Making espresso in a French press requires few particular instruments and no honed expertise, cementing it as an ideal entry level for house brewing newcomers. It’s additionally a great technique for even the largest espresso nerds when away from their tricked-out house set-ups; Maciej Kasperowicz, the Director of Espresso for subscription espresso firm Trade Coffee, says he principally makes use of a French press when visiting his mother and father.
French press is much less fussy than many pour-over methods, because it doesn’t should be brewed in particular portions or require you so as to add water in increments. Nick Cho, the co-founder of San Francisco’s Wrecking Ball Coffee (and TikTok star, often called Your Korean Dad) likens it to a slow-cooker’s place within the kitchen. “You don’t have to face over it,” Cho says. It additionally brews a greater, fuller-bodied cup of espresso than on the spot espresso or many drip machines—very similar to the heartiness you’d get from meals made in a crockpot, reasonably than a microwave.
On the subject of discovering the very best French press espresso makers, the variations within the high quality are typically very delicate. The principle variations come all the way down to materials: The basic glass or plastic carafe fashions have a tendency to not maintain within the warmth in addition to the double-walled fashions (often chrome steel). However for a lot of, a French press is a chance so as to add some coloration into your kitchen or match your decor. “Aesthetic is a giant factor,” says Kasperowicz. These are our prime picks.
Options to Hold in Thoughts
Forms of French Press Espresso Makers
French press espresso makers all are typically pretty comparable of their mechanics: a carafe that holds espresso grounds and scorching water, then a plunger mechanism with a mesh filter that you just push down after the water extracts the espresso. The important thing variations usually lie in materials and aesthetics, just like the colourful Bodum Chambord or sleekly trendy Fellow Clara. Some fashions are available in a number of supplies, so you’ll be able to combine and match materials and design type for the right French press.
Components and Parts
All French presses have a plunger and built-in filter. Some higher-end fashions, just like the Espro P7 and the Fellow Clara, attempt to cut back the inevitable silty espresso sludge on the backside of the press via superb mesh filters. It’s a pleasant bonus however nothing will eliminate the best grounds, Cho explains, as a result of if the display screen had been superb sufficient to considerably filter them out, like a paper filter, it might be troublesome to plunge.
Sizes
In contrast to many different countertop espresso brewing strategies, a French press could make a variety of portions. In different phrases, you’ll be able to simply make only one cup in a four-cup model. If you happen to sometimes brew espresso for bigger teams, think about getting a bigger mannequin. It’s going to work superb for single-use too. When shopping for, pay attention to what number of ounces of espresso the press makes, reasonably than counting on the variety of cups. For instance, an ordinary “eight-cup” model will usually make round 32-34 ounces (lower than three Starbucks “tall” coffees).
Materials
The largest determination in selecting the very best French press espresso maker for you comes all the way down to its materials. Glass is basic: It appears good, goes within the dishwasher for straightforward cleansing, and brews good espresso. Nevertheless, for the klutzy people on the market, it may be an accident ready to occur – particularly because you’ll be dealing with it uncaffeinated. Each plastic and chrome steel are extra sturdy, although the plastic tends to get simply scratched up and cloudy. “It’s simply going to be ugly,” says Cho.
The double-walled chrome steel ones are mainly shatterproof, however typically can not go within the dishwasher. They provide one other profit: “One thing that retains warmth higher will likely be extra constant,” explains Kasperowicz. Although chrome steel itself isn’t very insulating, many of the French presses manufactured from it are double-walled, which implies they maintain warmth nicely. Single-walled fashions lose warmth quicker, so you might need to begin with hotter water to accommodate for the truth that the espresso will cool off shortly.
Portability
Fragile glass French presses don’t journey in addition to plastic or chrome steel ones. For chilly mornings tenting or wherever else the place the coolness may cool your espresso extra shortly, double-walled chrome steel’s insulation will likely be simplest at conserving the espresso heat all through the brewing course of.
Our High Picks
Greatest Total: Bodum Chambord French Press
Classics earn their title for a purpose, and the category-defining Bodum Chambord isn’t any exception. Kasperowicz and Cho each agree that there’s no must deviate from this normal except you want a special materials or aesthetic. It’s easy, however the timeless glass Chambord does are available in all kinds of colours. Cho additionally likes that proudly owning a widespread mannequin makes it straightforward to seek out alternative components, ought to something break.
Greatest Worth: Bodum Caffettiera French Press
If value issues most, this plastic mannequin is the very best French press espresso maker for you. It’s almost equivalent in perform to the Chambord, however prices half as a lot. The number of colours, ease of buying, and basic look stay the identical—with none hazard of breaking the glass beaker. Plastic does get cloudy and present scratches simply, however for a lot of, it’s a great commerce for shatter-free portability.
Greatest Aesthetics: Fellow Clara French Press
Fellow’s engaging signature kettles designed for extra technical kinds of brewing make it a favourite model of espresso nerds. Their French press retains the identical trendy look and brings equally spectacular advances in design with the double-walled insulation (which additionally means the skin is rarely scorching to the contact), like a lid that pours simply in any orientation, fill traces for straightforward measurement, and a superbly fitted agitation stick. However these advances convey a giant value bounce and solely incremental enchancment within the taste of the espresso. You’ll actually be paying for good design right here, which maybe isn’t unreasonable for an equipment that might stay in your countertop or be a brunch showcase.
Greatest Taste: Espro P7 French Press
Each Cho and Kasperowicz say the Espro has many traits of a next-level French press. The double-walled chrome steel appears smooth and retains warmth. It additionally does cut back grit or superb silt to some extent via its double filter system—which additionally seals off when plunged to cease extraction so that you don’t must rush to get the espresso out. We’re not alone in our appreciation: Certainly one of Espro’s earlier fashions is Wirecutter’s top pick and top upgrade choice.
Ask the Specialists
Is there a great course of for making French press espresso?
Kasperowicz sticks to a reasonably conventional (and considerably sturdy) brewing technique: a 15-1 ratio of water to espresso, by weight. He provides all of the water directly, stirs as soon as at 30 seconds to ensure there aren’t any dry espresso grounds, then provides the plunger and plunges at 4 minutes. As Cho says, “If the grounds aren’t drowning, they aren’t brewing.” Cho prefers to stir gently round one minute, then plunges about one-third of the best way down to ensure he actually dunks the grounds. He suggests pulling the plunger up somewhat to agitate, if it appears like your grounds aren’t getting actually soaked. He then lets it sit for six to eight minutes earlier than plunging and pouring. As soon as the espresso is prepared, it’s finest to pour instantly to keep away from overcooking or over-extracting the espresso, which leads to bitterness.
Cho additionally affords a tip for measuring for those who don’t occur to have a scale for Kasperowicz’s ratio.“Most French presses are designed so for those who plunge all the best way down, that’s a full pot,” he says. Simply push the plunger all the best way down and word the place it stops within the carafe, then fill it to that time with espresso grounds.
What’s one of the simplest ways to wash a French press espresso maker?
Espresso grounds have to be dumped within the rubbish (or compost!) as an alternative of happening the drain. Cho suggests utilizing a rubber spatula to scoop the grounds out from the underside of the French press earlier than giving it a rinse. He additionally suggests taking an image of the meeting directions to reference while you disassemble the plunger for a radical cleansing, and giving the anchor mechanism a delicate flip to the precise after every use to maintain it tight. “It doesn’t spin,” he notes, so anytime you see it rotating, it’s working itself looser and can finally collapse. Fortunately, it’s going to simply match collectively once more.
Each product is independently chosen and vetted by editors. Stuff you purchase via our hyperlinks might earn us a fee.
