Every likes their coffee their way, but we’ve found that people also like their coffeemakers their way. Here are our picks for the best French press coffeemaker for every niche we can think of…
Best Plastic-Free French Press
If you want a high-end, buy-it-for-life press pot then the Frieling USA stainless steel french press is a great pick. This thing is heavy — about two pounds — and entirely made of 18/10 food grade stainless steel. It’s seamless, rust-free, and has no parts to break or lose. The entire body (which is one piece with the handle) is metal, as is the plunger and the filter screen.
If you want a high-end, great-looking, entirely plastic-free coffeemakers, this one is hard to beat.
Best Plastic-Free Value French Press
If you want to go plastic-free, but you don’t want a high-end model like the Frieling, there are still options. The Mueller double-wall French press will cost a fraction of the price the Frieling but it looks very similar on paper. The Mueller is also dishwasher-safe, which is not something you’d typically do with a high-end French press.
The downside of the Mueller is that it appears to be the exact same unit, just rebranded, from many others on Amazon. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be a bad sign for quality control and post-purchase support. That said, reviews of the Mueller are very strong.
Best French Press For Coffee Geeks
The Espro P7 Stainless Steel French Press is a great looking pot from the espresso geeks at Espro. Its stainless steel design is sold in a classic polished metal, as well as a cool matte black, and then an ultra-modern matte white. The matte black is a great match for the Bodum Bistro kettle.
In addition to the cool look, this pot uses a unique double filter design to delivered a cleaner cup of coffee that has the body of a French press but more of the clean taste of a paper filter and no sludge at the bottom of your cup.
Best Value French Press
The Bodum Brazil press pot has long been the ultimate in value. It’s a great looking pot with all the history and design of Bodum behind it. This has long been the go-to French press for people who are getting into coffee and starting to experiment with their first coffee grinder.
This press pot has a glass carafe that is, frankly, quite easy to break, but if you treat it with care you’ll get year of life from this capable, sub-$25 coffeemaker.
Best Designed French Press
Bodum Columbia
Best Traditional French Press
The Le Creuset stoneware French press has a traditional kitchen look that is going to be a instant hit with some kitchen owners. If you have a southern style or French country kitchen this stoneware coffeemaker is going to be a much better fit for your aesthetic than almost any other option sold today.
We are, of course, fans of Le Creuset’s enamel cookware, but their press pot is a cult hit as well. It’s not cast iron, but it’s a perfect match for your Le Creuset pots and bakeware. As a bonus Le Creuset sells matching mugs to complete your coffee kit.
Best Rugged French Press
Most of us aren’t generally looking for rugged kitchen gear, but having broken a number of glass French presses I eventually moved to metal ones. Stanley, who is well-known for their thermoses also makes a tough stainless steel french press. It weighs 3 pounds, so you know it’s bombproof — if the Stanley name wasn’t proof enough. This is another model with a plastic-free interior, though there is plastic handle. The flat green color means it’s probably a better fit for a hunting lodge or job site than most traditional kitchens, but it certainly has a cool aesthetic that makes this perhaps the most gift-friendly press we’ve seen.
The Coolest French Press
The Polivar 34 oz. French press takes the cake when it comes to unique looks and creative use of design elements. This coffee maker combines a very cool exterior that is sold in a titanium, a speckled lava, flat blue, and flat green colors. It has teak wood handles and a fully stainless steel set of screens for filtering your coffee.