A cafetiere, which is more commonly known as a French press, is a prized possession of any coffee enthusiast. French presses allow their users to boil ground coffee beans directly into the water, filter the beans by pushing them down to the bottom of the equipment and then pour the drink directly from the pot itself. The best thing about a French press is, since the grounded beans can be boiled without using a filter, the final concoction is thicker and more flavoursome than what we get after using an automatic coffeemaker. This way the beans can exert more essential oils that otherwise would have remained contained within them.

Types of French Press

Truthfully, it is not possible to classify French presses based on their designs. It is better to focus on the materials they are made from for that purpose. The four basic materials used for making a French press are glass, metal and plastic. Each of these has their own advantages and disadvantages. Let us take a clearer look at them.

Glass: A cafetiere made from glass is easy to handle and clean. They are also scratch and stain resistant and can hold on to the “new” look for longer. However, some French presses are made with thin glass which makes them unsuitable for many automatic dishwashers. Their fragility also requires some experienced handling since otherwise a single drop would mean a new replacement. Glass French presses are preferred because of their classic looks.

Pyrex Glass: Pyrex is a form of glassware where boron is mixed into the production process. This mixture makes the wares extremely thermal-expansion resistant. This means a French press made from pyrex glass will not crack or shatter even under high temperature. The downside is they are quite heavier than ordinary glass French presses. And since the manufacturing process is quite unique, they also cost more than most regular glassware. A Pyrex French press is a nice blend of classic and contemporary.

Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is well known for its endurance and durability. French presses made of stainless steel are virtually immune to water-caused corrosion and rust, which makes them the best balance between price and usability. They hardly sustain damage from impact and can withstand high heat. Even when the whole ware is not made of stainless steel, almost all types of French presses have one or two parts made of this material. However, they are also very inefficient at trapping heat, which means the coffee cannot be kept hot for too long if one of these French presses is used. To get rid of this conduction issue, most of these are made of two layers of stainless steel instead of one. These layers are separated by a vacuum. When an air-tight lid is added into the system, such coffee presses can keep coffee warm for hours. But as anyone can understand, they also cost a lot more than most standard French presses.

Plastic: A plastic cafetiere is more of a budget choice than an aesthetic one and that is why it is almost never preferred by enthusiasts. However, their low price is actually quite beneficial for those who NEED a coffee press more than they WANT it. What is more, such a French press will never shatter. But they are susceptible to scratches and prolonged usage leads to heat-blistering.