La Cafetiere Optima French Press

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This 4 cup (or 16 ounce) french press from the traditional masters, La Cafetiere, is one of the all time classics in the home pressed coffee world. Combining the traditional styling of a European cafetiere and the experience that the company has gained over the years, this is definitely one the [best french presses](http://frenchpressreview.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-french-presses.html) to have in your collection.

Designed with the 16oz glass beaker and encased in the usual metal bracket container and plastic handle that we so often see with La Cafetiere, this Optima model comes accross perhaps a little more squat than some of the 2 or 8 cup models from the same company. However, the shorter height gives the advantage of a bit more stability for the press, as when the plunger is up you will be less likely to knock it over!

The wider but shorter beaker design also aids in the steeping of the ground coffee with the hot water. As one of the key benefits of a french press is that the grounds are surrounded entirely in the hot, steaming water, the more surface/body of water you can get, the better and faster the rate of infusion is going to be.

If I were to point any fingers at this model, it would - unfortunately - have to be the same criticism we often get with other La Cafetiere designs; the beaker is rather thin and the heat drops off pretty quickly unless you're drinking it ouside, in a hot country, in the sun, with no wind.

That said, you really can't go wrong with this stainless steel plunger - it really is one of the best french presses you can buy.

As a side note - as some readers have been asking - there has been some recent news coverage of a plastic compound called BPA that is used in many hardened plastics. New research has shown that this compound is potentially a cancer causing element, especially in plastics that are heated up. Whilst it is hard to tell what products are affected, you can rest assured that this Optima from La Cafetiere has no plastic components exposed to the hot water.

You can check out the LaCafetiere Optima 4-Cup French Press over here on Amazon, who offer the best prices and delivery options

LaCafetiere 6C. Unique Stainless Steel Thermal French Press

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Steering away from the typical La Cafetiere design, the company famed for their glass based french presses have gone back to the drawing board with this stainless steel encased 6 cup cafetiere.

It's a wonder they didn't do it sooner, and over the years of using a plunger, you start to become a bit cynical about the entire secondary market that is dedicated to replacement glass beakers for the LaCa. and Bodum french presses. Sure there are some plastic ones out there, but they affect the taste of the coffee and don't look anywhere near as stylish as their glass counterparts.

So with this Unique Stainless Steel, double walled French press, La Cafetiere have revisited the drawing board and have give us something that looks classic, timeless, has enough capacity for a dinner party. One thing that we found with the Unique model - as have other users - is the great inclusion of the double wall insulation chamber, which means that you don't have to rush do drain the coffee at all.

If, like me, you're keen on getting through a 4-cup cafetiere every now and then, you can now do it without having to rush or reheat the steeped coffee - it stays warm for upto 30 minutes we found.

With the experience and expertise of La Cafetiere you always get reliable components in the french press - and this model is no exception. The filter is nice and tight, so the mesh filters out more of the grains that some of the generic brands, leading to a sludge-free cup of coffee.

There has been one criticism of this press, however. Some have found - and we were able to replicate - that if you don't quite hit the pouring action just right, the spout tends to dribble back down the stainless steel casing - which is obviously a little inconvenient, and could potentially run on and cause damage to your table or cloth.

That said, we think it's worth the risk, and would highly recommend this La Cafetiere Uniqe 6 Cup French press. You can take a look at it over on Amazon, who give you a variety of buying and delivery options.

Frieling French Press Ultimo 34oz

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“I had first tried French Pressed coffee in Ireland and loved it. I purchased a glass french press and developed a ritual for keeping the coffee hot during the brew time. I eventually broke the pot in a bizarre event. I sought for a more lasting design. Looked at all the reviews for the Frieling stainless steel french press. I took the plunge and purchased the pricey 340z model. I was pleased with the construction and inspected it well. I remembered the complaints about grinds in the coffee. Simple solution... rough grind the beans,fill pot 1 inch below the spout, and take your time pushing the plunger. Also follow the 2TBS per 6oz cup of coffee ratio and stirr the water coffee mixture before putting the top on. Then enjoy several gerat cups of coffee. Oh buy the way the coffee stays hot....! I know that I have a long time winner!!! Goood luck to you all.”

“My husband loves coffee made with a French press. We have had three with the glass body. The first one wasn't insulated and did not keep the coffee warm enough to drink a second cup a little later. So we bought an insulated glass pot. It worked great but then my young adult daughter broke it making herself coffee one morning. I purchased a replacement and within two weeks, my young adult son had dropped it. I bought this stainless steel coffee press for my husband for Christmas. He is in 7th Heaven! He has hot coffee and we no longer have to worrry about someone breaking it in the process of cleaning it.”

Whilst we will be covering a number of different Frieling French presses here on this site, we have decided to start with this one. Quite simply, one of the biggest, baddest and most beautiful designs we have held to date. Given the asthetics and insulation of this Ultimo 34 ounch model, there are some people who will most likely consider this the [best french presses](http://frenchpressreview.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-french-presses.html) in the world.

One often finds that - with the smaller, more individual french presses - coffee can go cold quite quickly, and if you intend of having a second of third cup in a row from the same coffee pot, you will not much enjoy the stone cold third cup. When you start getting up to the large sizes - such as the 34 ounce model (about 8-10 cups) - that problem becomes very...problematic, so you find that designers put in double wall insulation so the coffee stays warmer for longer.

Not only is this a very accomplished french press, with brushed steel internal walls and an all steel filter and plunger, it doubles up as a simple serving jug for other liquids - you can just pop out the plunger and filter and away you. This obviously means that the cafetiere is able to break down into many parts, which is great for cleaning afterwards (you can even put it in the dishwasher).

The design of this press is simply stunning - as you can see from the picture. The mirrored exterior rises up to a very asthetically pleasing lid, handle and spout - and if you keep it clean, it will really wow your guests at dinner. Standing 9 inches tall, it will act as a great table center piece for the round of coffee, and the well designed, beautiful spout pours coffee almost perfectly.

Quite honestly, this is really one of the best french presses we have seen - Frieling have really down themselves proud. Obviously the size of this model is a little restrictive, and we will in time be reviewing the smaller models.

If you are looking for a super-sized, perfectly engineered cafetiere that steers away from the traditional design, we suggest you look no further than the French Press Ultimo; you can check it out over here on Amazon.

Frieling French Press Ultimo 34oz

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“I had first tried French Pressed coffee in Ireland and loved it. I purchased a glass french press and developed a ritual for keeping the coffee hot during the brew time. I eventually broke the pot in a bizarre event. I sought for a more lasting design. Looked at all the reviews for the Frieling stainless steel french press. I took the plunge and purchased the pricey 340z model. I was pleased with the construction and inspected it well. I remembered the complaints about grinds in the coffee. Simple solution... rough grind the beans,fill pot 1 inch below the spout, and take your time pushing the plunger. Also follow the 2TBS per 6oz cup of coffee ratio and stirr the water coffee mixture before putting the top on. Then enjoy several gerat cups of coffee. Oh buy the way the coffee stays hot....! I know that I have a long time winner!!! Goood luck to you all.”

“My husband loves coffee made with a French press. We have had three with the glass body. The first one wasn't insulated and did not keep the coffee warm enough to drink a second cup a little later. So we bought an insulated glass pot. It worked great but then my young adult daughter broke it making herself coffee one morning. I purchased a replacement and within two weeks, my young adult son had dropped it. I bought this stainless steel coffee press for my husband for Christmas. He is in 7th Heaven! He has hot coffee and we no longer have to worrry about someone breaking it in the process of cleaning it.”

Whilst we will be covering a number of different Frieling French presses here on this site, we have decided to start with this one. Quite simply, one of the biggest, baddest and most beautiful designs we have held to date. Given the asthetics and insulation of this Ultimo 34 ounch model, there are some people who will most likely consider this the [best french presses](http://frenchpressreview.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-french-presses.html) in the world.

One often finds that - with the smaller, more individual french presses - coffee can go cold quite quickly, and if you intend of having a second of third cup in a row from the same coffee pot, you will not much enjoy the stone cold third cup. When you start getting up to the large sizes - such as the 34 ounce model (about 8-10 cups) - that problem becomes very...problematic, so you find that designers put in double wall insulation so the coffee stays warmer for longer.

Not only is this a very accomplished french press, with brushed steel internal walls and an all steel filter and plunger, it doubles up as a simple serving jug for other liquids - you can just pop out the plunger and filter and away you. This obviously means that the cafetiere is able to break down into many parts, which is great for cleaning afterwards (you can even put it in the dishwasher).

The design of this press is simply stunning - as you can see from the picture. The mirrored exterior rises up to a very asthetically pleasing lid, handle and spout - and if you keep it clean, it will really wow your guests at dinner. Standing 9 inches tall, it will act as a great table center piece for the round of coffee, and the well designed, beautiful spout pours coffee almost perfectly.

Quite honestly, this is really one of the best french presses we have seen - Frieling have really down themselves proud. Obviously the size of this model is a little restrictive, and we will in time be reviewing the smaller models.

If you are looking for a super-sized, perfectly engineered cafetiere that steers away from the traditional design, we suggest you look no further than the French Press Ultimo; you can check it out over here on Amazon.

Miam Miam Emperor 1-Liter Double Wall French Press

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This is the first Miam Miam french press we have reviewed here on French Press Review, and we find ourselves reviewing what can only be termed a mixed bag when it comes to a coffee plunger.

There is no doubt that the hefty litre capacity is impressive, and is certainly one of the largest capacity french presses we have seen for a while. It also has the advantage of being double walled so that the coffee stays warmer for longer - which is pretty important when you consider there can be a liter of the stuff in there at the same time!

Unfortunately that is perhaps where the strong features stop, and the more critical observations have to start. This Emporer from Miam Miam is certainly not the most asthetically pleasing product we have ever used. Whilst La Cafetiere reign strong as the leaders of attractive presses, we often see Bodum in second place - they make good products, but not always the most visually pleasing (although this is part of their appeal!).

Unfortunately Miam Miam has produced something that looks more like a coffee pot that you keep filtered coffee in all day at a low budget hotel business meeting. The white styling is not something we would often associate with timeless products, and many other shoppers tend to agree with this.

The quality of the filter/press is also questionable. Whilst it seems to be performing well for us in the early days, we can see why some of the complaints on Amazon would be valid - there seems to be too much potential for gap between the rather flimsy press and the double wall beaker, which is going to lead to some sludgy coffee further down the line.

Overall, this is a strong contender if you're running a small hotel because of the capacity and insulation, but we really wouldn't recommend it for personal home use.

Check out the Miam.Miam Emperor 1-Liter Double Wall French Press over here on Amazon, who all but guarantee the best prices.

Bodum Brazil Shatterproof French Press

We all know that Bodum produce some great french presses, and they have managed to tick all the boxes with this 8-cup Brazil, Shatterproof french press.

The more traditional amongst us may be put off somewhat by the all-plastic construction of this plunger (hey, it's meant to be shatterproof!), it still manages to deliver a solid seal between the plastic mesh and the sides of the plastic beaker. Personally, I am more of a fan of the glass beakers and metal mesh plungers, but if you are routinely churning out large pots pull of freshly pressed coffee, you will appreciate the durability of this Bodum model, especially as you can stick it all in the dishwasher straight after you've finished with it.

Given that it is an all plastic body, you may find the feel a little cheap and tacky, and some people have found that the lid does not sit truly flush with the beaker - this is not going to mean you lose a lot of your heat through the top, but it can make you pine for a slightly sturdier product.

Given that you will not be needing to buy replacement beakers (we've all been there) for this press, the price point is pretty good and affordable. Remember that it's rated at 8 cups (cups are much smaller than mugs!), so you could easily feed all the family from this pot if you were away on holiday (self catering apartment, backpacking), and would not have to worry about it breaking.

Bodum is a very reputable player in the french press world, and they have years of experience making these things, so I would highly recommend this Brazil shatterproof pot if you are looking for a durable 8-cup model.

Take a look at this french press on Amazon, who can beat most high street prices.

Chugg French Press

This is not so much a traditional French Press, but an integrated press and mug.

Pacific Cornetta have produced a pretty striking and very well built coffee plunger here, and despite the rather casual name "Chugg", this is a great product for those on the move or are not ready to buy in to a more expensive, glass based french press.

Personally, I tend to enjoy my pressed coffee in the same places - either at work, home or with friends in their home. I don't have to rely on carrying around a plunger for my coffee kicks, but if I did, I would be seriously considering this durable number from Pacific.

The Chugg can produce roughly 16 fluid ounces of pressed coffee, but obviously this will differ slightly depending on how coarse your grounds are and how strong you like your coffee. It has a press built into the mug, but you can easily detach this and use the mug for other purposes. It is has a very durable build, could probably withstand dropping (not from too high!), and you get a very tight seal between the mesh and the sides of the mug, meaning minimal grounds in your mouth!

Overall, a great french press for those looking for first-timers or those who need to take their coffee on the move.

Check out the Chugg French Press at Amazon Online, they more often than not give you the best price!

La Cafetiere Verona French Press

La Cafetiere are one of the big players in the french press market - you are most likely to see their pots along with the popular Bodum presses.

Historically traditional and founded in France many moons ago, the Verona 3-cup model is a little turn from the usual La Cafetiere presses, as the casing is all plastic. When Bodum do this (as they usually do), you can be sure that they are doing it with their years of experience in building plastic french presses. However, in this instance, I can't help but think that unit is a little bit too lightweight and flimsy.

Given that the Verona here is only a 3-cup pot (which realistically relates to one mug for one person), the size and plastic make it feel like a bit of an insignificant device. Personally, I prefer a bit more of a quality, solid feel to my french presses - of course this is an individual preference, but this thing feels like it might blow away in the wind if you've already poured out your cup of coffee.

Of course, La Cafetiere do have a lot of experience in building french pots (they were among the first), so you will find that the seal between the mesh press and sides of the beaker is very tight and won't let much in the way of coffee grounds through to settle at the bottom of your mug.

Overall, a good coffee plunger, but you can certainly can get better pots for the individual mug, and for those needing to frequently transport their coffee habit around with them - I don't believe this one is quite durable enough.

Take a look at the LC Verona on Amazon, who work hard to get the best prices for you.

Top French Presses

Before we get into the nitty gritty or product reviews, I want to highlight some of the better french presses out there on the market.  If you're not too concerned about the cost of your french press coffee, picking up any of these will not leave you disappointed!

	Bodum 1548-01US Brazil 8-Cup (34-Ounce) Coffee Press This is one of the more popular french presses out there - it doesn't have the most traditional styling, but it's very reliable.
	BonJour Hugo 8-Cup Unbreakable French Press, Black This one is popular in the USA, and doesn't appear much in the rest of the world.  It is definitely more suited to day in day out usage, as it doesn't look as smart on the dining table.
	Bodum New Kenya 17-Ounce Coffee Press, Black More on the stocky, short and stubby side, this Kenya from Bodum is very good for in-office use where you have to tramp backwards and forwards to make your coffee.  It has a very good seal and is highly durable...it just doesn't look the best.
	LaCafetiere Classic 8 Cup Coffee Press, Chrome One of the all time classics!  This 8 cupper from La Cafetiere will keep you going for years (probably with some replacement beakers).  It looks great and performs very well, but doesnot always have the tight seals we see on the Bodums.

Welcome to French Press Review

Ahoy, and welcome to French Press Review.  Although this is still a fledgling website in the corner of the vast internet, I am hoping to get it up and running to provide unbiased reviews of french presses rather quickly.

Coming up, there will be features on...

• What to look for when buying a french press
• Common pitfalls and things to avoid when shopping around
• The best coffee pots money can buy
• The best value and most reliable french presses

Stay tuned, we should have some reviews coming pretty soon!