Written by Rawia Younis. Rawia researches home and kitchen products for Cupindy.
Published November 2026 · Last reviewed 6 Nov 2026 · Cupindy is not affiliated with any brand on this page.
The short answer
Borosilicate glass and 304 stainless steel are both fine for hot coffee, so the real question is what else the coffee touches. Get the Veken if you like glass: its listing says all brewing surfaces are plastic-free, with 304 stainless steel and silicone. If you want the coffee to stay hot for a second cup, get a double-wall steel press like the Secura. Glass lets the heat out and steel keeps it in.
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Our quick picks
Glass pick
Veken 34 oz French Press
Borosilicate glass in a steel frame, with a four-layer steel filter. The listing says nothing plastic touches the coffee.
See the Veken on AmazonThe drawback: glass does not keep coffee hot, and the listing only describes hand washing.
Stainless steel pick
Secura Stainless Steel French Press
Double-wall 18/8 steel inside and out, a three-layer steel filter and two spare screens. The listing says every part can go in the dishwasher.
See the Secura on AmazonThe drawback: you cannot see the coffee, and the listing does not name what the handle, knob or seal are made of.
We did not use these presses ourselves. What each one is made of and how to wash it comes from the Amazon listing or the maker's own page, all read 6 Nov 2026. Where a listing leaves something out, we say so instead of guessing. If you are still choosing between a press and a machine, our guide to every kind of coffee maker lays out the options side by side.
Glass or stainless steel: which French press is safer?
Both a glass French press and a stainless steel French press are fine for hot coffee, because borosilicate glass and 304 stainless steel need no coating where the coffee sits. Some presses add plastic parts or a chrome-plated frame, so check those too. The bigger everyday difference is heat. Glass lets you watch the brew but cools fast, while double-wall steel keeps coffee hot and hides it.
Most French presses sold today use one of two bodies. A glass press is a heat-resistant borosilicate beaker held in a frame. A steel press is a steel jug, usually with two walls, which slows the heat loss.
- Borosilicate glass is the lab-style glass made to take sudden heat. Veken rates its carafe from -40°F to 302°F (-40°C to 150°C). It is clear, it does not hold smells, and you can see when the coffee is ready. It can still break if you drop it, and Bodum tells owners to stop using a beaker with a chip or a crack.
- 304 stainless steel is the same grade sold as 18/8: about 18% chromium and 8% nickel. It will not break if it falls in the sink, and with two walls it holds heat far longer than glass. Our guide to stainless steel grades explains what the numbers mean.
- Plastic turns up in cheaper presses as the frame, the lid, the handle or the filter housing. Some of those parts sit outside the coffee. Some do not. That is the part worth checking, and the next section goes through it part by part.
Ceramic and enameled presses exist too, but they are rarer and harder to check from a listing, so we left them out.
The parts that touch your coffee, checked one by one
A press is more than its jug. Five parts meet hot coffee or its steam, and a plastic-free body tells you nothing about the other four.
- The filter stack. Most are a spiral plate, a mesh screen and a cross plate, all on the plunger rod. Look for steel on every layer. On some presses a plastic housing holds the mesh.
- The seal. A ring around the filter keeps grounds from slipping past. Silicone is normal here. Veken names food-grade silicone. None of the other listings we read say what their seal is made of.
- The lid. Its underside catches steam, and on many presses the coffee pours through a gap in it. Steel is the clean choice.
- The frame and spout. On a glass press, the frame holds the beaker and the spout guides the pour. If the frame is plastic, the pour still runs past it.
- The handle and knob. These stay outside the coffee, so plastic here matters least. A plastic handle is no reason to skip a press. It is a reason to check the other parts more closely.
Take the plunger apart once and you will see every layer that sits in the coffee.
Here is how the listings answer. Only two of the eight say outright that nothing plastic touches the coffee: Veken and EDELHAUS. ESPRO, the Bodum Chambord and the Utopia Kitchen glass press all list plastic among their materials. Secura and Mueller describe a steel body and steel filter layers. The Utopia Kitchen steel press names only its steel body. None of the three says anything about the seal or the lid.
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If you want glass with no plastic in the coffee
Glass pick
Veken 34 oz French Press
Good for: anyone who likes to watch the brew and wants every surface that touches the coffee to be glass, steel or silicone.
Why we picked it: Veken says the press is made with 304 stainless steel and food-grade silicone and that all brewing surfaces are plastic-free. The carafe is borosilicate glass. The filter has four layers: a spiral plate, a cross plate and two fine steel mesh screens. It also comes in a 21 oz (0.6 L) size.
What to know: Ounce markings are printed on the glass, and a scoop and a 2-year warranty come in the box. Veken also sells it for cold brew and loose leaf tea.
The drawback: the glass does nothing to keep coffee hot, so pour it all once it has brewed. The listing describes hand washing and never says the carafe is dishwasher safe. One more oddity: its material field says stainless steel, though the jug is glass.
See the Veken on AmazonInsulation: why a double-wall steel press keeps coffee hot
A double-wall steel press has two layers of steel around the coffee, so it loses heat slowly. A single glass wall lets heat out quickly. If you drink two cups over half an hour, steel is the better fit.
Any press has one problem here. Once you push the plunger down, the grounds are still sitting under the filter. Leave the coffee in the press and it keeps steeping, and the second cup tastes harsher than the first. So a steel press keeps the coffee hot, and the coffee still goes bitter. If you brew for a long morning, pour the rest into a carafe. One of the vacuum flasks in our thermos picks works well here.
Steel hides the coffee, but a double wall keeps the second cup warm.
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If you want the steel press that is easiest to look after
Stainless steel pick
Secura Stainless Steel French Press
Good for: a household that drinks coffee slowly and wants every part to go in the dishwasher.
Why we picked it: Secura says the press is 18/8, 304 stainless steel inside and out, with a three-layer steel filter. Two spare screens come in the box. Its listing says every part is dishwasher safe.
What to know: It holds 34 oz (1 L) and there are 12, 17 and 50 oz sizes too. The handle and knob are sold as cool-touch. Secura gives a 2-year warranty. The Utopia Kitchen steel press is also double-wall 304 steel and is the one our coffee maker guide names, but its listing does not say what the filter is made of.
The drawback: the listing does not name the material of the handle, the knob or the seal. And as with any steel press, you cannot see how strong the coffee is or how much is left.
See the Secura on AmazonFilter and sediment: how to get less grit in your cup
A standard French press filter is a steel mesh, so a little fine sludge always ends up in the last sip. Fewer fines come through with a coarse, even grind and a finer filter. Pour slowly and leave the last bit in the press.
Most of the grit starts at the grinder. Blade grinders make a mix of boulders and dust, and the dust slips through any mesh. Bodum's own instructions say to use only coarse ground coffee. If you are shopping for a grinder too, the grinder notes in our coffee maker guide cover what to look for.
Filters do differ. Most presses here stack three or four layers. ESPRO goes further, with two baskets of fine steel mesh that the listing calls 12 times finer than a standard screen, plus paper filters in the box for a cleaner cup.
The fine sediment at the bottom of the cup is what a better filter or a coarser grind cuts down.
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If grit is the thing you hate about French press
Finest filter, per ESPRO
ESPRO P3 French Press
Good for: people who love French press flavor but not the sludge at the bottom of the cup.
Why we picked it: The ESPRO P3 uses a double micro-filter: two nested baskets of very fine steel mesh. The glass is thick borosilicate, which ESPRO says keeps coffee hotter for longer than standard glass. Ten paper filters come in the box.
What to know: It holds 32 oz (0.95 L). ESPRO's own page gives a minimum brew of 24 oz (0.7 L), so it is not a press for one small mug. The listing calls it dishwasher safe.
The drawback: plastic. ESPRO lists polypropylene among the materials and calls the filter parts BPA free, so the basket frames are most likely plastic, though it does not say which parts. If no plastic is your reason for buying a French press, pick the Veken instead.
See the ESPRO P3 on AmazonWhat size French press do you need?
For one or two mugs, a 12 to 17 oz (0.35 to 0.5 L) press is enough. For a household, get 34 oz (1 L). Makers count a cup as 4 oz (120 ml), so an 8-cup press fills about four normal mugs.
Size labels on French presses trip people up. Bodum lists its 12 oz Chambord as three cups at 4 oz each. That is a small European coffee cup, not an American mug. Most mugs hold 8 to 12 oz (240 to 350 ml), so a 34 oz press makes three or four of them.
- 12 to 17 oz (0.35 to 0.5 L): one or two people, one mug each.
- 32 to 34 oz (0.95 to 1 L): a household, or one person who wants two big mugs. A very common size.
- 50 oz (1.5 L): guests, or batches of cold brew without a machine. Veken sells its press for cold brew too.
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If you only make coffee for one
Small press
Bodum Chambord 12 oz French Press
Good for: a single coffee drinker with a small kitchen, or a desk at work.
Why we picked it: The Chambord is the classic glass-and-steel design. The 12 oz model makes three 4 oz cups by Bodum's count, or one mug. The beaker is borosilicate glass, and the plunger is a three-part steel filter.
What to know: The listing says to use water at 92 to 96°C (about 198 to 205°F) and to leave about an inch (2.5 cm) of space at the top. The listing says only the glass, the plunger and the filter go in the dishwasher. Hand wash the frame and lid.
The drawback: two things. The handle and base are plastic. They sit outside the coffee, but they are there. The frame and lid are chrome-plated steel, not solid stainless steel, so do not scrub them with anything rough.
See the Bodum Chambord on AmazonHow we chose these French presses
We did not use these presses ourselves. We started with French presses sold on Amazon in the US and kept only those in stock on 6 Nov 2026. Then we read each listing for what touches the coffee: the body, the filter layers, the seal, the lid and the frame. Where we could, we checked the maker's own page too.
We gave the most weight to what each listing states plainly and the least to what it leaves out. When a listing says nothing about a part, we say so on this page and never fill the gap with a guess. We also checked how each one is meant to be washed, because a press that cannot go in the dishwasher gets cleaned less often.
Left out: the YETI and Frieling steel presses, which sit in a far higher price bracket, and presses whose listings name no material for the body. EDELHAUS sits in the table but not in a card, because it is a new listing.
Best French press compared: all eight side by side
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| Press | Body | What touches the coffee (per listing) | Keeps coffee hot? | Dishwasher (per listing) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veken 34 oz | Borosilicate glass in a steel frame | Glass, 304 steel, silicone; says no plastic on brewing surfaces | No, single glass wall | Not stated; hand washing described | See it |
| Utopia Kitchen steel | Double-wall 304 steel | 304 steel body; filter material not stated | Yes, double wall | Not stated | See it |
| Secura | Double-wall 18/8 (304) steel | Steel inside and out; three-layer steel filter | Yes, double wall | Yes, all parts | See it |
| Mueller | Double-wall 304 steel | Steel body; steel screens, coil and cross plate | Yes, double wall | Yes | See it |
| EDELHAUS | Double-wall stainless steel | Says every part touching coffee is stainless steel | Yes, double wall | Yes | See it |
| Utopia Kitchen glass | Borosilicate glass | Glass and steel mesh; plastic listed, part not named | No | Beaker, plunger, filter yes; hand wash the lid | See it |
| ESPRO P3 32 oz | Thick borosilicate glass in a plastic frame | Polypropylene listed; filter baskets likely plastic-framed steel mesh | Better than thin glass; no double wall | Yes | See it |
| Bodum Chambord 12 oz | Borosilicate glass, chrome-plated steel frame | Glass and steel plunger; plastic handle and base sit outside the coffee | No | Glass, plunger and filter only | See it |
Four presses in the table have no card. The Mueller is a close match for the Secura, double-wall 304 steel and dishwasher safe, and it also leaves the handle material unnamed. Secura got the card because its listing states more: steel inside and out, spare screens, four sizes and a warranty. The Utopia Kitchen steel press is a solid backup, but its listing never names the filter material. The Utopia Kitchen glass press names plastic among its materials without saying which part, so we could not call it plastic-free. EDELHAUS is covered above.
French press questions people ask
Is an expensive French press worth it?
Usually not for the coffee itself. A cheap press and a pricey one brew the same way: grounds steep in hot water, then a filter holds them back. Extra money buys a double wall, thicker glass, a finer filter or all-steel parts. Pay for the one of those you will notice, and skip the rest.
Can a stainless steel French press go in the dishwasher?
Some can and some cannot, so check the listing. Secura, Mueller and EDELHAUS say theirs are dishwasher safe. Bodum says only the glass, plunger and filter of the Chambord can go in. The Utopia Kitchen steel press does not say either way. Our page on putting stainless steel in the dishwasher covers the general rules.
Is French press coffee bad for you?
It is fine for most people, but it is not the best choice if you are watching your cholesterol. Coffee oils contain cafestol, which raises LDL cholesterol, and a metal mesh lets more of it through than paper does. In a 2025 study from Uppsala University and Chalmers, French press coffee had about 90 mg of cafestol per liter, against a median of 12 mg/L for paper-filtered coffee made at home. Paper filters hold back most of it, so a pour-over cone is the easy switch if this worries you.
Is a French press better than pour over or drip?
Neither is better, they are just different. A French press gives a heavy, full-bodied cup with a little sediment. Pour over and drip run through paper, so the cup is lighter and cleaner, with less of the coffee oils. Pick a press if you like body and want nothing to buy each week. Pick a pour-over cone if you prefer a clean, bright cup.
How do you make coffee in a French press?
Bodum's Chambord instructions are a good starting point. Use one rounded tablespoon of coarse ground coffee for every 4 oz (120 ml) of water. Pour in water just off the boil, about 198 to 205°F (92 to 96°C), and leave an inch (2.5 cm) of space at the top. Stir, put the lid on, and wait about 4 minutes. Press the plunger down slowly, then pour all of it.
How do you clean a French press?
Scoop the grounds into the trash or compost, not down the sink. Unscrew the filter stack from the rod and rinse each layer, because oils and fines hide between them. Wash the jug with warm soapy water, or put it in the dishwasher if its listing allows it. Once a week, soak the filter parts in hot soapy water and scrub the mesh with a soft brush.
Is a French press good for camping?
Yes, if it is steel. A double-wall steel press is much less likely than glass to break in a bag, and it holds heat better in the cold. Leave the glass presses at home. For one person on the trail, a 12 to 17 oz (0.35 to 0.5 L) steel press is easier to pack than the 34 oz size.
The best French press for each need
If no plastic in the coffee matters most and you like glass, get the Veken. If you want the coffee to stay hot and every part to go in the dishwasher, get the Secura. If grit bothers you more than plastic does, try the ESPRO. Brewing for one? The small Bodum Chambord.
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See the Veken on AmazonSee the Secura on Amazon
More from our coffee guides
- Every kind of coffee maker, compared
- Pour over coffee makers: glass, ceramic and stainless
- Stainless steel moka pots
- Thermoses that keep coffee hot
- Coffee mugs with nothing to leach
Sources (opened 6 Nov 2026). Materials, sizes, care rules, the Veken glass range and the Chambord water temperature come from each press's Amazon product page, read the same day.
- ESPRO: P3 French Press (materials, minimum brew size)
- Orrje et al., Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 2025: cafestol in workplace, French press and paper-filtered coffee
- Uppsala University press release on the same study
- Bodum Chambord instruction manual (copy on manuals.plus): coffee per cup, coarse grind, cracked-beaker warning
