The Best French Presses for 2026: Fellow, Espro, Frieling and More
By Claire Whitmore. Last updated October 2026.
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The French press is the simplest way to make rich, full-bodied coffee. As an immersion brewer, it steeps grounds in hot water and then separates them with a metal mesh filter, leaving in the flavorful oils that paper filters remove. The catch is that a mediocre press makes sludgy, lukewarm coffee. The best presses filter cleanly, keep coffee hot and pour without dribbling.
We compared two independent tests. Serious Eats brewed with each press, measuring sediment, how much heat the coffee lost over time, and pouring performance. The Spruce Eats evaluated taste, sediment, design and cleaning across glass, steel and stoneware presses. Their favorites differ, which helps you choose by priority. We haven’t tested these presses ourselves.
Quick answer: Serious Eats’ best French press is the Fellow Clara, with superb build quality and heat retention. The Spruce Eats’ best overall is the Espro P3, whose double filter minimizes sediment; its stainless steel sibling, the Espro P7, is a luxury pick that Serious Eats also recommends. On a budget, the Coffee Gator costs less than $40.
Our picks at a glance
| Press | Material | Capacity | Source | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fellow Clara | Stainless, ceramic-lined | 24 oz | Serious Eats: best overall; The Spruce Eats: best design | Heat retention, build |
| Espro P3 | Glass, polypropylene | 32 oz | The Spruce Eats: best overall | Sediment-free value |
| Espro P7 | Stainless steel | 18 or 32 oz | Serious Eats winner; The Spruce Eats: best high-end | Pour-over-like clarity |
| Frieling Double Wall | Stainless steel | 36 oz tested; 8–44 oz sizes | Both recommend | Hot coffee for hours |
| Coffee Gator | Stainless steel | 32 oz | Serious Eats: under $40 | Budget |
| Yeti Rambler | Stainless steel | 34 oz | Serious Eats: camping; The Spruce Eats: most durable | Outdoors |
| Bodum Chambord | Glass, steel frame | 12–51 oz | The Spruce Eats: best classic | Classic style, about $25 |
| Le Creuset Stoneware | Stoneware | 34 oz | The Spruce Eats: best stoneware | Color, table service |
The best French presses
1. Fellow Clara French Press: best overall
Best for: anyone who wants a beautiful press that keeps coffee hot.
Serious Eats praises its incredible build quality for the price. The double-walled, ceramic-lined carafe kept coffee pleasantly sippable even after three hours, and the ceramic lining makes cleanup easy. The Spruce Eats named it the best design pick. The main limit is size: at 24 ounces, it’s not for crowds, and it sometimes sells out.
Pros
- Excellent heat retention
- Ceramic lining
- Premium design
Cons
- 24 oz capacity
- Mesh filter is the only dishwasher-safe part
2. Espro P7 French Press: best luxury press
Best for: coffee lovers who want the cleanest French press cup.
Serious Eats says the P7 produced coffee that tasted remarkably like its favorite pour-overs: smooth, clean and well-rounded, with no grounds. Its double micro-filter is the key. The Spruce Eats calls it one of the handsomest coffee makers you’ll encounter, available in five finishes including brushed and polished stainless and Aegean blue, with insulation far better than glass presses. Serious Eats notes it’s over $100; if the luxe feel doesn’t matter, Espro’s plastic travel press uses the same filtration for about $40.
Pros
- Exceptionally clean coffee
- Insulated stainless
- Five finishes
Cons
- Over $100
3. Espro P3 French Press: best value
Best for: people who want low sediment without spending much.
The Spruce Eats’ best overall looks classic and unassuming, with a price to match, but its double filter produced less sediment and a smoother texture than similar presses without losing body. It’s glass with a polypropylene frame, holds 32 ounces and is dishwasher-safe. As a glass press, it won’t keep coffee as hot as the steel models.
Pros
- Double filter
- Affordable
- Dishwasher-safe
Cons
- Glass loses heat faster
4. Frieling Double Wall French Press: best stainless steel
Best for: households that sip coffee all morning.
Serious Eats found the fancy-looking Frieling worth its price: double-walled insulation kept coffee hot for hours, dropping only 92 degrees over three hours, and its fine single-mesh filter kept sediment low. The Spruce Eats also named it best stainless steel and lists sizes from 8 to 44 ounces. It’s spendy.
Pros
- Outstanding insulation
- Fine filter
- Many sizes
Cons
- Expensive
5. Coffee Gator 34-Ounce French Press: best budget
Best for: value seekers.
For less than $40, the Coffee Gator offers double-wall insulation similar to the Clara and a double filter that keeps sediment in the carafe, with eight ounces more capacity than the Clara. Its shallow spout dripped when pouring, and it doesn’t feel as sturdy.
Pros
- Under $40
- Insulated
- Double filter
Cons
- Drippy spout
- Less sturdy
6. Yeti Rambler French Press: best for camping
Best for: outdoor trips and big morning batches.
A silicone cap over the mesh filter keeps grounds out and stops water from re-steeping the grounds and over-extracting. A Serious Eats editor loves how long it keeps coffee hot. But its travel-mug-style lid dribbles when pouring; it poured better with the lid removed. The Spruce Eats named it most durable.
Pros
- Rugged
- Stops over-extraction
- Keeps coffee hot
Cons
- Dribbly lid
7. Bodum Chambord and Le Creuset Stoneware: best classic and decorative
Best for: traditional style and colorful tables.
The Spruce Eats’ classic pick, the Chambord, brews full-bodied coffee for around $25 in a borosilicate glass carafe framed in steel; its plunger can wobble and let a few grounds through. Le Creuset’s stoneware press comes in 10 colors including signature Cerise, and brewed strong, balanced coffee despite some batch inconsistency.
Pros
- Iconic designs
- Chambord is inexpensive
- Le Creuset matches cookware
Cons
- Glass and stoneware lose heat faster
- Some sediment
How to brew better French press coffee
- Grind coarse; Serious Eats says super-coarse to medium-coarse works, adjusted to taste for each bean. A burr grinder helps; see our best coffee grinders.
- Use water just off the boil; a temperature-control kettle makes it easy.
- Steep about four minutes, then press slowly and evenly.
- Pour all the coffee right away, or into a thermal carafe, so it doesn’t keep extracting.
- Expect a little sediment; metal mesh filters can’t stop all fines. Double filters reduce it most.
What to look for
- Material: stainless steel retains heat best, Serious Eats found; glass and stoneware look classic but cool faster.
- Filter: fine or double filters mean cleaner cups.
- Spout: roomy spouts reduce drips; lids with pour holes can dribble.
- Capacity: 24 oz for one or two drinkers; 32 to 36 oz for households.
- Cleaning: check which parts are dishwasher-safe.
FAQ
Is French press coffee better than drip?
It’s different: fuller-bodied and oilier. For a cleaner cup, try one of our best drip coffee makers or a pour-over.
Why is my French press coffee bitter?
Usually too fine a grind or too long a steep.
How do I clean a French press?
Scoop out grounds, rinse the filter well and occasionally disassemble the plunger to clean trapped oils.
Can I make cold brew in a French press?
Yes; steep coarse grounds in cold water in the fridge overnight, then press.
The bottom line
Buy the Fellow Clara for the best build and heat retention, the Espro P7 for the cleanest, most luxurious cup, and the Espro P3 or Coffee Gator to spend less.
