Top 5 compared
The best French presses
Rich, full-bodied coffee with nothing to plug in or descale, made with hot water and one slow press.
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The top 5 at a glance
A French press brews coffee by steeping coarse grounds in hot water for about four minutes, then pushing a mesh filter down on the plunger to trap them at the bottom. A metal mesh lets through the coffee’s oils, which a paper filter would hold back. Glass presses let you watch it steep; stainless steel ones survive a knock.
The coffee goes on steeping as long as it sits on the grounds, so pour anything that won’t be drunk soon into mugs or a carafe. And despite the name, the French press as we know it was patented in 1929 by two Italian designers, Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta.
What matters
- A size to suit: a litre (34 oz) fills about four mugs.
- Double-walled steel, if the second cup should still be hot.
- A multi-layer steel filter, for less sludge in the cup.
- Parts that go in the dishwasher, mesh included.
#1Secura Stainless Steel French Press (1 L, 34 oz)
$30–$50
Double-walled stainless steel that won’t crack like glass and keeps the second cup hot, in a one-litre (34 oz) pot with a three-layer steel filter and two spare screens in the box. The handle and knob stay cool to the touch.
What owners say: Owners say it keeps coffee hot well after pressing, looks smart on the counter and is easy to clean, and they find it sturdy.
A closer look: Stack a spare screen onto the filter for a cleaner cup when the grind is on the fine side, as Secura suggests. Swirling a splash of hot water round the pot first warms the steel, so the coffee holds its heat longer once it’s brewed.
- Won’t crack like glass
- Spare screens for finer coffee
- Cool-touch handle and knob
Best for: Refills that are still hot
- Capacity
- 1 L (34 oz)
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Double-walled
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- Filter
- 3-layer steel, 2 spare screens
#2Secura Stainless Steel French Press (1.5 L, 50 oz)
$30–$50
Secura’s double-walled press in its big size, 1.5 litres (50 oz), enough for five or six mugs: for a big household, the cottage or a weekend with guests. It’s stainless steel inside and out, with a three-layer steel filter and a spare screen to stack for a finer cup.
What owners say: Owners like the size, big enough for a crowd yet fine for a single cup, and say it makes a great pot, keeps it hot for much longer and looks good on the table.
A closer look: A half pot works fine, so it needn’t wait for guests. At 1.5 litres it’s too big for a backpack, and the cool-touch handle makes a full pot easy to pour out at the table.
- Cool-touch handle and knob
- Spare screen for finer coffee
Best for: Big households and guests
- Capacity
- 1.5 L (50 oz)
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Double-walled
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- Filter
- 3-layer steel, spare screen
#3MuellerLiving Double-Walled Stainless Steel French Press (1 L, 34 oz)
$75–$100
Built for the campsite as much as the kitchen: double-walled stainless steel that shrugs off knocks, a four-stage filter (a coiled spring, two fine screens and a cross plate) and a small steel canister in the box for carrying ground coffee to work or camp.
What owners say: Owners call it heavy-duty, with no glass to worry about, a handle that stays cool and coffee that stays hot, and it cleans up well. The price and the looks are where opinions split.
A closer look: Solid stainless steel all round, it’s happy to ride in a camping box or an RV cupboard without any wrapping or padding. Every part, the four-stage filter included, goes in the dishwasher once it’s home.
- Travel canister for ground coffee
- No glass to crack
Best for: Camping, office and home
- Capacity
- 1 L (34 oz)
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Double-walled
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- Filter
- 4-stage: coil, 2 screens, cross plate
#4KICHLY Double-Walled Stainless Steel French Press (1 L, 34 oz)
$30–$50
A litre (34 oz) of double-walled 304 stainless steel with a four-layer filter: the coffee stays hot, there’s no glass to break and it comes apart for the dishwasher. KICHLY says it’s sturdy enough for restaurants and hotels.
What owners say: Owners love that there’s nothing fragile to break, say the filter works well and the coffee stays hot, and rate the easy cleaning and the build.
A closer look: A full pot pours four or five mugs. Tip the spent grounds into the compost or the garbage rather than down the sink, then pull the plunger and filter apart, as everything goes in the dishwasher. It won’t rust, so it can go camping too.
- No glass to break
- Comes apart fully to clean
- Sturdy enough for restaurants
Best for: Kitchens hard on glass presses
- Capacity
- 1 L (34 oz)
- Material
- Stainless steel
- Double-walled
- Yes
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- Filter
- 4-layer
#5KICHLY Glass French Press with Triple Filter (1 L, 34 oz, black)
$20–$30
The classic glass press: a litre (34 oz) borosilicate beaker to watch the coffee steep, steadied in a black frame, with a three-layer filter on the plunger. Glass doesn’t hold the heat like double-walled steel, so it suits coffee that’s poured as soon as it’s pressed.
What owners say: Owners find it simple, easy to use and quick to clean. The complaints are about how well the parts fit and how well it holds back the grounds, and the glass’s durability divides them.
A closer look: Use a coarse grind and press slowly and steadily: a fine grind or a hard push forces grounds round the filter and can squirt coffee from the spout. A plastic measuring spoon comes in the box, and it brews loose-leaf tea as well.
- Watch the coffee steep
- Measuring spoon included
- Makes tea too
Best for: Pressed and poured at the table
- Capacity
- 1 L (34 oz)
- Material
- Borosilicate glass, plastic frame
- Double-walled
- No
- Dishwasher safe
- Yes
- Filter
- 3-layer
How they compare
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| Feature | #1Secura 1 L | #2Secura 1.5 L | #3MuellerLiving 1 L | #4KICHLY 1 L steel | #5KICHLY 1 L glass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for big batches | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 8.6 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $75–$100 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 |
| Capacity | 1 L (34 oz) | 1.5 L (50 oz) | 1 L (34 oz) | 1 L (34 oz) | 1 L (34 oz) |
| Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Borosilicate glass, plastic frame |
| Double-walled | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Filter | 3-layer steel, 2 spare screens | 3-layer steel, spare screen | 4-stage: coil, 2 screens, cross plate | 4-layer | 3-layer |
| Best for | Refills that are still hot | Big households and guests | Camping, office and home | Kitchens hard on glass presses | Pressed and poured at the table |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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