I have found lots of different Bodum ones for decent prices at TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods and have really liked them!

A mason jar and a kitchen knife

Espro is great. Frieling is solid too.

Stainless steel version.

Top of the line espro

They're all about the same until you get to the Espro, and the Espro presses are worth spending the extra cash on.

They're all the same. Seriously.

Go steel, as cheap as you can. Glass works the same but breaks eventually.

Anybody who claims they can taste the difference between a $10 French press and a $100 model, using the same brew method, is probably lying.

Bodum French Press....It was recommended by a friend that’s why I got it

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the EsproPress they run a bit more than a normal FrenchPress, but they filter the coffee via a basket system (with optional paper added).

I have a 100% stainless press and it’s been great. Actually, I have 2 different brands and both perform well.

I’d say a good grinder is more important because it’s the fines that get through the screen

Yes. The lid and plunger aren't even needed anymore with this method. So it's an ingenious hack or workaround the inherent design weakness of the standard French press (i.e. sludgey coffee).

The best French press is the Espro, which filters out more insoluble particles than standard designs due to its double mesh, and is easier to clean because of its basket.

But if you use this hack, you'll get the best brew out even the cheapest French press, because you're effectively using it as a cup.

All that same except for convenience features. Like heat retention and better filters, etc.

I’d say something like the espro would be near the top of the list

https://www.espro.com/catalog/french-press

These things are nice!

Maybe someone will correct me but spending up on a French Press in my opinion is kind of crazy unless you just want better heat retention or aesthetics. End of the day the beauty of the French Press is that even the cheapest ones make great coffee because its an old, relatively simple, but super effective design. Just snag any old French Press or clean up a used on and you should be good.

French Press are glorified containers. If you use a method like the James Hoffmann FP method they will all produce the same quality coffee

Espro. Hands down. Ive had multiple french presses over the years, got an espro during the summer, havent looked back. Will never need to buy another. Keeps coffee hot, very few fines in the coffee. Yes. Its expensive(but not really). Highly recommend, also, if you dont have a decent grinder id recommend to get one of those too. Being able to use a consistent coarse ground coffee makes it even that much better

Espro P7 - this one is not the same!

The thing about french presses is that the more expensive ones don't necessarily do a better job at actually brewing the coffee, so you're mostly paying for aesthetics and maybe some convenience.

Stainless won't shatter and double-walled will hold heat better, but you can compensate by preheating a glass press or using slightly hotter water. Finer and/or doubled filters will keep more silt out of the cup, but you can achieve comparable results with patience and gentle pouring.

IKEA and Bodum both make good, cheap glass options. Amazon and co. have dozens of imports if you want double filters or stainless on the cheap.

Espro makes both glass and stainless options with a one of the better designed filters. Pricey.

As /u/BrotherNuclearOption mentioned, a more expensive one won't necessarily make better coffee. They just might look better or, if they're made of steel, last longer.

I buy my French presses from a local restaurant supply store for about $5 each. All heavyweight glass, all brand new, excellent build quality, no negative impact on brew flavor. If one gets chipped or dropped, I can buy four more before I hit the cost of a stainless model.

By all means, get what you like. But I've been using three French presses for about 12 years now, and I've only ever broken one. Total cost = $15.

Loved my Bodums until I realized I broke 3 of them and needed something sturdier. Got a stainless Secura brand off amazon and it’s been great. I’ve even taken it camping a few times and it’s held up. Makes good coffee, could also be used to clobber a bear.

Espro has a double wall stainless one with a great filter. Definitely what I'd get if I was looking for a new french press.

I'm a fan of Coffee Gator. You can find it on their site and on Amazon from $20 to $30. It uses two mesh screens and is vacuum insulated (think Thermos, Hydro flask) so it keeps your coffee hotter for longer.

First. Make sure the coffee is ground course, or you will have a lot of grounds in the coffee. Personally, I prefer dark roast Costa Rican from ferm’s finest coffee in Vallejo, ca. If you like strong dark roast, a French press can’t be beat.

The great thing about French Presses is that they are (in my experience) better at extracting the different flavor notes for any coffee compared to a standard drip machine or a pour over.

When I was first training at Starbucks back in the day, we always tasted different coffee blends (light to dark roasts) with a French press so we could get the most out of the tasting notes and get a better idea of what kind of body it had.

That being said, I think it comes down to preference. My wife prefers light roast and I prefer darker roasts and both taste great out of our FP. Personally, I like the coffees with the more full bodies in my FP to really take advantage of the brewing process.

Hawaiian Kona, Maui coffees!

If your uk based I get my coffee from RAVE, they roast and ship it the same day and it tastes great. Think I’m gonna try HasBean on my next order though.

I don’t want to spend too much. Any good budget friendly French presses?

I need a French press that keeps coffee hot for at least an hour. Any recommendations?

What is the "regular" size that I should have, I really need something special and don't want the french press to be too big.

thanks

My old press often let grit sneak through, so the last sip of coffee was always gritty and not pleasant. Swapped it out for a new one with tighter filter and problem solved.

Other than that I would wager there's not that much. Some have better insulation, aesthetics, etc.

Most people are mentioning differences in filters, which is definitely a great point. But I haven’t seen anyone mention insulation. I have a metal/insulated French press, which keeps the temps very high during brewing. Not sure how big the impact is, but how hot the coffee stays while brewing will differ depending on the quality/materials used

I'd also avoid plastic internally. A lot of times you'll have plastic around the screen, or elsewhere, and it can absolutely impart a flavor to the coffee. That's not to say all plastic will, but I've definitely had presses that do brew coffee with a plastic flavor.

Plastic also tends to get brittle with age, especially with the exposure to near boiling water.

I was really disappointed that Fellow's press has plastic. Frieling, by contrast, does not.

I use a Planetary Design stainless steel French press because unless I've had my coffee I might drop things. The last thing I want to do early morning with sleep in my eyes is clean up broken glass. Plus it keeps my coffee warm

I bought the cheapest Bodum press I could get (Bodum Bistro), I think it was about 15-20€. after a while some plastic parts broke and I wasn't really fond of plastic in a heated environment so I bought corresponding metal parts from Bodum and nothing have happened yet.

It's the Espro P3, think it's on Amazon, but got it from the Bay here in Canada.

Zero complaints, its worked very well and produces a nice cup

I use a ninja milk frother and I like it. It's a single serve french press basically. I used my mother-in-laws as a French press once and it made such a good cup I had to get my own.

I use it in hotels when I travel to have a single cup of coffee. Hand grind my beans for it, as well.

I bought one off Amazon that works fine and is easy to clean. QUQIYSO Store 'French Press Coffee maker 304 Stainless." It's currently $25, although I'd swear I paid like $15.

I like the Mueller stainless steel coffee press. It's like $30 and indestructible compared to the Bodum. Works the same.

I bought it after my Bodum shattered. Also I hate the plastic nut in the Bodum (though pro-tip, they will mail you a steel one for free if you contact their customer service that the plastic one broke, or at least that was true a few years ago).

I got one that to be honest I was iffy on when I got it because it is solid stainless and not glass, but the bottom is vacuum insulated and it keeps my coffee warm without burning it and is indestructible and you can scrub it with anything. Look on Amazon for a

Mueller French Press Double Insulated 304 Stainless Steel Coffee Maker 4 Level Filtration System, No Coffee Grounds, Rust-Free, Dishwasher Safe

My old glass one broke too, and I had it for years., I was very unhappy, but this one makes me very happy.

The IKEA French press has lasted me longer than any of the more expensive ones.

Agreed-I’ve gotten a couple different brands of the stainless double-walled ones from Amazon, they have both held up great. The mesh filter is replaceable. I had one for home and one for the office, then realized we needed a bigger one at home for two people to have two generous-sized cups, so we got an identical, larger one. I can’t tell any difference between them, except of course one is larger.

Frieling Double-Walled Stainless-Steel French Press. Indestructible. Beautiful. Heavy enough to keep it hot. On Amazon. Not cheap but you won’t buy it again.

Any French press will work just fine.

With the Hoffmann method, which doesn't particularly depend on the quality of the strainer, you're not getting hugely different cups of coffee from any french press. Much more important are going to be things like build quality, ease of cleaning, aesthetics, and price. The glass Bodum is classic, and there's a significantly cheaper plastic model. Double-walled stainless steel ones are more expensive but will also keep the coffee hotter longer if that's something you value.

I've even used a camping kettle without a strainer and it worked 😄

Any glass one with a strainer top is A OK

Any.