The Best French Presses to Fuel Your Daily Caffeine Craving

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission.

Whether you want to upgrade from your Keurig or you want to make some cold brew, these are the best French presses to buy right now.

For a full-bodied coffee that requires just a little more effort than using a drip coffee maker, look to the French press. The French press has been around since the mid-1800s, most likely invented by a Frenchman, but the first patent for the French press was filed by a pair of Italians in the 1920s.

Coffee brewed with a French press tends to have a fuller body and richer flavor, which is a contrast to the lightness and brightness of pour-over coffee. Another thing French presses have going for them: They're pretty cheap (sans some of the pricier options on this list). And when paired with an electric kettle, they're a great kitchen tool for tea drinkers too. Here are the best French presses to buy.

A French press can come in many shapes, sizes and materials but at the end of the day, the design is fairly universal. The coffee brewer comprises a carafe in which a filter and plunger are submerged to separate the coffee grounds from the water-turned coffee. Once you've filtered out the grounds, it's important to move your brewed coffee into a separate container to prevent further extraction. Or, of course, you can just drink the coffee quickly.

For a French press, the best coffee grind size is coarse or around the size of flaky salt. Be sure not to grind your coffee beans too fine because that will result in bitter, over-extracted coffee.

With a couple of exceptions, the French presses on this list — and in general — are primarily made of two materials: glass and stainless steel. While some have combinations of both, you'll want to consider if a glass or steel carafe will suit your brewing needs better.

On the one hand, when it comes to French presses you're usually dealing with borosilicate glass, which won't shatter or crack with rapid temperature changes like regular glass might. However, it's still glass, and therefore still breakable if dropped, say while cleaning.

One of the big benefits of glass is that you'll always have the ability to check on your brew, whereas stainless steel does not offer that same luxury. But if it's durability you want, stainless steel is unlikely to break and will retain heat, so your beverage won't cool as quickly.

While French presses range in size, many will make 3-4 cups. Before you buy, consider how much coffee you and your household drinks daily. But keep in mind it only takes 4 minutes to steep, if you need more caffeine after the first round.

While factors like volume, material and price can be gleaned from a product description, our testers set out to determine certain unquantifiable elements of the French presses in this guide. Our testers looked first and foremost at whether the French press they were using produced a good cup of coffee, asking themselves questions like: Does the filter leave grounds at the bottom of the cup? Will the press retain heat or cool quickly? Since grounds are not the same consistency as they might be when you discard them from, for example, an espresso machine, cleaning is very important when it comes to French press coffee. Our testers spent time taking these products apart, running them through the dishwasher or washing them painstakingly by hand to learn the best way to care for them.

Bodum is one of the most well-known brands in the French press realm — as well as other coffee-related accessories. The brand makes a variety of French press models, but its Chambord is probably the best of the bunch in terms of value, design and quality of coffee. The borosilicate glass is encased in a stainless steel frame, and the three-part stainless steel filter provides excellent coffee ground filtration. When you think of a stereotypical French press, the Chambord is probably what you'll imagine.

Our tester appreciated the affordable price point and no-frills functionality of the Bodum Chambord, noting that the French press is very easy to take apart and clean. That said, our tester also noticed that if you don't completely break down and clean every piece after use, it can easily get grimy. But you need to be careful handling the press, especially during cleaning, as our tester reported that he broke his original carafe and had to buy another French press. Luckily, it's not an expensive replacement if that does happen, though.

Espro sits on the pricier end of the French press spectrum, but for good reason. The brand uses a patented double micro-filter that provides even cleaner cups of coffee than the competition — but that clean cup comes at a price. The P6 has an insulated double-walled carafe, which helps keep your coffee hot, and because it is crafted of durable stainless steel, this thing is good for brewing on the go.

One of the only major downsides is its price, at about four times that of the Bodum Chambord. And the insulation, while very convenient for keeping your coffee warm, still doesn't mean you should be leaving your brew in there all day.

Bodum's Brazil is the cheaper alternative to the brand's Chambord, but it still makes excellent coffee. The Brazil retains the Chambord's borosilicate glass carafe but swaps out some of the metal for plastic, which helps cut down on costs. The filter/plunger construction is the same as its pricier cousin, so the coffee comes out just as good. Plus, it's completely dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.

Because of its plastic parts, the Brazil can't masquerade as a more expensive French press at an affordable price point, like the Chambord does, but it gets the job done and is less likely to break as well.

French presses are notoriously annoying to clean. The bottom of the carafe is filled with soggy coffee grounds that take some effort to fully get out. The Oxo French press, besides being a great brewer, is also a neat freak's best friend. With the brewer's GroundsLifter, you can lift the handle and the grounds will come out cleanly, with no need to dig out all the mess. Aside from the GroundsLifter, the Oxo French press is made of borosilicate glass, protected by a stainless steel frame.

That said, after removing the grounds, you will have to hand wash the French press, which will add a little extra time to your morning cleanup. And when it comes to making coffee, it only has a single filter. (For comparison, the Espro P6, our pick for the best splurge French press, has a double filter.)

Fellow's Clara French press won one of the Specialty Coffee Association 2022 Best New Product awards, and for good reason — the Clara has one of the best designs of any French press out there. First, the matte black finish of the Clara makes this a very-obvious Fellow product, which is honestly a plus. The stainless steel interior helps keeps the water's temperature consistent for proper coffee extraction, and the heat-lock double wall vacuum further makes sure there is no heat loss.

Our tester loved that the Clara uses a 360-degree pour lid so you don't have to align the filter in just the right position to make sure you can start pouring your coffee. And for those who can't be bothered with teaspoons or scales, the French press has etched lines in its interior to let you know where to fill it with coffee and water, which our tester found to be very convenient.

Our tester does note, however, that for the price of $100, you're basically paying for the art-like design. So if you're just looking for a French press to make your morning cup and spend the rest of the day in the cupboard, then this probably isn't the one for you. Additionally, our tester observed that the Clara's internal nonstick coating did not do much to speed up the cleaning process — he still had to take the time to clean out all of the grounds stuck to the bottom of the press.

For an in-depth look, read our review of the Fellow Clara French Press.

GSI's JavaPress is made for the coffee lover who's always on the road. It's wrapped in insulated ballistic nylon, which keeps drinks warm, while the lid is designed to prevent spillage. It's lightweight and compact, and it actually includes a nesting mug. Unlike other French presses on this list, it's actually quite colorful, with an exterior of a vibrant blue. Unfortunately, that's the only color that it is available in, so it may not be to your taste if you're looking for something more subtle. Additionally, probably due to its intended portability, it also has a smaller capacity of 20 ounces, whereas most of the French presses on this list have a capacity of 32-34 ounces.

Whether you're a Le Creuset collector or you've been waiting for the opportunity to invest in the right piece, the brand makes a beautiful, semi-affordable (at least in comparison to some of its other products) French press. Unlike many of the presses on this list, Le Creuset's is not made of metal or glass but stoneware. It comes in 12 beautiful colors — 5 of which are sold at Williams Sonoma — with a lid that brings to mind the brand's iconic enameled cast-iron cookware. Plus, the porcelain will keep your coffee warm for longer, and it's dishwasher safe.

Because of the Le Creuset name, the press does sport a heftier price tag of $85, which is about three times the price of our top pick. And the classic stoneware appearance, while beautiful, may hinder your brewing process as there's no way to see inside, like you're able to with a glass carafe, without taking off the lid and letting out some of the heat.

The first thing you'll notice about the Frieling French press is its super-shiny exterior. Besides being a nice design choice, the stainless steel makes this both durable and resistant to heat loss, which is bolstered by the dual-wall construction. The filter is comprised of two parts to get you a clean brew, and the French press itself is backed by a five-year warranty. Plus, if you're looking for a pop of color, you can shop six beautiful color options of the Frieling over at Food52.

Our tester loves the sturdiness of the stainless steel frame and notes that she's confident that the press will last for years. Plus, as expected, she said it keeps her coffee hot longer than a glass French press would, and every piece is dishwasher safe for easier cleaning. On the downside, our tester observed that the sleek finish does unfortunately show fingerprints quite easily. As for its two-stage filter, the quality is good but not perfect, occasionally allowing some grounds into your cup, according to our tester. And again, this French press is on the expensive side at a regular price of $100, but unlike other beautifully-designed presses, the stainless steel offers a lot of functionality in addition to looks.

The biggest selling points of this stainless steel French press from Stanley are its portability and the fact that it doubles as a pot. Perfect for outdoor adventuring, you can brew your morning cup on a camping trip or even use it to make a meal. At $26 and 32 ounces, you'll get an excellent bang for your buck plus the added convenience of being able to throw it in the dishwasher afterward.

Our tester appreciated the combination of the stainless steel and the folding handle design, saying it made this French press a great option for traveling and outdoor adventures, especially in compact spaces like a camper van. Plus, its double use as a cooking vessel makes it that much more valuable and worth the space, according to our tester.

Unfortunately, unlike the Frieling and other stainless steel presses, Stanley's French press will not keep your beverage warm. "The beaker is not insulated (single-wall design), so your H2O/coffee will cool down more quickly than a vacuum-sealed press or sleeve-wrapped design, especially on cooler mornings when camping," our tester said. In that same vein, the outside of the vessel will also become very hot to the touch, but luckily the handle is still usable.

When you brew in a French press, you're doing something called immersion brewing. Essentially, water and coffee grounds get to sit together for a few minutes before the grounds get filtered out and you're left with that sweet, sweet coffee.

First, you'll want to measure and grind your coffee beans, preferably with a burr grinder, using about 2 tablespoons of beans per cup of water. Then boil your water (this is where an electric kettle will come in handy) and pour it into the carafe over the grounds. Then steep for 4 minutes while stirring, and when the time is up add the lid and push down the press to filter out the grounds. Even if your press is made to keep your coffee warm, you'll want to serve your coffee as soon as you can to prevent over-extraction.

If you're feeling extra fancy, you can warm the press beforehand by filling it with hot water and then dumping it out before adding the beans. Lastly, the key to keeping your French press routine running smoothly is cleaning regularly.