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.

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.