French press coffee makers are far more sustainable than single-use products like Keurig. Here are the five best french press brands available right now.
Our goal at Leaf Score is to help fight climate change by helping our readers make sound purchasing decisions that take the planet into account. Believe it or not, this mission applies to morning coffee. Here are three ways to make your coffee routine more sustainable:
- Choose eco-friendly coffee producers
- Avoid single-use disposable cups
- Use energy-efficient coffee makers.
The good old French press coffee maker is the greenest option for your morning buzz. After all, a French press:
- Doesn’t have to be plugged in
- Is simple, with replaceable parts
- Can be easily cleaned and maintained
- Requires no electricity
- Uses only minimal raw materials to make.
The main downside of a French press is that it usually won’t keep your coffee warm for very long. So, if you like to brew one big batch and keep it at temperature throughout the day, consider investing in a French press and a thermos, or an insulated coffee percolator to enjoy a giant pot of coffee without requiring additional energy inputs.
Curious about how we rate products? Click here to view our methodology, which at its core, is about voting with our dollars to fight climate change.
Our top picks
Grosche Madrid 4-in-1 Coffee and Tea System
Highlights: Eco-friendly, durable, multi-use French press for making coffee, cold brew, tea, and iced tea, from a B Corp dedicated to supporting safe drinking water.
- Can make coffee, cold brew, tea, and iced tea
- Easy to take apart and clean (dishwasher safe!)
- Saves you cabinet and counter space
- Looks fantastic
- Three sizes available
- Carbon neutral company (since 2010)
- Woman-owned, family-run B Corp
- Pays living wages
- Founded to help fund safe water projects
- Won’t keep coffee warm for very long
If you’re looking to brew some coffee that will really make you feel good, consider a Grosche French Press. Specifically, the Madrid French Press which is a 4-in-1 beauty.
Easily replacing both your current cafetiere and your teapot, this system allows you to make:
- Regular coffee
- Cold brew
- Loose leaf tea
- Iced tea.
And as you know, a well thought out eco-friendly item that replaces a bunch of single use items is far better in terms of resource use!
The Madrid is available in three sizes:
- 350 mL
- 1000 mL
- 1500 mL.
The 12 cup, 1500 mL, 51 fl. oz. model is idea for family gatherings, guests, or everyday use. It’s made with thermal shock resistant borosilicate glass and stainless steel press as well as a stainless steel filter for tea.
Grosche is a champion of living wages, working only with factories verified as meeting high social and environmental standards. The company was founded to raise money to help support children and families without safe drinking water and continues to fund its Safe Water Project today.
For every product sold, Grosche provides 50+ days of safe drinking water for people in need. So far, it has created 100 Million days of safe water.
Grosche Melbourne Bamboo and Cork French Press
Highlights: Stylish French press made with sustainable materials from a B Corp that cares.
- Made with stainless steel and shock-proof glass
- Features sustainably sourced bamboo and cork
- Looks unusual (and great!)
- Carbon neutral company (since 2010)
- Woman-owned, family-run B Corp
- Pays living wages
- Founded to help fund safe water projects
- Won’t keep coffee warm for long
- Not dishwasher-safe
Also from Grosche, the Melbourne Bamboo and Cork French press, a 34 fl. oz. model is made with 18/8 Stainless steel and heat-shock-proof borosilicate glass, as well as bamboo and cork, both of which are sustainable and eco-friendly materials, not to mention stylish.
The bamboo lid and cork base are not safe for the dishwasher but can be cleaned by hand or rinsed and wiped dry after use.
Grosche offers replacement parts for its products, helping to extend their useful life. It also favors borosilicate glass and other durable materials. All products are BPA-free and lead-free.
From time to time, Grosche offers refurbished products at a discounted price, all with the same warranty as new products.
Grosche even has a take-back program for all of its products. So, if you can’t find a local recycler for a Grosche product that has had a catastrophic accident or otherwise reached end of life, contact Grosche to arrange to send it back for comprehensive recycling.
SterlingPro French Press Coffee Maker
Highlights: The best option for a large French press that is entirely made from stainless steel.
- Double walled to keep coffee hot
- Comes with extra filters
- Entirely made from stainless steel
- Two-screen system to keep grounds down!
- Similar to much more expensive French presses
- No obvious sustainability initiatives at Sterling
- Only sold through Amazon
If you’re looking for a large French press, the SterlingPro 1.75 liter (59 oz.) double-walled French press is just the ticket.
With extra filters and entirely made from stainless steel, this coffee maker uses a two-screen system to ensure no coffee grounds in your cup.
The double-walled design means your coffee stays warmer for longer without any extra energy inputs, and that the outside stays cooler to the touch.
Mueller French Press Double Insulated 310 Stainless Steel Coffee Maker
Highlights: Affordable and double insulated. Can make a variety of hot and cold beverages. Two sizes available.
- Double walled to keep coffee warm
- Dishwasher safe
- Spare stainless steel filter
- Rust-free
- Can also make tea, frothed milk, and more
- Very affordable!
- Two sizes available
- Made in China
The Mueller French Press is double insulated, keeping your coffee warm for up to an hour longer than glass or thinner steel models. It is also dishwasher safe, very robust, and comes with a spare stainless steel filter.
This French Press usually comes with a matching travel canister for ground coffee on the road.
This design is rust-free and can be used to make:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Hot chocolate
- MCT oil coffee
- Cold brew
- Frothed milk
- Fruit infusions.
Amazingly, the Mueller French press costs less than $35, with options for a 20 ounce and a 35 ounce model.
Yield 850 mL Glass French Press
Highlights: Beautiful heat-proof and durable borosilicate glass 850 mL French Press with replacement parts for extra longevity, which you’ll want because the glass is not recyclable.
- Beautiful design – four color options
- Dishwasher safe
- Stainless steel filter and copper pull
- Made of Pyrex type glass – shock-proof!
- Replacement parts available
- Made in the US
- Not recyclable at end of life
Made from borosilicate glass, the Yield French Press is a beautiful addition to any kitchen. Available in clear, grey, green, and amber glass (or ceramic), this press is designed to keep heat in and for greater durability than a regular glass press.
The borosilicate glass is akin to Pyrex, meaning it is heat-proof and able to withstand extreme temperatures. It is also dishwasher safe while offering a delicate aesthetic – the ideal marriage of form and function!
Yield’s French Press also boasts a stainless steel mesh filter and a copper pull. I like that the company sells replacement parts (filters and pull, lids, and the body of the press). This makes the press more sustainable than those where one broken piece makes the whole press obsolete.
The main downside to the Yield French Press is that borosilicate glass is not recyclable. So, even though it is more durable than regular glass and will likely last a long time, you can’t just throw your Pyrex or other borosilicate glass items in with regular glass recycling.
Why? Because the glass is a mix of glass and boron trioxide and silica, which are safe and environmentally friendly but change the viscosity of glass when it is melted for reuse.
Yield is an independent Florida based company, with products seemingly made in the US.