We will show you which cafetieres and French presses are the most effective at preventing coffee grounds from getting into your brew, as well as which are the simplest to press and clean.
It is possible to enjoy flavorful coffee at home with the use of a cafetiere, which is sometimes referred to as a French press. This appliance makes it unnecessary to visit a coffee shop. But which coffee maker is the most dependable? In January 2021, we conducted the first round of tests on cafetières, and one year later, in January 2022, we conducted additional tests. We purchased sixteen different cafetières from well-known manufacturers such as Bodum, John Lewis, Kitchen Craft, Le Creuset, ProCook, and VonShef in order to determine which models are the best at removing coffee grounds from the brew and which models are the simplest to press, pour, and clean. In general, we thought that the most of them were pretty good; but, there were a select number that really stood out from the crowd and earned our endorsement as a “Best Buy.” Check out the complete results that we gathered below to learn which cafetières performed the best in our rigorous evaluations. A check was performed on prices and availability on March 7th, 2022.
The top-performing cafetieres and French presses, according to our evaluation
The Bodum Chambord is the Best Buy.
Amazon has the lowest price of £22, and it may also be purchased at Bodum, John Lewis, and Ocado.
January of 2021 is the date of the test.
Type: Glass
Sizes available: 350ml, 500ml, 1,000ml, 1,500ml
In a dishwasher? Certainly! (beaker and frame only)
The pressing, pouring, and cleaning processes are all quite simple, and the filtration is really good.
Negatives: Nothing too serious
Our opinion is that there is nothing wrong with the Bodum Chambord. It was the clear winner in each and every one of our tests. When you press it, it slides down without any hiccups, and the handle is nice and comfortable to touch even though it stays cool while you pour. The pouring process itself is accurate and spotless.
The filter screen in the press performed admirably for us, removing virtually all of the sediment save for a few teeny-tiny particles that are so little that you won’t even notice them until you reach the very bottom of your mug. In addition to that, cleaning it was not a problem for us. It is quite simple to disassemble, and the filter screen is completely devoid of any jagged or rough edges. Although it will not keep your coffee hot for as long as a cafetiere made of stainless steel, it did a better job of this than the vast majority of the other glass cafetieres that we tried.
Best Buy: Bodum Kenya
Amazon has it for the lowest price of £13.02, but it is also sold at Bodum, Dunelm (albeit they are sold out), Ocado, and Robert Dyas.
January of 2022 is the date of the test.
Type: Glass/plastic
Sizes available: 350ml, 500ml, 1,000ml
Not safe for the dishwasher
Included in the accessories are: 7 gramme coffee scoop made of plastic
The pressing and pouring are both quite simple, and the filtration is really well.
Negatives: The beaker cannot be removed from the casing in order to be cleaned.
Our judgement is that the Bodum Kenya is a superb cafetiere that is well worth selecting. It comes in a very close second to the Chambord and can be purchased for considerably less money. When we put it to use, we were unable to uncover any issues. The press was simple to operate once our coffee was ready to be consumed, and it poured our coffee with pinpoint accuracy, preventing any accidental drips or splashes from occurring.
The filter performed exceptionally well as well. We discovered that just a minuscule amount of sediment had made its way through the press, as the larger grounds had been retained securely underneath the machine while it was being poured. The amount of heat that was lost from this cafetiere was comparable to the amount that was lost from the Bodum Chambord. Not terrible, but stainless steel cafetieres retain heat significantly better than those made of other materials. The only minor inconvenience that comes along with using this cafetiere is while cleaning it. Although we did not found it to be an overly challenging task, it is unfortunate that the plastic case and the glass beaker cannot be removed from one another. If it could, it would make cleaning a whole lot less difficult. It also cannot be washed in the dishwasher, so there is no way to get around having to wash it by hand. In spite of these very insignificant drawbacks, we found the Bodum Kenya to be an extremely satisfying product overall, which is why we are pleased to recommend it as a Best Buy.
The Coffee Gator Cafetiere Coffee Maker is an Excellent Buy.
Cheapest price: £37.99 at Amazon
January of 2022 is the date of the test.
Steel is of the stainless variety.
Sizes available: 1,000ml
In a dishwasher? Certainly!
Included in the accessories are: Coffee urn with storage space
The benefits include being simple to press, pour, and clean; having effective filtration; and having excellent heat retention.
Negatives: Nothing too serious
Our conclusion is that cafetières made of stainless steel, which are more durable than those made of glass or plastic, are preferred by some individuals. The Coffee Gator is, in our opinion, the greatest stainless steel cafetiere that is now available for purchase. When we used the Gator, preparing, pressing, and serving our coffee was much simpler than it would have been otherwise. It also has a few more useful elements, such as a maximum fill line on the interior, and an arrow on the lid to assist you ensure that you have it facing the right way when it’s time to pour. Both of these features can be found on the container’s lid.
In general, cafetières made of stainless steel are not as good as those made of glass at removing sediment and coffee grounds from the water, but the Gator was the only one of the ones we tested that came close. Because just a very small amount passed through the press, it is highly unlikely that you will taste any bitter remnants when you are drinking your coffee. Because it has substantial walls and insulation, this cafetière performed the best out of all the ones we tested in terms of keeping your coffee hot. In general, despite the fact that the Gator does not quite match the filtering quality of our other Best Buys, we believe that it is still among the best that can be found.
The Le Creuset Stoneware Coffee Press is an Excellent Investment.
The most affordable price is £44, which can be found at John Lewis. It is also available at Le Creuset.
January of 2021 is the date of the test.
Stoneware is the category.
Sizes available: 350ml, 1,000ml
In a dishwasher? Certainly!
Included in the accessories are: None
Advantages: It is simple to press and clean, and it has great filtering.
Low capacity for the retention of heat
Our conclusion is that despite the fact that the cafetière manufactured by Le Creuset was the most expensive model that we evaluated, it is well worth the investment. We couldn’t find a single thing wrong with how simple it was to press; however, we did discover that the pouring could be a little messy if you filled your cup too rapidly.
The filtering did an outstanding job. As can be seen in the image that is displayed above, we were unable to identify any grounds, and the press allowed just a minuscule quantity of silt to pass through. Because we only tested one stoneware cafetiere, we are unable to comment on how well other types of cafetieres retain heat; however, this particular model was one of the worst we tested in terms of maintaining the temperature of the coffee inside. However, cleaning it was a breeze because to its design. The Le Creuset cafetiere may not be ideal in every way, but it excels in the areas that matter the most, including being simple to operate and producing excellent filtration. That’s why we consider it to be a Best Buy.
How the remaining cafetieres fared in the competition
The outcomes of the tests conducted on the remaining cafetières are presented below in alphabetical order.
Cafetiere made of stainless steel and with a double wall from Asda George Home
Asda has the lowest pricing, at just 12 pounds.
January of 2021 is the date of the test.
Steel is of the stainless variety.
Sizes available: 350ml
In a dishwasher? Certainly!
Included in the accessories are: None
The heat is retained very well, it is simple to pour, and it is simple to clean.
The filtering is poor, and it is difficult to press.
Our opinion is that the cheap and cheery steel cafetiere sold by Asda has a lot going for it, despite the fact that it comes in a distant second place among our overall favourites. It did a better job of maintaining the temperature of our coffee for a longer period of time than any of the glass cafetieres we tried, and for the first 30 minutes or so, it was on par with the performance of the stainless steel cafetieres we examined. After then, it did slip one or two degrees Celsius lower than the others, but it’s not a significant difference.
We were happy with how smoothly this cafetiere poured, but it required a lot more force to press than the glass cafetieres that we examined.
The amount of coffee grounds that got through the press was very low, but there was a significant amount of sediment that was visible. It’s not a terrible cafetiere by any stretch of the imagination, but if you prefer your coffee to be filtered more thoroughly, you might want to look elsewhere.
Bodum Caffettiera
The best deal can be found at Amazon, where the price is 12.60 pounds; it is also sold at Bodum. Robert Dyas
January of 2021 is the date of the test.
Type: Glass
Sizes available: 350ml, 500ml, 1,000ml, 1,500ml
In a dishwasher? Certainly! (beaker and frame only)
Accessories included:
7 gramme measure for coffee
The product is simple to pour and clean up.
The filtering is only average.
Our judgement is that the Caffettiera by Bodum is a good cafetiere; nevertheless, if you are going to get a Bodum, we would advise you to purchase the Best Buy Chambord or Kenya instead of this one. We were able to press the Caffettiera with relative ease, but there was a spot in the bottom that required a little bit more force. However, much like the Chambord, it was a joy to pour, and it was about as easy to clean as one would anticipate a cafetiere to be.
Even though there wasn’t much sediment, quite a few grounds were able to escape the Caffettiera’s press. It wasn’t the worst for this of those that we tested, but you may find that you need to remove one or two grounds from your mug after drinking it. The Caffettiera and the Chambord cooled at almost precisely the same rate, which wasn’t awful but was a far stretch from the insulating characteristics of a stainless steel cafetiere. In terms of heat retention, the Caffettiera cooled at almost exactly the same rate as the Chambord.
Coffee maker modelled by the Cafe Du Chateau French Press
Cheapest price: £23.95 at Amazon
January of 2022 is the date of the test.
Type: Glass Sizes available: 1,000ml
Not safe for the dishwasher
Included in the accessories are: Additional filter screen
The pressing and pouring are both simple, and it has good filtration.
Negatives: The filter screen has jagged edges and is difficult to clean.
Our conclusion is that the Cafe Du Chateau cafetiere performed well in the most of our testing; nevertheless, we had a few challenges when attempting to clean it, which finally resulted in our decision to not recommend it. It is a huge glass cafetiere that rests in a foundation that is made of stainless steel. Additionally, the filter press consists of two separate filter screens rather than just one, offering an additional layer of protection against sediment and coffee grounds.
The filter worked well for us, but there were some grounds that got through the press, which meant that it wasn’t nearly as good as our Best Buys. However, we did not experience any difficulties when we attempted to press it, and pouring it was likewise a simple process, despite the fact that it became quite sloppy near the end. However, the cleaning process was a little bit difficult. It was difficult to disassemble the press in order to clean it since the top of the press frequently came free, rather than the filters, which were located at the bottom. When cleaning the filter, it is important to remember to wear gloves designed for dishwashing because the filter screens have pointed edges. In our tests, it was able to keep heat for a considerable amount of time thanks to its big size; nonetheless, the insulating capabilities of the stainless steel cafetieres were superior to those of the ceramic ones.
Great Value: Habitat Cafetiere – Black
Argos, Habitat, and Sainsbury’s all have it for £7.50, which is the best deal.
January of 2022 is the date of the test.
Type: Glass/plastic
Sizes available: 350ml, 1,000ml
Not safe for the dishwasher
Included in the accessories are: 7 gramme coffee scoop made of plastic
Pros: Easy to pour, excellent filtration
Cons: It may be difficult to push, and the beaker cannot be removed from the casing in order to be cleaned.
Our conclusion is that although Habitat’s cafetiere isn’t flawless, it does an excellent job of filtering out coffee grounds, and the fact that it performs well overall in addition to having such an affordable price tag wins it our Great Value endorsement. When the press was fully lifted, we saw that the lid did not rest comfortably and that the filter was caught in the lid. However, we discovered that pressing it was very simple overall. Pouring it was similarly no problem for the most part, but when it came time to pour off the remnants, things became a little messy.
Despite this, the filter performed exceptionally well in our tests. As you can see from the graphic that is displayed above, the press managed to keep almost nothing secret. It was simple to clean, however the fact that the glass beaker could not be removed from its plastic housing was a minor source of annoyance. When compared to the performance of many other glass cafetieres that we evaluated, this one doesn’t really have anything to brag about in terms of how well it retains heat. After one hour, the coffee inside was approximately fifty percent as hot as it was when it first started.
The Anyday Cafetiere from John Lewis & Partners is an Excellent Buy.
The most affordable price is seven pounds at John Lewis.
January of 2022 is the date of the test.
Type: Glass/plastic Sizes available: 350ml, 1,000ml
Not safe for the dishwasher
Included in the accessories are: 7 gramme coffee scoop made of plastic
The pouring is simple, and the filtration is really good.
Cons: It may be difficult to push, and the beaker cannot be removed from the casing in order to be cleaned.
In spite of a couple of issues with pressing and cleaning, we have come to the conclusion that the Anyday Cafetiere sold by John Lewis is one that you should consider purchasing, especially given how inexpensive it is. When we first started the press, the filter became slightly entangled in the lid; but, as we got past that initial hitch, everything went smoothly and easily. The pouring of the coffee did not provide any major challenges for us, but it did become a little bit sloppy as we were removing the last few drops.
We found that it performed exceptionally well as a filter for us. There was barely a minute quantity of silt, and we couldn’t find any grounds that had gotten through the press. Even though we did not have any problems cleaning it, the work would be made much simpler if the glass beaker could be removed from the plastic case. This glass cafetiere, like the others that we tried, does a poor job of maintaining a steady temperature for the coffee inside it for an extended period of time. If you want something that will keep the heat for a longer period of time, you should certainly look into stainless steel possibilities.
Coffee press with double walls made of stainless steel, sold by John Lewis & Partners
The lowest price is £25, and it can be purchased from John Lewis.
January of 2021 is the date of the test.
Steel is of the stainless variety.
Sizes available: 350ml, 1,000ml
In a dishwasher? Certainly!
Included in the accessories are: None
The heat is retained quite well, and it is simple to clean.
The filtering is poor, and it is difficult to press.
Our conclusion is that the stainless steel cafetiere sold by John Lewis was a bit of a hit and miss for us. However, due to the fact that it had a few flaws that prevented it from being a Best Buy, we were unable to recommend it as one.
It required substantially more effort to push than the glass cafetieres, which was something that we saw among various stainless steel cafetieres that we tried. In comparison, the glass cafetieres required much less effort. The flow of coffee was difficult to control as it was being poured. Because there was no one place on the spout from which the coffee emerged, the flow was unable to be controlled and frequently changed course. On the other hand, cleaning it was a breeze for us.
As you can see from the image to the right, this cafetiere had one of the lowest filtration ratings among those that we examined. We were dismayed to see that the press had allowed a significant amount of sediment and grinds to pass through. However, it does an excellent job of retaining heat in coffee. During the hour that we monitored the temperature, the insulated walls did a decent job of keeping an excessive amount of heat from escaping the space. If maintaining the temperature of the coffee is your top priority and you don’t mind having a few bits float around in it, then this could be an excellent option for you. However, it is not competitive with the Coffee Gator from Best Buy.
KitchenCraft Le’Xpress Deluxe
Cheapest price: £15.22, available at Amazon
January of 2021 is the date of the test.
Type: Glass
Sizes available: 350ml, 500ml, 700ml, 1,000ml
In a dishwasher? Certainly! (beaker and frame only)
Included in the accessories are: 7 gramme coffee scoop made of plastic
The pouring is simple, and the filtration is really good.
Negatives: The filter screen has jagged edges and is difficult to press.
Our opinion is that the KitchenCraft Le’Xpress Deluxe was a good product overall, but we did have a few minor complaints about it that prevented us from giving it our Best Buy recommendation.
When we squeezed on the lid, the filter screen would frequently become wedged in the space between the lid and the beaker. However, it poured smoothly and without any messes, and it was simple to clean despite the fact that we discovered a few sharp points on the filter screen. These points can stab you if you aren’t wearing gloves while you do the dishes.
The filter did an excellent job of removing the grounds from the coffee while leaving the coffee itself intact. After pouring the coffee, we could find no more than a few little sediment particles here and there. This glass cafetiere was also the finest one for maintaining the temperature of your coffee. It is not possible for it to compete with the cafetieres made of stainless steel, but it was one of the few glass ones that was able to hold the coffee at a temperature higher than 50 degrees Celsius after it had been sitting out for an hour.
La Cafetiere Monaco
Cheapest price: £17.39, available at Amazon
January of 2021 is the date of the test.
The pouring is simple, and the filtration is really good.
Negatives: ineffective heat retention and jagged edges on the filter screen
Type: Glass Sizes available: 350ml, 1,000ml
In a dishwasher? Certainly! (beaker and frame only)
Included in the accessories are: None
Our conclusion is that this cafetiere performed fairly well in all categories, with the exception of heat retention; therefore, we are unable to recommend it. We didn’t have too much issue pressing it, but when we did, it had a tendency to snap down rather than descending at a steady, smooth speed. It poured without any issues, but the top hung loosely and appeared as though it might come off as you tipped the container to get every last drop of coffee out of it. The filter screen contains pointed protrusions that, if you aren’t careful, have the potential to hurt you, but other from that, we had no problems cleaning it.
When it came to filtration, the Monaco truly exceeded our expectations. We were unable to identify any coffee grounds, and the filter screen prevented almost all debris from passing through it. However, when compared to the other glass cafetieres, this one was the one that did the worst job of keeping your coffee hot. It cooled at a rate that was comparable to that of the other glass cafetieres for the first ten minutes, but after twenty minutes, it had dropped by at least two degrees Celsius more than the others.
Cafetiere made of satin stainless steel and double-walled by ProCook.
ProCook is now offering the lowest price of £21, and the product is also sold on Amazon (out of stock)
January of 2021 is the date of the test.
Steel is of the stainless variety.
Sizes available: 350ml, 1,000ml
In a dishwasher? Certainly!
Included in the accessories are: None
Easy to pour and clean, and it does an amazing job of keeping heat in.
The filtering is poor, and it is difficult to press.
Our conclusion is that the ProCook cafetiere, despite being excellent at maintaining the temperature of your coffee for an extended period of time, does not meet the standards necessary to win our recommendation. It required an excessive amount of effort to press down on the cafetiere before it would pour, making it the most difficult model that we tried to press. Even though the coffee poured out of the pot sooner than we had anticipated when we were pouring it, it was perfectly even and smooth, and we had no problems cleaning it.
We found that some grinds and a significant amount of silt had gotten through the press while it was operating. Even though the ProCook wasn’t horrible, there was a distinct disparity in quality between it and the greatest cafetieres since the best cafetieres established a high bar for filtration.
Cafetière en plastique de Robert Dyas
Robert Dyas offers the lowest price of £6.99 for an item.
January of 2022 is the date of the test.
Type: Glass/plastic
Sizes available: 350ml, 1,000ml
Not safe for the dishwasher
Included in the accessories are: None
The button is simple to press.
Negatives include poor filtering, a sloppy pour, and the inability to clean the beaker separately from the case.
Our conclusion is that the Robert Dyas cafetiere is simple to operate and maintain, but we were unable to identify too many other favourable aspects of the product. Because of how prone to dripping the spout is, the pouring process was somewhat untidy.
Unfortunately, the filtering capacity of this cafetière was not up to par either. Although there were not many grinds that made it through, there was a significant amount of coffee sediment that was lost through the press. Although it was simple to clean, some people might find it annoying that the beaker cannot be removed from the plastic container it came in. Because it cannot be washed in a dishwasher, you will have to do the laborious task of washing it by hand.
Robert Dyas Stainless Steel Cafetiere
Robert Dyas offers the lowest price of £20.99 for an item.
January of 2022 is the date of the test.
Steel is of the stainless variety.
Sizes available: 1,000ml
Not safe for the dishwasher
Included in the accessories are: None
The product is simple to press and has excellent heat retention.
The filtering is only average, and the pouring might be messy.
Our conclusion is that the Stainless Steel Cafetiere from Robert Dyas does an excellent job of maintaining the temperature of your coffee, but it did not quite wow us enough in the other critical areas to win our recommendation. In our experiments, pressing it was a breeze, but pouring it was challenging because we couldn’t accurately predict how much coffee would come out. It would frequently change course only so slightly, which increased the likelihood that it would spill over.
Most stainless steel cafetieres struggle to effectively filter out all the coffee granules and sediment, and although this one wasn’t bad at it, there was still a fair amount that slipped through. Cleaning it was mostly straightforward, but collapsing the filter proved a little frustrating as the handle at top of the press was prone to coming loose instead of the filter.
French Press made by VonShef
Cheapest price £16.99, available at VonHaus, also available at Amazon
January of 2021 is the date of the test.
Our conclusion is that we had a positive overall experience with VonShef’s French Press; but, due to a few insignificant drawbacks, it did not rank among our most impressive products. When it came time to clean it, we discovered that it was fairly difficult to disassemble, and the filter screen has some sharp points that can stab you if you aren’t careful. However, pressing or pouring it was not an issue for us in any way.
The filtration was satisfactory but not outstanding, as evidenced by the fact that some coffee grounds and sediment were able to get away from the press. Because this is a 1,000-ml cafetiere, its results regarding heat retention cannot be directly compared with those of the 350-ml cafetieres that we examined; however, when it was filled to capacity, the rate at which it cooled down was comparable to that of the smaller stainless steel cafetieres. This demonstrates that larger cafetieres should be filled all the way up so that they can maintain their heat for a longer period of time.
The pressing and pouring are both simple, and it has good filtration.
Con: It’s difficult to keep clean.
Type: Glass
Sizes available: 1,000ml
Not safe for the dishwasher
Accessories included:
None
In what manner does one prepare coffee using a cafetiere?
Cafetieres are used to prepare fresh coffee by combining coffee grounds and hot water. You can buy coffee that has already been ground, or you can get a coffee grinder and grind the beans yourself, which will result in a much more flavorful and aromatic cup of brewed coffee. Check out our top choices for coffee grinders here.
How do you use a cafetiere?
To create the ideal beverage, just put these four basic steps into action: Prepare your cafetiere by filling it with ground coffee. If you are unsure how much coffee to use, a good rule of thumb is to use 7 grammes of ground coffee for every 120-150 millilitres of water. When you are ready to begin brewing, pour your hot water into the cafetière (the water should be hot, but not boiling) and then place the lid on top with the press elevated. After the coffee has brewed for around four minutes, you should gently push down on the press to separate the coffee granules from the coffee. The coffee should be poured into the mug, and then any desired amount of milk or sugar should be added.
How much time should pass before you remove a cafetiere?
If you ask a different person, you’ll get a different answer to this question, much like the answer to the issue of how long you should steep your tea.
In our tests, we let each cafetiere to steep for four minutes before pressing the plunger, which is the same amount of time that is commonly recommended for users to allow their cafetieres to steep before pressing the plunger.
If you like your coffee stronger and more bitter, you should let it brew for a longer amount of time, but if you like it to be less intense, you should let it brew for a shorter amount of time.
However, take care not to let it sit for an excessively long time.
If you continue to steep the coffee for more than four minutes, you run the risk of over-extraction, which results in a highly bitter brew that the vast majority of people will find unpleasant to consume.
Tests on cafetieres taught us the following five things:
1. Size doesn’t matter
We decided to purchase the 1,000-ml version of one of the 350-ml cafetieres so that we could compare the two and see if there were any significant changes in how well they functioned. We were unable to distinguish any significant changes between the two when we used the same quantity of ground coffee and hot water in each.
2. Cafetieres made of stainless steel maintain the coffee’s temperature for a longer period of time.
Cafetières made of stainless steel are widely used because of their ability to insulate coffee, and the results of our testing to determine how well they do this were positive. The cafetières made of stainless steel cooled down far longer than any of the other cafetières that we tried. The worst glass cafetiere I tested for heat retention lost more than twice as much heat in the first ten minutes as the best stainless steel cafetiere I tested for heat retention did.
3. Additionally, filled cafetieres retain coffee hotter for a longer period of time.
We evaluated the rate at which the temperature of each cafetiere dropped over the course of one hour and found that a cafetiere with a capacity of 1,000 ml that contained 350 ml of coffee cooled down faster than a cafetiere with a capacity of 350 ml that was completely full. However, a completely loaded cafetière of 1,000 ml held heat for significantly longer than a cafetière of 350 ml did; hence, regardless of the size of your cafetière, you should load it up to its maximum capacity in order to keep the beverage warmer for a longer period of time.
4. The cafetières made of stainless steel require the most exertion to be pressed.
Even though there were a few notable outliers, we discovered that the majority of the time, greater work was necessary to press the coffee in cafetieres made of stainless steel. When making your selection, you should keep this in mind if you are concerned about how much force you will need to apply in order to press down on your cafetiere.
5. To protect your hands from the sharp edges of the filter screens, wear dishwashing gloves.
It is necessary to disassemble the press in order to clean it because coffee grounds have a tendency to become caught in the spaces between the various components; nevertheless, the filter screen made of metal mesh can have sharp edges.
Washing the mesh should be done with caution, and you should wear gloves designed for dishwashing to prevent the risk of pricking yourself on the sharp edges. Do you favour the convenience of a full-size bean-to-cup coffee machine instead? Examine the various ratings we have given our coffee makers.
