you are paying for higher quality construction, like a stainless steel carafe and super fine micro filters.

But listen: if you aren’t too picky, a budget model will work great for you.

Everyone knows that I swoon over prosumer espresso machines and SCA-certified coffee makers, but I sure do love my budget Bodum French press!

That said, if you have extra cash to spend, one of my high end picks will surely make your burr coffee grinder shine.

Materials

In general you’ve got about three options for the material of the French press carafe: plastic, glass and stainless steel.

A stainless steel press will be the most durable option, and it’ll keep your coffee hot. It’s also more expensive than other materials, but you get what you pay for.

Borosilicate glass is your next best choice, and it’s what most budget French presses are made out of. This type of glass is heat resistant and won’t break easily, so it’s a good option for most coffee drinkers.

Finally, you can buy a plastic French press. I normally wouldn’t recommend a plastic body for most coffee gadgets, but there are some good quality BPA-free presses out there. I’ll talk about this more a little later.

Oh, and I can’t forget the French press filters. The standard filtration system is a stainless steel plunger with a stainless steel mesh filter. Of course, innovative brands have made that classic construction even better. Look out for those details as I review my choices for the best French press coffee maker.

Size and Design

The design for a French press is pretty standard: carafe, lid, plunger, filter. That said, some filters feature better construction than others. Meanwhile, the design of a French press can impact its heat retention and the ultimate cup quality.

There’s also size to consider. You don’t want to buy a French press with a larger capacity than you’ll need. After all, any excess space will just make your coffee cool faster. 

On the flip side, if you often make coffee for several people at once, a French press that’s too small will end up being inconvenient.

In general, a 12-20 ounce (350-600 milliliter) capacity is a good size for 1-2 servings. If you’re making coffee for three or more people, I’d look for a French press with a 24 ounce (700 milliliter) capacity or higher.

Heat Retention

Unless you plan on buying a single-serve French press, this is a big one. I’m generally against using a microwave to reheat coffee, so I’m always looking for products that keep my coffee hot until I’m ready to drink it.

Naturally, a plastic press won’t do much in this regard. Heat resistant borosilicate glass will at least keep your coffee warm, but not for too long.

It goes without saying that a stainless steel insulated French press will keep your coffee hot for hours, as long as you keep the lid on. That said, stainless steel presses are going to be a little pricey, so you’re paying for the upgrade.

However, if you’re planning to drink your French press coffee over a couple hours, an upgrade pick may be worth it.

Ease of Cleaning

We all know that French presses can be tricky to clean.

With pour over coffee, you can simply toss your paper filter in the trash and your clean-up is done. It’s not so easy in the case of most French presses; coffee grounds stick like mud to the bottom of the carafe. Grounds will also cling to the walls and metal filter, especially if they have time to dry out before you get around to cleaning the press.

Fortunately, ease of cleaning is a design factor in many of the high end presses on the market. The glass walls of a budget French press, however, will tend to hold on to coffee grounds.

To make cleaning up easier, I’d recommend scooping or dumping out your coffee grounds as soon as possible after brewing. Then give the press a quick rinse with hot water.

The 6 Best French Press Coffee Makers

Okay, now I can get to the details of the best French press coffee makers. Like I mentioned, I’ve chosen a mix of budget and high end options, so you can choose within your price range. Read on to discover why I think these presses are the best on the market.

Espro P7 French Press: Best Overall

One of the frequent criticisms of a French press is the heavy, silty body in the resulting cup. I’ll admit, I often have this reaction when using any generic French press. But I assure you: the Espro P7 French Press is not your standard French press.

The patented double micro-mesh filters are engineered to get rid of any silt in the final cup. So, if you’re looking for the clean body you can get with drip coffee makers or pour overs, the Espro P7 would be a good choice.

Of course, this level of innovation ain’t cheap. The Espro P7’s $114.00 price tag is shockingly high for a French press. Still, it’s comparably priced with other high quality coffee makers, so I think the cost matches the value. Let me explain.

First, the Espro P7 has a simple but eye-catching design. You can get it in a number of colors; my favorite, of course, is the brushed stainless steel version. The 18 ounce (530 milliliter) model is great for one or two servings, but if you’re brewing coffee for a crowd, I’d suggest the 32 ounce (950 milliliter) carafe.

What’s more, the Espro P7’s stainless steel body feels super premium and will surely last for years. The double walled carafe is also a great insulator, so it’ll keep your coffee hot longer than glass presses.

Incidentally, the filter system is the star of this French press. The two micro-mesh filters and the silicon barrier produce clean, tasty coffee that’ll impress even a pour over snob.

Naturally, if you want to optimize the Espro P7 you’ll have to start with a suitable coffee grinder. But pairing a high quality French press with a high quality grinder only makes sense!

Fellow Clara French Press: Best Design

I know you Fellow fans are already head-over-heels for this French press, but let me clue in the others!

Like all Fellow products, the Fellow Clara French Press is a real beauty. The Clara’s stainless steel body is artfully designed, with slim, modern lines. You won’t be surprised by the two colorways: Matte Black and Matte Black with Walnut Accents. Fellow’s consistency in this regard is quite impressive.

For $85.00, the Clara is a little on the expensive side, but I really think it’s worth it. After all, the design is thoughtful through and through.

First I’ll mention the non-stick interior, which makes the Clara unique among its competitors. I was initially skeptical of this feature, but it really does make clean-up a breeze! Paired with the double-walled stainless steel construction, you can tell this carafe was designed with intention.

Another feature that makes the Clara stand out is its all-directional pour lid. If you’ve ever poured brewed coffee all over the counter because your lid wasn’t lined up with the spout, you’ll understand why I adore this French press!

I can’t forget to applaud Fellow for their enhanced filtration mesh. The filter does a great job at keeping any pesky coffee grounds out of your cup. This is a plus for folks who love smooth, flavorful coffee.

One downside of the Clara is its pretty limited 24 ounce (700 milliliter) capacity. That’s great for three servings of coffee, but if you’re looking to make coffee for guests, you may want to choose a bigger French press.

See Also: Fellow French Press Review

Bodum Brazil French Press: Best Budget

If you’re familiar with the French press method you’ll probably recognize the Bodum Brazil French Press.

Bodum is one of the better budget coffee brands out there. Their products are generally affordable but still of decent quality, perfect for a coffee drinker with a slimmer wallet.

The Bodum Brazil French Press follows suit, with a reasonable $19.99 price tag for the 34 ounce (1000 milliliter) carafe.

If you’d prefer a bigger or smaller French press, you can go with the 51 ounce (1.5 liter) or 12 ounce (350 milliliter) carafes instead.

The Bodum Brazil French Press is affordable, but fortunately it doesn’t look cheap. The borosilicate glass is durable and sleek, and while the plastic frame isn’t to my personal taste, it looks nice. Ultimately, I’d say it’ll blend in with a modern kitchen aesthetic.

As for the filter construction in the Bodum Brazil, it’s pretty standard for a budget French press. It’s got a stainless steel mesh filter held in place by a spiral plate. 

You’ll likely get a silty mouthfeel with this one, especially if your coffee grounds aren’t coarse enough. Still, for such a low price, is that really so bad?

Plus, you can try to avoid this mouthfeel by switching up your brewing method. Try using the plunger as a surface filter, rather than plunging it to the bottom. I mean, for the right price, a little bit of fuss is worth it!

OXO Brew Venture Travel French Press: Best Value

I usually wouldn’t recommend a French press with a plastic carafe, but the OXO Brew Venture French Press won me over. 

The carafe is made of high quality Tritan plastic, which is BPA-free and shatter-resistant. This makes the OXO Brew Venture press perfect for travel – and for particularly clumsy people.

I’ll admit, the aesthetic isn’t the most appealing, but for only $29.99, who can complain? Plus, the 34 ounce (1000 milliliter) capacity is a sweet spot for three to four servings of coffee.

I’ll also say that the filtration system is better than most budget French presses. This is thanks to the silicon gasket, which keeps the filter nice and snug against the carafe walls. This won’t keep any fine particles out of your cup, but at least you won’t see coarse grounds slipping through the filter.

Probably the biggest downside of the OXO Brew Venture French Press is its limited heat retention. However, if you’re planning to serve your coffee immediately, this won’t be a problem.

Related: OXO 9-Cup Coffee Maker Review

Stanley Classic Stay-Hot French Press: Best for Camping

Stanley has been trending on the Internet lately, but that’s not the reason I’m recommending the Stanley Classic French Press.

Rather, I like this rugged press because it’s insulated and super durable. This is thanks to its double-walled stainless steel construction. For the materials alone, I’d say the Stanley’s $0.00 price tag represents good value.

What’s more, it comes in a variety of colors, so it can appeal to coffee drinkers of any flavor.

And while this French press is intended for traveling or camping, it’d look great on your kitchen counter, too. It has the sturdy design and boxy handle we’ve come to recognize as classic Stanley features. Plus, the 48 ounce (1500 milliliter) carafe is dishwasher safe, which is a serious advantage as far as clean-up goes.

Stanley didn’t do much to innovate on their French press filtration system, but who can blame them? Their stainless steel plunger and filter work just fine to keep coffee grounds out of your cup.

If you’re an avid camper looking for an easy way to make delicious, bold coffee beside a crackling campfire, the Stanley Classic French Press may be the choice for you!

Related: Best Camping Coffee Maker

Bodum Chambord French Press: Best Glass Carafe

Last but certainly not least, we’ve come to the classic Bodum Chambord French Press. You may be surprised to hear that this is my personal favorite French press.

Sure, it’s not the most innovative and it doesn’t produce pristinely grit-free coffee. But if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll have to shell out a lot more than the Chambord’s $32.40 asking price.

Ultimately, that’s why I love the Bodum Chambord press. It’s beautiful, affordable and makes sweet, smooth coffee. Really, what more could you want?

What was that? Did I hear you say you want different size options? Well, the Chambord delivers on that front. In fact, you can buy this glass French press in 17 ounce (500 milliliter) or 34 ounce (1000 milliliter) sizes.

Incidentally, the design of this glass French press makes it pretty durable, thanks to the metal frame. The glass carafe may break if you’re not careful, but it’s easy to replace. 

What’s more, the filtration system in the Bodum Chambord does a great job, all things considered. In fact, it’s identical to the filter in the Bodum Brazil French Press, with a stainless steel plunger and steel filter mesh with a spiral plate.

This is the standard construction for many other French presses, but Bodum makes it look extra nice!

So, if you love a full-bodied French press cup but don’t want to spend a whole lot of money, you’ll adore the Bodum Chambord.

See Also: Bodum French Press Review

Decision Time

Now that we’ve reached the end of my picks for the best French press, I hope you’ve found something you like! While I’m a sucker for drip coffee makers, I really do love the French press brewing process. It’s easy to master and pretty forgiving, so it’s perfect for beginners.

What’s more, with all these options to choose from, there is a French press for everyone – even if you don’t want coffee silt hanging around in your cup.

After all this talk about the best French press coffee makers, I for one am just about ready to make myself a pot. My Bodum Chambord never fails me, but maybe I’ll use my Fellow Clara press pot, just to change it up a bit!