What size French press do I need?

Go by litres. Bodum's replacement glasses come in 12, 17, 34 and 48 oz sizes, roughly 0.35, 0.5, 1 and 1.4 litres. A 0.35-litre press makes one mug, a 0.5-litre one two smaller mugs, and a 1-litre press suits a household.

Is a glass or stainless steel French press better?

Neither brews better. Glass is cheaper and lets you watch the brew but can break; a double-wall or vacuum-insulated steel press keeps coffee hot for second cups and won't shatter, but you can't see inside.

Why is there sludge in my French press coffee?

A single metal mesh lets the finest particles through. Grind coarser, let the coffee settle, and leave the last centimetre in the pot, or choose a press with a finer filter, such as Fellow's ultra-fine mesh or Espro's double micro-filter.

Who makes the original French press?

The modern design goes back to Milanese designers Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta, who patented a press with a spring-sealed filter in 1929. Bodum's Chambord descends from the Melior press made by Martin S.A., which Bodum bought in 1991.

French Press Buying Guide: Glass, Steel and Sizes

A French press, or cafetière in Britain, is the simplest coffee maker there is: a jug, a lid and a plunger with a mesh filter. Presses differ in only a few ways, the material of the jug, how well they hold heat, how fine the filter is and how big they are, but those choices change how you’ll get on with one. This page compares them. For how to brew, see the French press guide.

The short version

Glass is the cheap classic: you can watch the brew, but it can break.
Double-wall or vacuum-insulated steel keeps coffee hot and won’t shatter.
Micro-filter presses (Fellow, Espro) cut the sediment.
Buy by litres, not “cups”: a 4-cup press holds about 0.5 litres.
Check for spares: beakers and filters wear out before frames do.

What are the parts of a French press?

The parts of a French press. The mesh filter is a strainer, not a piston.

A jug, a lid and a plunger rod carrying a metal mesh filter. The key feature is the seal between filter and jug wall. Early presses, such as the one patented in France by Mayer and Delforge in 1852, didn’t seal well; in 1928–1929 the Milanese designers Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta added a spring to hold the filter against the wall, the essential feature of the modern press, Wikipedia says.

Which type of French press is best?

Type	Example	What it offers	Watch out for
Glass beaker in a metal frame	Bodum Chambord	You can see the brew; replacement beakers are sold in every size	Glass can break
Double-wall vacuum-insulated steel	Fellow Clara	Holds brewing temperature and keeps coffee hot for second and third cups; shatterproof	You can’t see inside
Micro-filter press	Espro Press	A double micro-filter for a cleaner cup	Follow the maker’s cleaning advice for the filters

Sources: Wikipedia (Bodum); Fellow; Espro.

Fellow Clara, for example, holds 24 oz, has a vacuum-insulated stainless steel body, an ultra-fine mesh filter and a non-stick PTFE (PFOA-free) interior, Fellow says. Only its mesh filter is dishwasher safe, and the optional walnut handle can dry out and crack with repeated heat and moisture.

What does a “cup” on a French press mean?

Much less than a mug. Bodum’s spare glass beakers show the real sizes:

Bodum glass	Volume	Roughly
12 oz	About 0.35 litres	Sold as a 3-cup press
17 oz	About 0.5 litres	Sold as a 4-cup press
34 oz	About 1 litre	Sold as an 8-cup press
48 oz	About 1.4 litres	Sold as a 12-cup press

Source: Seattle Coffee Gear’s listing of Bodum replacement glasses (US fluid ounces; litres are our conversion). The cup names follow this site’s French press guide; some retailers list the 12-cup Chambord as 1.5 litres.

The French press guide gives the coffee for each size: about 30 g for a 0.5-litre press.

Who makes the Bodum Chambord?

Bodum, the Danish company founded in Copenhagen in 1944. It launched its first French press, the Bistro, in 1974. The Chambord comes from the Melior press, designed by the French firm Martin S.A.: in the early 1980s Bonjour Imports launched it as the “Cafetière Chambord”, Bodum bought the name in 1983, and in 1991 Bodum bought Martin S.A. itself, Wikipedia says. Bodum tried to trademark “French Press” but failed in the US and lost the Canadian mark in 2012.

Not every press is trouble-free: in January 2019, Starbucks recalled Bodum-made presses it had sold, ending a partnership that began in 2016, Wikipedia notes.

How do you keep a French press going?

Buy spares, not a new press. Replacement glass beakers are sold separately in each size.
Check the filter. The mesh has to sit snugly against the wall all the way round; if it’s bent or worn, grounds slip past.
Check the dishwasher advice. Some presses, such as the Clara, allow only the filter in the dishwasher; wooden parts can warp or crack.

French press and other kit guides

French press brewing guide: the recipe, grind and low-sediment method.
Espro Press: the double micro-filter press.
Burr grinder: an even, coarse grind means less sludge.

French Press (Cafetière)

Which French press should I buy?