We spent months plunging and pouring to find the best cafetières for every budget, from design classics to insulated brewers. If you’ve always thought a french press was a euphemism for a passionate snog outside a boulangerie, you’ll be disappointed to hear that this article is purely about coffee brewers. Cafetières, to be specific. Or, to give the French invention its full name, the cafetière à piston. You may know it as such – or as a french press – but regardless, it’s a cheap, simple and brilliant way to brew coffee.
The cafetière is many people’s go-to brewer in the morning. You blearily grab it from the cupboard, heap in a few tablespoons of coffee, and pour over some boiling water. A few minutes later, all that’s left is a final stir and a torturously slow plunge before the freshly brewed coffee pours into the cup. You can pick up a basic cafetière for about a tenner, but spending more can get you a prettier model – or open the door to insulated models that keep your coffee hot for a couple of hours. Pricier designs may now employ double filters, too, to keep the coffee free of murky residue.
I’ve tested ten of the best french presses over the past couple of months, and these are my favourites. Best affordable insulated cafetière: ProCook double-walled cafetière. Best insulated cafetière for camping: Yeti Rambler french press. I’ve been reviewing coffee appliances and paraphernalia for years now, including everything from grinders to four-figure espresso machines. I drink a lot of coffee, too, with most days powered by thermal carafes full to the brim with filter coffee.
Close your eyes and picture a cafetière. You’ve probably just imagined the Bodum Chambord. A shiny metal frame and lid with a large, black handle and a plunger crowned by a black plastic ball. Why we love it: This is a design classic. You can take your pick of 0.35-, 0.5-, 1- and 1.5-litre sizes, and there’s an array of different colours and slight design variations. The metal frame and solid plastic handle feel sturdy, the glass carafe fits snugly in place, and the lid, filter and plunger all feel nice and solid. The lid and filter are modular, so you can unscrew the filter and separate the metal filter to clean out trapped coffee grounds. There’s nothing special going on here. It’s a design that works, and the parts are all a standard size, so you can replace the carafe and plunger if they crack or snap a few years down the line. It’s a shame that the all-metal filter is prone to letting coffee sludge through if you don’t pour carefully – or if you want every last drop from the carafe. It’s also expensive for what it is.
Yes, I know. A £25 cafetière hardly qualifies as cheap. But compared with the cheaper models here, John Lewis has put together a much sturdier-feeling cafetière with a classic profile. For the money, it’s good value. Why we love it: Love is a strong word. Pleasingly inoffensive is closer to the mark. The design is nowhere near as pretty as the Bodum Chambord, but it feels solid and looks fine.
