The best cafetières
Proper coffee with nothing to plug in: the cafetières worth pressing.
A cafetière makes rich, full-bodied coffee with ground beans and hot water, and nothing to plug in, descale or break down. It's one of the simplest good presents for a coffee drinker.
Glass lets you watch it brew but can break; double-walled steel keeps the coffee hot and survives a knock. And despite the name, the 'French' press has an Italian patent behind it: Milanese designers Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta patented it in 1929.
What matters
- Size: 600ml for two, 1 litre for a family.
- Glass to watch it brew, steel to keep it hot.
- A fine steel mesh filter.
- Dishwasher-safe parts.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Bodum Caffettiera French Press, 8 Cup (1 litre)
£39.90 RRP
The classic glass cafetière: a borosilicate beaker you can watch brew through, a steel mesh plunger that keeps the coffee's oils in, and a litre, about four mugs, in one go. Bodum began in Copenhagen in 1944.
What owners say: Owners find it good quality, easy to use and clean, though some find the glass fragile and the capacity smaller than expected.
Heads up: Glass is glass: owners report breaks, so a spare beaker is worth knowing about (Bodum sells them).
A closer look: Use coarse coffee, about one rounded tablespoon per mug, and water just off the boil. Leave it four minutes, then press slowly and steadily.
- 1 litre, about 4 mugs
- Borosilicate glass beaker
- Stainless steel mesh filter
- Protective frame, domed lid
- Dishwasher-safe parts
Best for: The classic cafetière
- Capacity
- 1 litre
- Material
- Glass, steel frame
- Double-walled
- No
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- Filter
- Steel mesh
#2 of 5
Keeps coffee hottest
Campo Libre Giorgio Double-Wall Steel French Press (600ml)
£30–£50 Price range
Double-walled 18/8 stainless steel, made from recycled steel and shipped plastic-free, that keeps coffee hot for up to an hour: good for slow Sunday mornings or the campervan.
What owners say: Owners call it the best cafetière they've had, with a solid build that keeps coffee hot, and think it's worth the money.
A closer look: Pre-warm it with a splash of hot water first and the coffee stays hot longer. Unbreakable, so it can go camping too.
- 600ml, two large mugs
- Double-wall insulation, hot for up to 1 hour
- Recycled 18/8 stainless steel
- Dishwasher safe
- Plastic-free packaging
Best for: Slow mornings
- Capacity
- 600ml
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Double-walled
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- Filter
- Steel mesh
#3 of 5
Best value steel
KICHLY Stainless Steel Cafetière (1 litre)
£10–£20 Price range
A litre of double-walled stainless steel that can't crack and keeps the pot warm, for not much more than a glass one. Looks smarter than its price.
What owners say: Owners find it superb, lasting for years and keeping coffee hot, and say it looks expensive for the price.
A closer look: Press the plunger all the way down once brewed, or pour it all into mugs straight away: coffee left on the grounds turns bitter.
- 1 litre, 4–5 cups
- Double-wall stainless steel
- Fine filter
- Won't crack or rust
- 907g
Best for: Families
- Capacity
- 1 litre
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Double-walled
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- –
- Filter
- Fine mesh
#4 of 5
Best gift set
Andrew James Double-Walled Cafetière Gift Set (600ml, matt black)
£20–£30 Price range
Matt black double-walled steel with a cool-touch handle, three mesh filters and a measuring spoon, boxed as a gift: the smartest-looking present here for a coffee drinker.
What owners say: Owners find it excellent quality and good-looking, sturdier than glass, and say it keeps coffee hot and brews a big mug or two.
A closer look: The three filters together catch fine grounds that slip past a single mesh. Use the spoon: one scoop per cup keeps it consistent.
- 600ml (also 350ml and 1 litre)
- Double-walled stainless steel
- Cool-touch handle
- 3 mesh filters
- Measuring spoon, gift set
Best for: A smart present
- Capacity
- 600ml
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Double-walled
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- –
- Filter
- 3 mesh filters
#5 of 5
Best budget
RAINBEAN 8 Cup Glass Cafetière (1 litre)
£10–£20 Price range
A glass cafetière with a stainless steel filter for under a tenner, and it doubles for loose-leaf tea or frothing milk.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use and good for the price, though some find it smaller than expected and a few had the glass crack.
A closer look: Pump the plunger up and down in warm milk for a quick froth for a latte. Rinse the filter well so old grounds don't taint the next pot.
- 1 litre
- Borosilicate glass
- Stainless steel filter
- Heat-insulated handle
- Coffee, tea or milk froth
Best for: Secret Santa
- Capacity
- 1 litre
- Material
- Glass
- Double-walled
- No
- Dishwasher safe
- –
- Filter
- Steel mesh
How they compare
| Feature | #1Bodum Caffettiera | #2Campo Libre Giorgio | #3KICHLY 1L | #4Andrew James set | #5RAINBEAN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Keeps coffee hottest | Best value steel | Best gift set | Best budget | |
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.7 |
| Price | £39.90 RRP | £30–£50 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £20–£30 Price range | £10–£20 Price range |
| Capacity | 1 litre | 600ml | 1 litre | 600ml | 1 litre |
| Material | Glass, steel frame | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Glass |
| Double-walled | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes | Yes | – | – | – |
| Filter | Steel mesh | Steel mesh | Fine mesh | 3 mesh filters | Steel mesh |
| Best for | The classic cafetière | Slow mornings | Families | A smart present | Secret Santa |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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