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You can brew coffee in a number of ways, but many caffeine addicts swear by the French Press method.
Of all the French Presses we researched and tested, the Bodum Chambord is the best one you can buy with its glass and metal design that's as durable as it is beautiful.
Coffee brewing methods are many and varied - You have pourover, cold brew, classic espresso, and more. One of the most popular methods is the French Press, which lets your coffee grounds swirl around in boiling water to brew before you push the plunger down and pour the coffee right into your mug. There are dozens of great French Press coffee makers out there, but they're not all created equal.
We've researched the best ones and tested a few ourselves to find out which French Presses are the best you can buy. Before we get into our picks, let's get into important terms, things to look for in a French Press, and how these special coffee makers work.
What to look for in a French Press
- Glass French Presses: Glass carafes are gorgeous because you can watch the coffee brew and see the grounds go down as you plunge. They are more fragile, of course, so you should get one that's made out of borosilicate glass to avoid thermal shock and breakage. Most glass French Presses also have plastic or metal braces for added protection. Having a sturdy base is important, too.
- Stainless Steel French Presses: A double-walled design is key for stainless steel French Presses. Two walls will help keep the heat in and make for a better brew. You should also check for the quality of the stainless steel - 18/8 and 18/10 ratios of chromium to nickel are best. Stainless steel carafes are more durable, but you miss out on the fun visual element of glass French Presses.
- Plunger and handle design: The plunger keeps the grounds out of your cup of Joe, and the handle helps you keep the carafe steady as you push the plunger down. It's also key for pouring coffee into your cup. Most plungers have multiple metal screens to keep the grounds out of your coffee, including a large steel screen and a finer mesh screen to catch tinier particles. Some use a basket design, but most don't. The handle should be sturdy, strong, heat resistant, and not prone to breakage.
- Capacity: How much coffee do you want to make? French Presses come in different sizes, as do coffee mugs. It's best to look for a French Press with a capacity of one liter or more, depending on your needs. You can always fill a big carafe with less water, but you can't fill a smaller one with more, so bigger might be better. Take into consideration that many coffee mugs range is capacity from 8 to 16 ounces, so "cups of coffee" is a tricky metric to follow.
Here are the best French Presses you can buy:
- Best French Press overall: Bodum Chambord
- Best high-end French Press: Frieling Double Wall Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker
- Best affordable French Press: Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker
- Best affordable stainless steel French Press: SterlingPro Double Wall Stainless Steel French Press
- Best travel-friendly French Press: Bodum Stainless-Steel Travel French Press Mug
- Best alternative French Press: AeroPress
Updated on 11/21/2018 by Owen Burke: Updated prices and formatting, and replaced our discontinued best overall pick with the Bodum Chambord and added the AeroPress as a French Press alternative.
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
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