My tests of travel coffee mugs have regularly picked Zojirushi as the best in both portability and heat retention, which is great once you’ve made your coffee. But what about the actual brewing? For that, Zojirushi has an insulated French press that offers some impressive features.
What we love: In lieu of double basket systems like Espro, Zojirushi opts for a semicircular fine mesh filter embedded in a plastic disc. When you tip the carafe, the non-mesh half doesn’t allow the finest grounds to slide forward, reducing sediment in your cup (though there was some unavoidable silt). Like the Yeti, this double-walled stainless steel pitcher was a beast when it came to retaining heat. After an hour, the coffee in the carafe was still a very toasty 150ºF+ and the limited filter exposure did its job of not overextracting the coffee while it sat. Zojirushi touts this press has a “dribble-reducing spout” and in the multiple times I tested it, I never had much if any issue with drippage. The pitcher is wide and easy to clean/scrape grounds from. All of the internal plunger parts disassembled and were clean with just a little dish soap and a sponge or brush (which you’ll have to do, because this is not dishwasher safe).
What we’d leave: Despite this generally feeling like a solidly built French press—and the fact that Zojirushi makes some of the most secure travel bottles out there—it was a little surprising that the rotating cover on the lid was so wobbly and not sealed in any way. It didn’t allow the coffee to cool too much, but I can only wonder how much warmer it might have been with something more airtight like the Yeti. Zojirushi also warns in the instructions that it’s not leakproof, something that was easily and unfortunately verifiable by tipping the press even with everything “closed.” Aesthetically, it’s not offensive, but it does look more like something you’d be served coffee from in a truck stop diner than a fancy brunch spot. Because it has a stainless steel pitcher the entire French press and all of its parts are hand wash only. They did, however, disassemble and clean up very easily. It’s just not as convenient as some other dishwasher safe models on this list.
How we tested French presses
After cleaning and inspecting each model for design features or pitfalls, I tested each with a 14-to-1 ratio (by weight) of 200°F water to coffee grounds to account for different capacities. Then I disassembled and washed each press and its parts according to manufacturer instructions and noted any pain points. Finally, I incorporated these French presses into my own coffee routine for two weeks for further one-the-job testing.
What we looked for in French presses
Many French presses on the market are of varying thicknesses of borosilicate or heat-proof glass, which means they’re pleasingly clear but also prone to breaking. While you can definitely use a glass French press for years, we still opted for stainless steel French presses as two of our top picks for longevity.
It should offer ease of use and feel comfortable in your hand, not only from an ergonomic perspective, but for balance and control while pouring. Did the design of the actual product—its size, shape, or storability—make it easier or harder to brew with and keep. Also, does it look good?
Ideally, parts come apart for cleaning and can be reassembled easily. Bonus points for dishwasher-safe status.
Does it make good coffee?
Is the coffee that actually comes out of the French press free of grounds and sediment, and does leaving coffee in the carafe exposed to the grounds risk over-extraction?
Other French presses I liked
Oxo Brew 8-Cup French Press with Grounds Lifter
Oxo’s penchant for making quality, user-friendly products is on display in this inexpensive French press that we’d rank right up there with the Espro P3. Its filtration is sufficient for keeping most sediment out. I also appreciated the GroundsLifter feature, a silicone-lined disc at the bottom of the carafe with a handle (think a flat ladle) that can slide your spent grounds out and into the compost bin with one motion. This is probably the French press that’s the easiest to clean.