I tested eight highly rated French press coffee makers — et voila, here are the winners! (Lisa Schweitzer/Yahoo)(Lisa Schweitzer/Yahoo)
I don't know about you, but the smell of freshly ground coffee beans is enough to get me out of bed. I've been using a pour-over set for my morning caffeine fix for the last year or two and have been itching to try something new, so the assignment to test the best French press coffee makers for 2025 came at just the right time.
Most French presses operate the same: You put coarsely ground coffee in the carafe, followed by hot-but-not-boiling water, let it steep and press the plunger down. But subtle nuances like extra insulation or an advanced filter system make some of these at-home brewers stand out from the crowd. After researching dozens of French press coffee makers online, I narrowed down the testing pool to eight popular picks from classic brands as well as a few you might not have thought of for your morning brew. I looked for simple assembly, ease of cleaning and overall value. My picks for the best French press coffee makers will make your a.m. routine a little buzzier.
Related: More coffee must-haves, including the best espresso machines, our top-tested iced coffee makers and the best single-serve coffee makers.
Capacity: 34 oz. | Features: Dishwasher safe | Color options: Chrome (shown), copper, gold, cork, black
The Danish company Bodum has been producing French presses since the 1970s, so it's no surprise it came out on top. The brand's iconic Chambord French press consistently brews rich, delicious coffee, plus it's easy to care for. All its parts are dishwasher safe.
If you're worried about the durability of the glass carafe, don't be. This one is borosilicate, which is designed to withstand sudden temperature changes, and the steel frame keeps it elevated and firmly in place. The generously sized handle is easy to grasp, and the lid and plunger fit snugly inside, which helps reduce the chance of sediment ending up in your cup. My only complaint is that it doesn't keep coffee hot for long.
That said, this classic French press has a minimalist, Scandinavian design that won't go out of style anytime soon. Should you eventually need replacement parts, they're readily available.
Capacity: 34 oz. | Features: Dishwasher safe, double-wall insulation, vacuum-sealed lid | Color options: Big Sky Blue (shown), Cape Taupe, Navy, Rescue Red, White and 5 more
If you're a sucker for all things Yeti, you're going to want to add this French press to your cart ASAP. The design is very similar to that of the brand's extremely popular tumblers, as is the double-wall insulation and vacuum-sealed lid that twists to lock. It even comes in 10 colors, like your favorite insulated mug. A nonslip bottom keeps it sturdy on your counter.
While this 34-ounce press is pricey, it keeps coffee piping hot for hours, which is the major difference between the Yeti and the Bodum models. If you like to enjoy your coffee a little at a time throughout the day, this is the pick for you.
Capacity: 34 oz. | Features: Dishwasher safe | Color options: Black (shown) and red
Like our best overall French press winner, the Bodum Brazil has a snug, well-designed coffee filter system and borosilicate glass carafe. It produces an excellent cup of coffee, too, and is just as easy to clean, with a streamlined, minimalist look that I really appreciate.
Where it differs from the Bodum Chambord is that this model rests flush on the counter, which may make it feel more stable. It also has several more plastic parts, and that's a sticking point for some. If you don't mind the plastic, this is a no-brainer for a budget-priced French press. You can't beat high-quality Scandinavian design for $20!
My time spent testing French press coffee makers yielded these considerations to keep in mind when you're shopping.
Features: What's great about a French press is that it's not fussy — you don't need additional filters, it doesn't take up a ton of counter space and it can cost as little as $20 for a 34-ounce model. If you feel strongly about design and plan to keep it on your countertop, you might lean towards a sleek carafe that doesn't show you what's inside or a glass carafe with colorful accents. If you prefer to make a pot of coffee and drink it periodically throughout the day, you may want to invest in a double-walled, insulated French press.
Capacity: The classic size for a French press is 34 ounces, but there are mini versions that hold 12 ounces and large-capacity models, like the Stanley French press we tested, that hold 48 ounces. Generally, a 34-ounce carafe should make enough coffee for three to four servings.
After opening each box, I noted how easy the French press was to assemble. I gave each carafe, filter and lid a quick wash with soap and water before brewing coffee, using the same dark-roast whole beans, which I ground on the medium-coarse setting of an electric burr grinder. I followed a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15 and noted if the brew tasted watery or if there was sediment at the bottom of my mug (too much could be the sign of a not-so-great filter system). I also noted the length of time the coffee stayed hot.
I broke up these tasks up into two tests; to rank on our list, the gadgets had to excel in both:
"Brews clues" test: I added coarsely ground coffee to the carafe, poured in enough hot water to cover the grounds and stirred them vigorously for about 30 seconds, then added the rest of the hot water and let it steep for about 4 minutes. Then I pressed down the plunger gently until the lid was closed. I poured a cup of coffee and drank it, evaluating the taste, if there was sediment and how hot it was.
"Grounds-zero" test: After I made and drank the coffee, I emptied the grounds and rinsed off the plunger and filter and washed all the parts with warm, soapy water to see how difficult they were to clean.
Espro P3 French Press Coffee Maker ($40): This was the most complicated of all the French presses I tried, with its double-basket filter system. Because the filters take up a lot of space in the carafe, I found it difficult to brew anything smaller than a 24-ounce pot of coffee in the 32-ounce press, which is a bummer for days when you're making coffee for one person.
Coffee Gator French Press Coffee Maker ($34): This 34-ounce press works just fine, and the pitcher and filter cleaned easily. But the stainless steel carafe almost always looks dirty because it shows every fingerprint, and this drove me crazy.
Fellow Clara Insulated French Press ($100): This splurge-worthy French press is made by coffee snob-approved brand Fellow, so the design is top-notch, and it keeps the coffee hot. My complaint is that it's smaller than the average press at just 24 ounces (this is the only size Fellow sells), so you probably won't get more than two mugs of coffee.
Stanley Classic Stay-Hot French Press Coffee Maker ($90): This is jumbo size at 48 ounces, which is helpful if you have guests and want to brew a larger pot of coffee. I found more sediment than I could tolerate in the cup, and the handle was too plasticky and not well-integrated considering the cost of this press.
Oxo Brew Venture French Press ($26): This 32-ounce French press has a large black plastic sheath over the Tritan plastic carafe, which the brand says is shatter-proof. It might be good for travel, but I didn't love the look and feel of it for daily use in my home.
Making a cup of excellent coffee in a French press is easy and does not require paper filters. Grind your preferred beans at a medium-coarse setting (they should look like breadcrumbs) and measure them according to a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio. Add the ground coffee to the carafe, then pour in enough hot (but not boiling) water to cover the grounds. Stir them vigorously for about 30 seconds to bloom the coffee — this process releases carbon dioxide and some oils in the grounds and lets the water permeate all of the grounds evenly for the best brew. Add the rest of the hot water and let it steep for about 4 minutes. After steeping, slowly and steadily press down the plunger until it reaches the bottom and the coffee is separated from the grounds.
Once you've finished your coffee, you can dump the wet grounds into the trash or a compost bin. Avoid pouring them down the kitchen sink drain, which may cause clogging. You can easily wash the lid, filter and carafe with warm, soapy water, but many models have dishwasher-safe parts.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.