Welcome to Tea or Coffee. Explore our practical guides designed for better focus and steady energy throughout your day.
Best French Press for Beginners: Sizes, Materials, and Top Picks
A French press is one of the simplest ways to make good coffee at home: no paper filters, no machine and only a few parts. The best French press for you depends on four things: how much coffee you make, glass or steel, whether you need insulation, and how much sediment you’ll accept. Here are five picks, from a premium insulated press to a low-cost glass one.
Still deciding whether to replace your automatic coffee maker? Our French press vs drip coffee comparison weighs taste, daily effort and cleanup before you buy.
Table of Contents
Top Picks at a Glance
Best overall
ESPRO P7 (18 oz)
$$$ Insulated stainless steel body with a dual micro-filter. The most expensive pick here
Best stainless / insulated
Fellow Clara (24 oz)
$$$ Vacuum-insulated stainless body with ratio markings inside, larger than the 18 oz P7 featured here
Budget pick
Bodum BRAZIL (1 L / 34 oz)
$ A simple full-size glass press at a lower price. Check availability, as the official US listing has shown it out of stock
| Model | Capacity | Material | Insulated? | Filter | Price tier | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESPRO P7, brushed | 18 US fl oz (minimum brew 15 oz) | Stainless steel body; polypropylene parts | Yes | Dual micro-filter | $$$ | View product |
| Fellow Clara, Matte Black | 24 US fl oz | Vacuum-insulated stainless steel, PTFE-coated interior; plastic lid and handle | Yes | Mesh filter (brand: “enhanced mesh”) | $$$ | View product |
| Bodum CHAMBORD (1928-57), Matt Chrome | 1 L / 34 oz | Borosilicate glass; stainless steel and plastic parts | No | Metal plunger with mesh filter | $$ | View product |
| Bodum CAFFETTIERA (1913-913) | 0.35 L / 12 oz | Borosilicate glass | No | Plunger with mesh filter | $ | View product |
| Bodum BRAZIL (1548-01US), black | 1 L / 34 oz | Borosilicate glass; plastic frame, handle and base | No | Stainless steel plunger and mesh | $ | View product |
Capacities are the maker’s nominal vessel size, not how much finished coffee you’ll pour. Price tiers ($ lower cost, $$ midrange, $$$ premium) are broad categories; local prices vary by country and retailer.
How to Choose: The 4 Things That Matter
Most French presses brew in the same basic way: coffee steeps in hot water, then a mesh filter pushes the grounds to the bottom. The differences that matter in daily use come down to four things.
Still deciding between brewing methods? Our French press vs pour over comparison explains the differences in body, effort and cleanup.
Capacity. Size labels are the easiest thing to get wrong. Bodum’s “cups” are about 4 oz each, so an 8-cup, 34 oz press makes about two ordinary 12 oz mugs, not eight. How much you actually pour depends on your dose and how full you fill the press.
The number on the box is also the vessel’s capacity, not your finished coffee. The grounds take up space and hold back some water, and you need room below the rim for the lid and plunger. Some presses also set a minimum: ESPRO lists a minimum brew of 15 oz for the 18 oz P7.
A simple rule: count the servings you actually pour in one round, and how big they are, then choose a press with a little room to spare.
- One modest mug: a small press of about 12 oz
- Two smaller servings: about 18 to 24 oz
- Two full 12 oz mugs: about 34 oz
- More than that: a 34 oz press and a second batch
Material. Glass lets you see the coffee as it brews, and borosilicate glass is the usual choice for presses. The trade-off is obvious: it can break if it’s knocked or dropped, and replacement beakers cost extra.
Stainless steel won’t shatter, which matters in busy kitchens. You can’t see the brew, so you’ll use a timer instead of watching the color. Check what the other parts are made of, too: several “stainless” presses still have plastic lids, handles or filter parts.
Neither material makes a press plastic-free automatically. If that matters to you, read the full materials list for the exact model.
Insulation. A single-wall glass press loses heat quickly once it’s brewed. If you drink the whole press straight away, that hardly matters.
If your coffee sits while you pour a second cup, a double-wall or vacuum-insulated body helps keep it warm for longer. Both insulated picks here are in the premium tier, so only pay for insulation if your coffee actually sits.
Insulation doesn’t stop the coffee from steeping, though. Once you’ve pressed, serve it or pour it off the grounds as your press’s instructions say; the National Coffee Association also recommends serving or decanting after pressing.
Filtration. Some fine sediment is normal with a metal-mesh French press, and how much reaches your cup depends on the filter and the grind. That’s part of the fuller body many people like in French press coffee, but too much leaves sludge at the bottom of your cup.
Presses with finer or double filters aim to catch more of it. Here, the press with a double filter is also the most expensive one and has more parts to take apart and clean.
Your grind matters too. Fine particles from an uneven grind can pass through the filter, so a grinder that makes a consistent coarse grind helps keep sediment down. Our best coffee grinder guide covers grinders for French press brewing.
Best Overall French Press
ESPRO P7, brushed, 18 oz · $$$
The P7 is our overall pick for readers willing to pay for better filtration and insulation in one press. ESPRO uses a dual micro-filter, a two-stage basket designed to hold back more fine particles than a single mesh screen. The body is insulated stainless steel, with some polypropylene parts.
Reviewers who used it back up the filtration. Serious Eats reports cleaner filtration from the P7 and notes its substantial build. Tom’s Guide’s reviewer found cleaning the filter somewhat tedious, because the double filter has to come apart.
The biggest drawback is price: it’s the most expensive press here. The 18 oz size has a 15 oz minimum brew, so it suits one or two people. ESPRO also makes a 32 oz version, which is priced differently.
A finer filter reduces sediment rather than guaranteeing none, and the P7 isn’t plastic-free.
- Choose it if: sediment bothers you and you want your coffee to stay warm in a stainless steel body.
- Skip it if: a little sediment doesn’t bother you. A basic glass press makes the same style of coffee for much less.
Best Stainless / Insulated Pick
Fellow Clara, Matte Black, 24 oz · $$$
The Clara is the pick for people who want an insulated steel press in a larger size. Fellow uses a vacuum-insulated stainless steel body, and the inside has markings to help you measure water for your ratio. At 24 oz, it holds more than the 18 oz P7 featured here, though ESPRO also makes a 32 oz P7.
There are a few details to know. The interior has a PTFE (nonstick) coating, and the lid and handle are plastic. Fellow says only the mesh filter is dishwasher safe, so the body needs hand washing.
The walnut-handle version is a different variant, so check which one you’re buying.
Fellow calls its filter an “enhanced mesh.” GearLab, which tested the Clara, was less enthusiastic about its filtration than the brand’s own marketing. If filtration is your priority, the P7 is the stronger choice. If you want insulation and a bigger batch than the 18 oz P7, the Clara fits better.
- Choose it if: you want an insulated steel press with built-in measuring marks and a bit more capacity.
- Skip it if: you want everything dishwasher safe, or you’d rather avoid a coated interior.
Best Glass Classic
Bodum CHAMBORD (1928-57), Matt Chrome, 1 L / 34 oz · $$
The Chambord is the classic glass French press: a borosilicate glass beaker in a metal frame. It’s the pick if you like watching the coffee brew and want a full-size press for several people.
The plunger and mesh filter are metal, with some plastic parts. Bodum lists replacement beakers and filter components, so a cracked beaker doesn’t have to mean a whole new press. Make sure you buy this glass version, not a Chambord variant with a plastic (SAN) beaker.
The trade-offs are the ones every glass press has. Food & Wine’s testing notes that glass presses like the Chambord are fragile and don’t hold heat well. If your coffee sits for a while, pour it into a carafe or mugs soon after pressing.
- Choose it if: you want a classic full-size glass press and you treat your gear carefully.
- Skip it if: your coffee sits for a long time, or you’ve broken a glass press before.
Best Small (1–2 Cup) Pick
Bodum CAFFETTIERA (1913-913), 0.35 L · $
Solo drinkers often end up with a press that’s too big. The Caffettiera holds 350 ml, sold by Bodum as three small cups, and it’s made of borosilicate glass with a plunger filter.
Remember that 350 ml is the vessel’s capacity, not the coffee you’ll pour. In practice, that’s one modest mug or two small cups, depending on the dose, not two large mugs.
It isn’t insulated, so it’s best for coffee you drink straight away. The glass version is model 1913-913; Bodum also sells Caffettiera models made of Tritan plastic, which are different products.
- Choose it if: you’re usually the only coffee drinker and want a compact press.
- Skip it if: you often make coffee for two. A 24 to 34 oz press is more practical.
Best Budget Pick
Bodum BRAZIL (1548-01US), black, 1 L / 34 oz · $
The Brazil is the lower-cost route to a full-size press. It has a borosilicate glass beaker, a stainless steel plunger and mesh, and a plastic frame, handle and base.
It makes the same style of coffee as the more expensive presses here. You give up insulation and the metal frame of the Chambord, and the glass needs the same care as any glass press.
Food & Wine’s testers rated the coffee it brews favorably against the Chambord’s, but criticized its plastic exterior parts and the exposed hot glass.
Availability is the main caveat. Bodum’s US listing has shown this model out of stock, so check the current listing and the exact 1 L size before you buy.
- Choose it if: you want to try French press coffee without spending much.
- Skip it if: you need it to keep coffee warm, or want a sturdier frame.
Using It Right
Start with a coarse, even grind, and see our coffee grind size guide for what that looks like. Use water just off the boil rather than at a rolling boil, and check our guide to water temperature for coffee for the exact range. Stir once after pouring, set the lid on with the plunger raised, then press slowly and evenly when the steep is done. For ratios, timing and the full method, follow our guide on how to make French press coffee.
Beyond Hot Coffee: Cold Brew and Frothing
A French press also works for cold brew: you steep coarse grounds in cold water for many hours, then press. Our recipe for cold brew in a French press covers the ratio, steep time and how to strain it cleanly.
You can also use a press to froth warm milk for lattes by pumping the plunger, as Starbucks at Home’s guide shows. Check your own press’s instructions first, since filters and cleaning needs differ. Follow our guide to frothing milk in a French press for the temperature, pumping technique and troubleshooting tips.
How We Chose
We compared French presses using manufacturer specifications, product pages and published hands-on reviews. We did not test these presses ourselves. Where we mention how a press performs, we attribute it to the reviewer who tested it.
We weighed each model on six criteria, in this order of importance:
- Filtration quality: how much fine sediment the filter is designed to stop
- Material and insulation: glass or steel, and whether the body is insulated
- Capacity fit: realistic serving size and the sizes available
- Durability: construction, fragility and whether replacement parts are listed
- Ease of cleaning: how many filter parts come apart, and what the maker says about dishwasher use
- Value: what you get for the price tier
These are editorial judgments based on documented features, not measurements. We didn’t measure temperatures, sediment or lifespan. The ranking compares these five presses; it isn’t a review of every French press on the market.
FAQ
What grind for a French press?
Use a coarse, even grind. Coarse ground coffee for French press brewing is easier to filter and less likely to slip through the mesh into your cup. If you buy pre-ground coffee, ask for a coarse or French press grind; our grind size guide shows what it should look like.
Water temperature?
For French press brewing, the National Coffee Association recommends water at 93°C, give or take 3°C (about 90 to 96°C, or roughly 194 to 205°F). It suggests letting the water rest briefly after boiling and checking it with a thermometer, since kettles cool at different rates. Our water temperature guide explains the details.
Glass or stainless?
Choose glass if you want to watch the brew and your coffee doesn’t sit long. Choose stainless steel if you want a press that won’t shatter and, in an insulated model, keeps coffee warm for longer. Both make the same style of coffee.
How long do they last?
It depends on the material, how often you use it and how you care for it, so there’s no fixed lifespan. Glass beakers can break, but several models list replacement beakers. If a mesh filter gets damaged or worn, replace it, and follow the maker’s cleaning instructions.
Final Thoughts
If sediment bothers you and you’re willing to pay for it, the ESPRO P7 is the strongest pick here. If you want an insulated steel press larger than the 18 oz P7, choose the Fellow Clara. For a classic glass press, go with the Bodum Chambord, or the Caffettiera if you brew for one.
If you’re new to French press coffee, there’s no need to start with the most expensive model. The Bodum Brazil makes the same style of coffee at a lower price, as long as it’s in stock.
Buying a French press for someone else? Our coffee lover gift guide helps you match the gift to their brewing habits and your budget.
Your grind and method matter as much as the press. Our home brewing guide covers methods, ratios and other gear.
Disclosure: read our disclosure policy.
