Unbreakable French Coffee Presses: Review

Unbreakable French Coffee Presses Review Part 1

What is the best unbreakable French press to make tasty coffee easily at home?

Everyone is familiar with the iconic Bodum glass and metal Chambord French press (also available in a  3-cup model). It makes excellent coffee, and does not have any plastic consumable parts, but its glass beaker breaks easily, through thermal or mechanical stress. Is it possible to replace our everyday French press with one that will not break, and that will last much longer?






What you need to know about unbreakable French presses

• Size. The number of cups advertised per model corresponds to small 4-5 oz coffee cups - you need to divide this number by two to find out how many mugs you can brew.

• Insulation. Many of these presses come with insulated walls. Most reviewers agree that coffee will not remain piping hot in any model - these presses are not built as thermos bottles. They will keep coffee warm longer than non-insulated presses, this is all you can expect:-)

• Brew quality. Leaving coffee for hours in the press will overbrew it and make it somewhat bitter. If you intend to keep coffee for several hours after brewing it, you would be better off pouring it out of the press after 3-4 minutes and into an insulated carafe like the good-looking Frieling Emsa Eleganza.

What makes a great unbreakable French press

Materials. The right French press is made of high quality materials. The stainless steel is thick and of good quality. There is, if possible, no plastic or rubber - but if there is any it is high quality plastic, if possible fiberglass or carbon-fiber reinforced. The product has heft. Preferably the whole assembly is metal, without plastic or rubber.

Fit and finish. The pieces are clean and well cast, forged or brazed. They fit well with each other and have positioned in the proper alignment, without being off by several degrees. The product shows as a quality product.

Filter. The filter assembly is metal without plastic or rubber. Is it tightly fitting inside the body, so that no coffee grounds leak through it into the brew. It is easy to take out and clean up, and easy to reassemble as well. It is not hard to press. When you press it, there is no coffee leakage.

Spout. The spout is clean and pours well. There is no dribbling when you pour, whether you pour fast or slow.

Durability. We want to move away from the fragile glass beaker of the Bodum Chambord, so the right French press will be very solidly built and highly durable, in the scale of 10-20 years or more.

Robustness. The right French press can take shocks and be moved around without damage, including in the hands of children. It will not become a casualty of a sink collision.

Brew quality. The coffee it makes must taste good.

Double insulated walls. While coffee should not remain very long in a French press, for convenience it would be helpful to have a well insulated container, so that the second cup of coffee we pour is still hot.

Looks. A French press spends a lot of time on a kitchen table, so it needs to look good for a long time. It should have an elegant design that fits well within your household, and that you expect to like for a long time. We do not think that an ugly French press can survive life in the kitchen for a long time...


Next we review our first batch of French presses... So come back soon!

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