The King of Cafetières (For 2023) - 21 of the Best
The classic cafetière is a staple kitchen appliance for the vast majority of coffee drinkers.
Going by various other names depending on the area of the world you find yourself in the cafetière, plunger or French press has a mysterious history.
The device was supposedly invented in France in the mid 19th Century but then didn’t get patented until nearly one hundred years later.
A few tweaks and modifications later, the cafetière is one of the most widely used and best coffee filter machines in the world.
My first experience using a french press was long before I discovered speciality coffee and very little thought went into the brewing recipe other than lob a couple of spoonfuls of coarsely ground coffee into my Mums Tesco cafetiere, fill it with water, wait a couple of minutes and plunge.
With most commercial coffee over roasted and bitter-tasting, it probably didn’t really matter how I made it anyway.
However with a little practice and following an easy recipe you can get some really great results and interesting flavour profiles extracted from a cafetière.
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When asked by a few customers and friends which is the best cafetière I could recommend I struggled to give them an answer from a coffee professionals point of view.
I could have easily pointed them in the right direction if they were to have asked about pour-over methods as there is often a particular brand or product leading the way in each field.
Cafetières however aren’t always used in a speciality coffee shop but are often peoples chosen brew method at home.
With the tradition, convenience, and body of the coffee cafetieres do make a tempting choice.
So, after conducting a serious amount of research with some of the wonderful roasters we host in our coffee box and weighing up what actually makes the best cafetière coffee, we thought we would make a list of our favourites.
As with speciality coffee it comes down to preference and what you really want out of your French press.
21 Best Cafetière's
Brand: Coffee Gator
Model: Cafetiere
Price: £40 - £50 Check Price
Material: Stainless Steal
Capacity: 1 Litre
The Coffee Gator Cafetiere is professional-grade in every way.
This brewer is tough, durable and rust proof.
Unlike glass it won’t break when you drop it.
The Gator press is uniquely designed to stop sediment but let the delicious coffee oils into your cup.
This results in a rich, full-bodied brew that will leave you grinning from ear to ear.
This huge capacity French press is vacuum-layered and double-filtered for fuller flavour.
The 304 stainless steel is 33% thicker and 20% heavier than the competition.
A cool touch handle protects your hands and the spring-loaded, double-screen filter brews a cleaner cup.
If the Coffee Gator Cafetiere is exactly what you’re looking for Check Price on Amazon
Brand: Stelton
Model: Theo
Price: £65 - £75 Check Price
Material: Stoneware, Bamboo, Stainless steel
Capacity: 800ml
The Theo cafetière from Stelton is one of the more stylish French presses out there.
The design is a marriage of Japanese and Scandanavian culture - two speciality coffee giants.
The Theo coffee press is made from rustic, matte black stoneware and a bamboo lid.
The drop free spout make it easy to pour without any spillages - typical of those extra full 8 cuppers.
The filter method extracts the coffee as you would expect with a cafetière with body and flavour.
Read more about this cafetiere in our article; Stelton Theo | Product Review
Or if the Stelton Theo is right for you Check Price on Amazon
Brand: Heemburg
Model: French Coffee Press
Price: £30 - £40 Check Price
Material: Stainless Steel
Capacity: 900ml
The Heemburg stainless steel thermal french press is big on design as well as functionality.
The matte black double walled stainless steel cafetiere body creates a vacuum inside the chamber which maintains the warmth of the coffee for longer.
The stylish wooden handle makes pouring easy and adds a rustic nature to it making it a great travel cafetiere.
The spout has a flow control button so you lose as little heat as possible while pouring.
The plunger with ultra fine mesh makes a clean brew with full flavour.
If the Heemburg French Press is what you’re looking for: Check Price on Amazon.
Brand: Espro
Model: Coffee Press
Price: £70 - £80 Check Price
Material: Glass, Stainless Steal
Capacity: 900 ml
The Espro cafetière looks like most traditional French presses.
It’s steel frame and glass beaker allows you to observe the coffee as it brews.
The Espro P5, however, is a little more than your average cafetière.
The glass beaker is 40% thicker than most traditional french presses meaning greater heat retention and less chance it will smash in the dishwasher.
The glass beaker is secured inside the steel frame to prevent it slipping out.
The patented double micro-filter provides a clean, delicious final cup with none of the typical grit in the bottom.
Brand: Bonjour
Model: Ceramic French Press
Price: £45 - £55 Check Price
Material: Stainless Steal
Capacity: 1 Litre
The matte white Bonjour French Press is a unification of good, stylish design and high quality filtration.
The sturdy stoneware ceramic construction makes it super durable and retains heat.
The stainless steel plunger and filter feature the Bonjour flavour lock to stop the brewing process and lock in the flavour.
Brand: Bodum
Model: Chambord
Price: £25 - £35 Check Price
Material: Glass, Stainless Steal
Capacity: 1 Litre
The Bodum Chambord is an absolute classic.
Its majestic look and original style make it a cafetière that has stood the test of time.
The classic French Press coffee maker designed in the fifties and still made today with the same painstaking craftsmanship has graced many breakfast tables the world over.
The only difference in the production from the 50’s is BODUM's commitment to the highest standards of environmentally responsible manufacturing, which is especially important during the chrome plating process used to obtain a durable, shiny surface that will last for many years of intense use.
The Chambord comes in many colours and sizes from matt black mini cafetieres yielding 1 cup up to larger multi-cup rose gold cafetieres.
Read more about this cafetiere in our article; Bodum Chambord | Product Review
Or if the Bodum Chambord is right for you Check Price on Amazon
Brand: Hario
Model: Olive Wood Cafe Press
Price: £120 - £130 Check Price
Material: Glass/Olive Wood
Capacity: 400 ml
The double walled press is a stylish coffee cafetiere from Hario.
It has fine quality, double-walled borosilicate glass construction for extra heat retention during the coffee extraction.
The olive wood handle that is similar to the chemex coffee maker alongside the lid make for maximum comfort and grip.
The end cup is typical of your full in body coffee from a french press but you will look super cool pouring it.
The Hario is a fairly small cafetiere yielding two medium cups.
Brand: Bodum
Model: Eileen
Price: £35 - £45 Check Price
Material: Glass/Stainless Steel
Capacity: 1 Litre
The Bodum Eileen coffee maker is a masterpiece in style.
It was designed in honour of the great Irish designer Eileen Gray.
The functionality of the cafetière is what you would expect from any Bodum coffee maker however the originality and unique design of the Eileen together with it’s slick stainless steel shell and glass beaker make it a great addition to any breakfast table.
Brand: Le Creuset
Model: Stoneware Cafetiere
Price: £55 - £65 Check Price
Material: Stoneware
Capacity: 1 Litre
Normally associated with warming stews and one pot meals, the Le Creuset cafetière has the quality you would expect of its culinary cousins.
The stoneware cafetière comes in various shades so you can coordinate your morning coffee maker with your new table cloth.
The heavy material is a great heat retainer and preheating the Le Creuset coffee press before brewing will keep your coffee warmer for much longer than your average french press.
It also is pretty indestructible and may be the only French press you ever buy.
Le Creuset also showcase a wonderful range of ceramic coffee mugs in an array of colours.
Brand: Bialetti
Model: Cafetiere
Price: £35 - £45 Check Price
Material: Glass/Stainless Steel
Capacity: 1 Litre
The go-to Italian Stovetop merchants.
Bialetti also offer a range of Italian cafetieres, the simplest way to prepare traditional coffee.
The design of the typical Bialetti products, the robust and heat retaining stainless steel make it a more robust option for those who like glass cafetières but can be heavy-handed from time to time.
The Bodum Columbia insulated cafetiere is a functional yet elegant coffee filter machine.
The stainless steel design paired with the double wall provides a greater heat retention and keeps that delicious coffee warmer for longer.
The Columbia is perfect for a leisurely coffee drinker, those that like to make a batch in the morning and still be sipping on it in the afternoon.
The silicone and mesh plunger prevent scratching and offers a more substantial filtration which reduces sediment.
Brand: Stelton
Model: EM
Price: £40 - £50 Check Price
Material: Plastic or Stainless steel
Capacity: 1 Litre
Erik Magnussen's classic vacuum-jug for Stelton…
Is now available in an updated version with a new function - a press coffee maker that brews up to 8 cups.
The double wall cafetiere has simple open/close functions keep coffee hot for a long time.
It comes in a variety of bold colours as well as a stainless steel finish. A simple, sturdy and stylish French press.
Brand: Grosche
Model: Madrid
Price: £50 - £60 Check Price
Material: Glass/Stainless steel
Capacity: 1 Litre
The Madrid Grosche is a premium rose gold French press.
It has a stainless steel filter, fine-crafted copper plated steel housing and PYREX glass.
The Madrid cafetière is one of Grosche’s best sellers.
It’s sleek and minimalistic design coupled with the quality dual filter makes it not only look great on your table but also produces a delicious coffee.
Brand: Soul Hands
Model: French Press
Price: £20 - £30 Check Price
Material: Glass/Plastic
Capacity: 500 ml
The Soulhand French press coffee maker is a cafetière with all the gadgets.
They use two double stainless steel mesh filters on the durable plunger.
The 3D filter has been designed to brew a coffee with as little sediment as possible and to produce a delicious cup of coffee.
The built in thermometer is a great idea to see how hot the coffee is and when to plunge.
A great new design that brews a cleaner than usual coffee.
Brand: Yield
Model: Ceramic French Press
Price: £100 - £110 Check Price
Material: Ceramic and copper
Capacity: 850ml
The Yield ceramic French press is a stylish piece with great design.
The brew is typical to what you would expect of a cafetière, body, flavour and balance.
This heavy walled ceramic press pot is not only functional by maintaining the warmth of the coffee but is also a beautiful addition to your kitchen table.
Bodum first designed the Brazil coffee maker in the 80’s.
It was the first of many cafetières designed by this coffee machine giant.
This Bodum french press offers attractive and functional design at an affordable price.
The slick body of this French press is built with a heat resistant glass beaker and a polypropylene handle and base.
The domed lid is equipped with the special Bodum safety and aroma seal that keeps the coffee warmer for longer.
The Halo Brew cafetière from Denby is a high quality ceramic French press.
Handcrafted in Derbyshire, UK they not only make a great talking point round the breakfast table but also a great coffee.
The nature of how they are made means that each one is unique and slightly different from the last, the ceramic body retains the heat longer than your average glass cafetière and it’s capacity of 1.5L means you are able to cater for a larger number of people.
Brand: Rosendahl
Model: Gran Cru
Price: £50 - £60 Check Price
Material: Glass and Plastic
Capacity: 1 Litre
The Grand Cru coffee press by the Danish brand Rosendahl is a practical alternative to a coffee maker.
The French press is made of black plastic with a glass insert that can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
The jug holds one litre, amounting to approximately eight cups of coffee.
The stylish and unique design coupled with the functional heat retaining body make it a great choice of cafetière.
Brand: La Cafetiere
Model: Pisa
Price: £25- £35 Check Price
Material: Glass and Stainless Steel
Capacity: 1 Litre
The Pisa French press from La cafetière a true statement piece for any kitchen, with a great copper finish.
Heat resistant glass is encased in the stylish steel frame, so you can see the brewing process take place.
The filter is crafted so you can expect the same delicious brew every time.
Check Price on Amazon
Brand: Eva Solo
Model: Nordic Kitchen Press
Price: £80- £90 Check Price
Material: Stainless Steel, Oak
Capacity: 1 Litre
The double-walled jug has a vacuum between the layers, which insulates your coffee for significantly longer than most other French presses.
The filter jug is made of stainless steel with the oiled oak wood handle, which sets warm accents and creates an exciting contrast to the rather cool steel.
Brand: Cafe Ole
Model: Bellied Cafetiere
Price: £20- £30 Check Price
Material: Stainless Steel
Capacity: 800 ml
Similar to the Bodum Columbia the Cafe Ole 8-Cup Bellied cafetière is a coffee maker designed for heat retention.
Normally supplying high-quality products in catering and houseware the French press is a fine example of the craftsmanship of their products.
The mesh filter alongside the double walls of the coffee machine make for a fine cup of coffee.
How Does a Cafetiere Work?
A Cafetiere is often referred to as a coffee plunger which gives you an idea of how they work.
Ground coffee is placed in the bottom of the chamber and then topped up with water, once the coffee has brewed for around three minutes the mesh filter is plunged, pressing all of the coffee down to the bottom. The brewed coffee is then poured into cups to drink.
How Many Scoops Of Coffee Goes In a Cafetiere?
It completely depends on how much brewed coffee you are looking to make. We like to use a ratio of 1:15 of coffee:water in our french press guide.
So for our large 1 litre cafetiere we usually use 50g of coffee and 750ml of water making 3 cups of coffee.
A table spoon is around 5g of coffee so you would need 10 scoops for a large coffee plunger.
Where To Buy a Cafetiere?
You can buy cafetieres online or in many highstreet stores. You can still get good results with a tesco cafetiere however if you’re looking to up your coffee game then take a look into a bodum cafetiere or a le creuset cafetiere above.
What Coffee Is Best To Use In a Cafetiere?
You can use any type of coffee in your cafetiere as long as the brew method and ratio are correct.
We find that the best coffee for french press however is a more full bodied and rich flavoured coffee.
A roast profile on the darker side of a medium roast always works well in a coffee plunger as the mesh filter doesn’t remove any of the oils that paper filters do, resulting in a heavier more velvety mouthfeel.
Don’t have a coffee grinder? Find out where to buy the best ground coffee subscriptions in the UK.
What Is a Cafetiere Grind?
On the coffee grind scale a cafetiere grind size would be on the opposite end to the grind you would use for your espresso machine.
It is important when grinding coffee beans for a french press to set the grind size large if the coffee is too fine the brewed coffee will taste over-extracted and also the mesh filter may struggle to filter all the finer coffee grounds and you may end up with some in your cup.
Checkout our guides on the best manual coffee grinder for french press or the best electric coffee grinder for french press.
How To Choose What Size Cafetiere?
The largest one that we reviewed was the ceramic cafetiere by Denby which holds 1.5 litres.
While the smallest was the Hario French press that holds 400ml.
They do however come in many sizes that are often described in how many cups they hold as well as the capacity in millilitres.
Be careful when buying a french press on the cup size as a 1 litre french press is normally marketed as a 9 cup which would yield around 100ml per cup.
Does The Quality Of The Cafetiere Matter?
While you can get good results from an Argos cafetiere you will see better results with a caftetiere listed above.
The French presses that we reviewed are all geared to make better coffee.
Why Is My Cafetiere Coffee Bitter?
Sometimes coffee that has been brewed in a coffee plunger will taste bitter.
This is normally down to a few reasons.
Bitterness in coffee is usually because the coffee is over-extracted or the coffee is roasted dark.
If you have dark roasted coffee then there is little you can do to remove the bitterness as the coffee beans have been burnt resulting in bitter tasting coffee.
Over Extracted coffee is normally down to two factors; brew time and grind size.
If the coffee is brewing for too long then the water starts to extract the bitter plant-like centre of the grounds.
This is the same principle when the coffee is ground to fine.
Can a Cafetiere Go In The Dishwasher?
All cafetieres are made out of different materials however the majority are dishwasher friendly.
The range of Bodum cafetieres can go in the dishwasher as they are made out of materials Resistant to temperature changes.
Metal cafetieres are also dishwasher safe most of the time, however a ceramic coffee press may not be dishwasher safe so always read the care instructions.
Can a Cafetiere Be Used For Tea?
You can make tea using a french press in exactly the same way you would make a coffee as long as the tea is either in a bag or whole loose leaf (finer teas that have been ground sometimes can pass through the filter).
We use our old Asda cafetiere to brew our loose leaf tea.
Learn how we make Cascara tea.
Are French Press Coffee Makers Healthy?
There are debating arguments whether coffee is healthy in general. Research shows that a couple of coffees per day can have some health benefits, while too much coffee can cause some side effects.
Unless you suffer from issues surrounding acidic foods or drink. Check out our article on low acid coffee beans.
In terms of whether French press coffee is healthy compared to other types of coffee you would have to say that it is on the healthier end of the spectrum, especially when consumed without milk.
The coffee used in a cafetiere is ground coffee rather than instant which occasionally contains unhealthy ingredients.
Is French Press Better Than Drip Coffee?
This depends on how you prefer to drink you coffee an the flavour profiles that you enjoy.
Typically a French Press will brew a more full bodied and rich coffee.
This complements darker flavour notes such as chocolate, nuts, roasty flavours and deeper sugary sweetness.
A drip coffee filters out many of the oils which produce the body of a French Press coffee, they typically are bright and clean brews that highlight flavours such as florals or fruits.
Can French Press Make Cold Brew?
Yes, cold brew can be made using a French Press coffee maker.
Grind the coffee coarse and empty into the bottom of the carafe, pour over cold water and leave un-plunged for 12 hours.
Plunge the coffee and serve over ice. For a more detailed guide take a look at our article Homemade Cold Brew.
Can You Reuse French Press Grounds?
When you brew coffee, the water extracts the dissolvable compounds in the coffee grounds.
Providing the coffee has been extracted properly the resulting used coffee grounds should be discarded.
If you were to brew another coffee with used grounds the resulting coffee will taste week and over-extracted.
Is It Worth Buying a Cafetiere?
For many the answer is yes.
Cafetieres can appeal to many coffee lovers.
If you are currently an instant or coffee pod drinker then a cafetiere is a great and simple method to start enjoying fresh coffee.
If you are somewhat of a coffee snob and are looking for a bit more depth in your coffee then a cafetiere offers something different from the bright and acidic flavour profiles of pour over brew methods.
What is the best material for a cafetiere?
It completely depends on preference.
If you are swayed towards stylish products maybe a glass cafetiere is the best material for you.
However, you may want to keep the brew hotter for longer so a stainless steel thermos cafetiere may be a better fit.
In terms of brewing there isn’t a great deal of difference in the material of the cafetiere, it often depends on the brand and the quality.
How long do cafetieres last?
If you are careful and look after your cafetiere it should last a very long time.
Provided you don’t physically damage any of the carafe, the first thing that will start to fail will be the plunger and the filter mechanism.
You may find that both, steel and silicone filters will start to falter eventually.
