Frieling Double-Walled Stainless Steel French Press

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Customer Favorite
This is a premium option for coffee connoisseurs, and its all-stainless design earned it our chef's seal of approval.

PROS
The double-wall stainless steel brewer keeps coffee hot and is simple to clean. This French press will be producing coffee for years to come, thanks to its sturdy design. A fine filter with a specialized design creates little sediments while still providing a great, clean cup of coffee. It's safe to put in the dishwasher.

CONS
It doesn't keep heat as long as some users would want it to, given the price.

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Bodum Brazil French Press

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Easy to Use
A popular, simple design that has been on the market since the 1980s.

PROS
The sleek, minimalist design of the French press is free from paper filters or disposable components. This is made of BPA-free materials and high-quality borosilicate glass; it's designed with a modern look. It produces up to 32 ounces of coffee. It's dishwasher safe and simple to maintain.

CONS
Grounds can sneak into the cup if you don't position your pour correctly.

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Primula Tempo French Press

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Simple Design
For its large capacity and reasonable price, it gets our expert's seal of approval as an excellent entry-level choice.

PROS
The plastic framework keeps the delicate glass carafe safe. Features a fine mesh stainless steel plunger that minimizes fines and is simple to maintain. A compact design makes it easy to store and transport. It's able to produce consistently wonderful coffee.

CONS
After several washes, there were a few rust occurrences.

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Belwares French Press

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Durable & Rugged
This robustly constructed model, which comes in matte black, gives both quality coffee and elegance.

PROS
This french press is a very large coffee maker that's made of rust-proof stainless steel and is built to last. It has an attractive black finish. The double-walled construction keeps the coffee hotter for longer. The filter makes delicious, clean-tasting coffee with fewer fines. Inner measuring lines are included. Up to 1 liter may be brewed.

CONS
This French press is significantly heavier than other versions.

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Buying Guide for Best French Presses

The procedure for making coffee in a French press is to steep the grounds in water before pressing the brew through a strainer. This produces a coffee that is considered richer and smoother than standard drip-brewed coffee. The French press is a fantastic method to enhance your morning coffee.

A carafe with a plunger and filter assembly is used in a French press. When choosing a French press, you'll want to think about the quality of the construction materials, as these impact the longevity of the device and the coffee it will produce. Plastic, glass, and stainless-steel components are all used in these devices.

HOW TO USE A FRENCH PRESS

There are many French press coffee brewing methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Here are the stages for making a fantastic cup of French brewed coffee:

Step One

Remove the plunger and filter unit from the carafe, then bring water to a boil. The number of cups your French press will produce is determined by how much water you use. The most popular volume is six fluid ounces, which is considered one cup.

Step Two

As the water warms up, use a conical burr to grind your freshly roasted beans to a medium texture. The French press brewing method calls for a "coarse" grind setting since the finer grounds can flow through the mesh filter.

Step Three

Pour the dry coffee grinds into the carafe carefully. Two tablespoons per six ounces of water is considered safe by coffee experts, although the proportion of grounds to water is a point of contention. A 1:10 ground-to-water ratio works well for Metric consumers.

EXPERT TIP

The plunger should be pressed firmly, as it is the first component to bow or break.

Revuu Buddy Cooking and Baking Expert

HOW TO USE A FRENCH PRESS

Step Four

To fill the carafe, add a proportion of water equal to that of your grounds. Using a wooden skewer or a tiny spoon, carefully stir the mixture. Allow the grounds to bloom for about 30 seconds after they have been saturated. Many of the important tastes locked within the roasted beans will be "wakened" as a result of this.

Step Five

When it's time to harvest your own beans, keep in mind that you'll need enough water. Place the carafe back on the warmer for three minutes once the beans have bloomed.

Step Six

The final stage, which gives the French press its name and reputation, is to clip on the plunger or filter assembly to the top of the carafe. Push the filter down slowly (about 15 to 20 pounds of force) with steady pressure. The coffee grinds should stay trapped behind the mesh filter, and the finished drink should be dark and hot.

Step Seven

As soon as the coffee is ready, pour and serve it. Many French presses are highly insulated to improve heat retention. However, after brewing, the finished beverage rapidly fades to its peak.

ANATOMY AND CONSTRUCTION

The French press anatomy varies little from model to model: a snugly fitting cylindrical, heat-resistant carafe houses a plunger/filter assembly.

Here are the most popular:

Stainless steel

Stainless steel is a fantastic heat-retention material, especially when the carafe has a double insulated wall. The stainless steel used in a French press, for example, is not reactive, so it does not leach off any unpleasant metallic tastes into the coffee. For this reason, several professionals recommend stainless steel.

On the one hand, stainless steel French presses are expensive. Steel, unlike glass and plastic, is not transparent, so you must rely on the recommended brewing time to get your coffee just right.

Glass

Glass is a frequently used material in French press carafes, but not any will do. Many businesses utilize the heat-resistant borosilicate glass found in laboratory beakers and test tubes to create carafes.

Glass is an excellent material for coffee brewing because it maintains heat well and does not interfere with the natural acidity of coffee. Because it's transparent, you can watch the brewing process from beginning to end.

However, glass carafes occasionally shatter. However, glass carafes include protective features, though they can't guarantee an accident-free experience. The glass carafe of a cheap French press is more likely to shatter than a high-end French press with thicker glass.

Polycarbonate (plastic)

Polycarbonate, too, has a variety of the same advantageous features as glass — but without the brittleness or heat retention concerns. They are shatter-resistant and enable you to observe the brewing process because they are made of polycarbonate. Polycarbonate carafes are included in many entry-level and mid-range French presses.

Unfortunately, polycarbonate is prone to scratches and dents over time. Cleaning might be challenging, and interior staining can occur. There's also the worry that a chemical called BPA might seep into food if it's put in plastic containers. When shopping for a polycarbonate model, search for phrases such as "BPA-Free" or "No BPA."

EXPERT TIP

When you brew French-pressed coffee, the natural flavor of the bean comes through. For a fuller flavor, use French-pressed coffee in your recipes, including cakes and cookies, as well as steak marinades.

Revuu Buddy Cooking and Baking Expert

Stoneware

Despite the fact that some French presses do include ceramic or clay carafes, they are less popular than stainless steel and glass in American retail outlets. The procedure is essentially the same, although due to the stoneware's opacity, it can no longer be observed.

The carafe and lid are generally composed of kiln-fired, glazed ceramic materials, although the plunger/filter may be a mix of ceramic and metal parts. Typically, the capacity is excellent, and retention is very good.

However, many people think stoneware is more appealing than useful. In other words, the item may be used in a different location after all. Some consumers are concerned that the glaze or paint may seep into their coffee as it brews, similar to glass.

Every material has its strengths and drawbacks, and no single one excels above the rest. The choice of "best" French press material is usually a matter of personal preference.

Hybrid

With so many choices available to the coffee expert today, a new species of carafes have emerged. Hybrids are made up of mixed glass, stainless steel, and plastic components. Although the sturdiness of the goods and their quality have yet to be thoroughly investigated, they are well worth considering.

CAPACITY

A carafe capacity of 6-16 ounces is usually sufficient for one cup of high-end brew, as well as topping it off for individual coffee drinkers. Rather than brewing too much coffee in an automatic drip pot, only enough beans should be ground to make one or two cups of coffee.

There are times when large quantities of coffee must be brewed, and some French press pots can handle the task. Use a glass or polycarbonate carafe with a capacity of four to eight cups minimum if you want to brew huge amounts of coffee.

At a time, a large French press carafe can hold up to 64 ounces of brewed coffee. That's eight to 12 cups of coffee. It's vital to note that many firms consider a cup to be six fluid ounces rather than the standard eight-ounce measurement in the United States.

PRICE

The price range for these espresso machines ranges from $15 for a plastic travel model to more than $200 for a stainless steel version by a well-known European coffee business.

We propose that most buyers should budget between $35 and $75 for a midrange price. Unless you're searching for an ultra-chic showstopper or the finest stainless steel money can buy, that's the case.

EXPERT TIP

Instead of a brief wash, use soap and water to clean the insides of your coffee carafe. Over time, coffee beans leave oils on the inside of a French press, which can cause discoloration.

Revuu Buddy Cooking and Baking Expert

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Simply said, a French press carafe is a simple-to-use instrument that nevertheless requires some maintenance. If properly cared for, a French press may last anywhere from five to ten years.

When caring for your French press, keep these pointers in mind:

• When not in use, carefully wash and dry the pot to avoid staining and other problems.
• Before putting your dishwasher, double-check the cleaning instructions. Dishwasher-safe components may be found in some systems, but others need special care and detergent.
• The mesh filter might get clogged with coffee grinds over time. Use a soft brush to remove build-up.
• Carefully inspect glass and stoneware carafes for cracks. A chipped carafe is neither useful nor safe to use.
• Plungers and filters may both bend or shatter after years of usage.

When assessing for quality, keep in mind that the plunger/filter should not feel loose in your hand, and the seal between the component and the walls should be tight but not overly tight. The handle should be neither hot nor cold to the touch and should feel well-balanced when handled.

FAQ

Why do so many coffee drinkers enjoy the French press technique over other brewing techniques?

A. When professional coffee buyers assess various beans for flavor quality, they frequently combine freshly roasted beans with hot water to create an unadulterated blend. This is an industry term for what we call "cupping."

Because the essential oils and acidic tannins are not filtered out by a paper filter or recycled in a percolator, the French press technique resembles cupping. The flavor and body of French press coffee are generally more powerful than those produced by other procedures.

Is there any way to make my coffee even more powerful by adjusting the plunger?

A. It's tempting to agitate the ground coffee for maximum extraction, but don't. During the first three to five minutes of the first brewing session, all of the essential oils and other taste components should be removed from the beans.

The plunger does the same thing as squeezing a tea bag for maximum yield, but it's primarily used to remove the grounds from the liquid. If you press and pull on the plunger, you'll only get a harsh last result.

Have you ever tried giving a coffee lover a French press as a present?

A. Some coffee connoisseurs stick with a specific brewing technique, while others like to try new things. The French press technique, like other manual brew methods, requires a lot of patience from the user. Because fresh ground coffee beans are used and the brewing time is longer than that of a single pod or automatic drip machine, it takes more effort.

Before investing in a high-end French press, we recommend evaluating your friend's interest. A cheaper version constructed of polycarbonate or tempered glass, on the other hand, might be a wonderful present.

Frieling Double-Walled Stainless Steel French Press

BOTTOMLINE
Customer Favorite
This is a premium option for coffee connoisseurs, and its all-stainless design earned it our chef's seal of approval.

Shop Now

Bodum Brazil French Press

BOTTOMLINE
Easy to Use
A popular, simple design that has been on the market since the 1980s.

Shop Now

Primula Tempo French Press

BOTTOMLINE
Simple Design
For its large capacity and reasonable price, it gets our expert's seal of approval as an excellent entry-level choice.

Shop Now

Belwares French Press

BOTTOMLINE
Durable & Rugged
This robustly constructed model, which comes in matte black, gives both quality coffee and elegance.

Shop Now