Frieling Double-Walled Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker - Brushed 36 oz (1 Liter) Insulated Coffee Press

I have been on the road a lot staying in a boutique hotel and they recently served me coffee in the form of a press. I never had pressed coffee before so I felt it was a pleasant surprise. The press itself looked much like the smaller 22 (or even smaller) version of the Frieling Ultimo 25. Anyway, so I tried it and really liked the flavor it produced. Now, months later, I decided to go shopping for a coffee press especially since my Bialetti Moka Express was getting long in the tooth. It became very obvious that either Bodum or Frieling were the clear front runners. I decided to go Frieling for three reasons: 1. Good looks and stainless steel all around. 2. Double-walled steel for keeping the liquid hotter, longer. I do not care about glass being the preferred choice of a coffee connoisseur, I am not one nor do I care to be one. I just enjoy nice tasting coffee. 3. It turns out that the boutique hotel's coffee press is also Frieling so I knew what to expect from taste and build quality. The build quality is outstanding. The base without the press mechanism has a very nice weight and feel to it - I see how it may double as a serving carafe for cold drinks. The internals are very solidly built and have withstood the coarse grinds I have put in. In fact, never have the grounds come through nor gotten stuck in the wire mesh. Basically, clean up is a breeze - the grounds just rinse away from the filter mesh. This was an especially nice surprise when compared to my Bialetti where small amount of grounds seem to perpetually stay in the Bialetti funnel. Two different products I know, but comparatively from a clean-up standpoint, the Frieling press is a night-and-day experience. When making pressed coffee for the first time, I used the look/consistency of the boutique hotels pressed coffee output as my benchmark. I was disappointed in my first attempt. I scoured these reviews and followed what seemed to be a 1:3 ratio of tablespoon to ounces of water. First pot tasted "funny". Then I realized I missed the step about "stirring" the coffee before letting it steep. Nope, the second pot tasted just as "funny" -- at this point I was concerned that I chose the wrong product by getting too large of a carafe. I gave the effort a rest for the remainder of Day 1. This morning (3rd attempt) I made sure I had a thermometer to ensure the water was at 200 degrees. Bingo, this was the critical missing piece to the puzzle. So everything else I did right: ratio of coarse grounds to ounces of water; preheat the carafe with hot water; stirring the coffee grounds; letting steep for 4 to 5 minutes. The step I overlooked was temperature of the steeping water to be at 200 degrees. What I was doing wrong: I let the water come up to a boil and thought that was hot enough. Answer: keep the gentle boil going for a bit after it reaches 200 degrees. Now I am enjoying pressed coffee and the parents like it too - good thing I did not give them a cup of the first two attempts. Get the Frieling, you will not be disappointed.

[UPDATED REVIEW-3/23/12] We're new to French Press coffee preparation, but we finally gave in earlier this year and popped for this Frieling stainless steel press. This wasn't cheap, but it has proved to be well worth it in the 6 weeks or so we've been using it. It is very easy to use and to clean and its double wall keeps coffee hot for quite a while. [UPDATE: Don't let your coffee sit in this pot, however.] On the counter it is a thing of beauty and it works very well. After all, the real test of any coffee pot is whether it makes a good cup of coffee. Right? The directions that came with it are good and provides the basic details you'll need, although we have used some tips we found online to modify them a bit. I use one level scoop of course-ground coffee per 4-ounce cup, instead of the heaping scoops they recommend, and I stir the coffee for the first minute of the four-minute steep to make it a bit richer. The actual sequence we use looks like this: I fill the pot with very hot tap water to preheat it and then measure the coffee I plan to use into a paper filter. Meanwhile, I bring the filtered water heating on the stove to just boiling (in contradiction to what most places tell you to do). I then take the water pan off the heat and let it cool while I prep the Frieling pot. I first pour the pot's preheat hot water into our coffee mugs to warm them. I then empty the contents of the paper filter into the pot and put the filter away for reuse. By now, around 20 or so seconds [TIME UPDATED] have elapsed since the just-boiling water was taken off the burner. I add the now slight-cooler water to the Frieling pot and begin the 4-minute steep with my 1-minute stir. Then I put the pot's top in place and push the press plunger down slightly to help insulate/seal the pot. Three minutes later, you press the filter plunger gently and slowly down the rest of the way and you have a great cup of coffee. The plunger goes down very smoothly. {UPDATED ADDITION FOLLOWS] I now know not to leave the coffee in the pot. Instead I pour it immediately into a thermal carafe. That way it does not get bitter. We got the 33 ouncer and I can report that you really can't make more than about 28-30 ounces unless you plan to clean up grounds that will get on the spout during your initial stir. Forewarned is forearmed, so if you want to make a full pot, be prepared to towel the lip just before your put the pot top and plunger in place after stirring. Great pot and a joy to use. [UPDATED ADDITION FOLLOWS] Thanks to comments by Carl May (thanks so much, Carl!), I now know more about what to do, hence my updates. But, after reading a *lot* of things here and elsewhere online, I also now realize that there is a near-religious fervor attached to making coffee with a French Press. One can buy specialized burr grinders whose purchase price exceed the gross GDP of many small countries, special water kettles for heating one's water (also not cheap), digital thermometers to make sure your water is within the magic temperature range, digital scales to weigh the coffee, super accurate liquid and dry measures for water and coffee, books on coffee, and the list goes on. Fortunately, I can report that one can make a pretty doggone good cup of java without all these specialized devices and using the somewhat less precise units and times I suggest in my review above. So don't be deterred! One can resist the draw of the French Press cult, although, in all honesty, I need to confess that my special water kettle is on order and I am beginning to dream of owning a burr grinder. My last caution, watch out for Carl; he knows so much it is frightening. Carl employs a refreshingly scientific approach to figuring out how to make the *very best* cup of coffee and his product reviews are detailed and informative. He is generous and willing to share what he has learned and his enthusiasm is *highly* infectious. Given this fact, it is possible that he may actually end up being your French Press pusher, helping you to move from a one-device habit to a full-blown French Press habit. I am not worried about myself, however, I can stop buying devices *anytime* I want.

It was a long search to find the best French Press coffee maker for me. I spent at least 5 hours (may be more) reading and researching. And I ended up buying this why. You might be struggling to decide on which one is the best for you, so here is my review and reasons why I bought this one. I hope it will help you. Selection process: I had several wishes: 1) Made in USA or Europe 2) Quality of materials and product 3) Usability (easy to use and to clean) 4) Price After a quick search I realized that there was no ideal French Press coffee maker. However, I realized that I have several favorites and Frieling was the number 1 for me. Why? 1) Frieling is a solid professional brand 2) Product had good reviews 3) Product looked solidly built. Concerns that I had: 1) Made in China (I have nothing against China but I prefer products that are built in here or in Europe for, I assume, obvious reason) - Nothing can be done about that. But again, Frieling is a solid brand and their French Presses looked not cheap. 2) Quality of Steel (Everyone should be concerned about it since you will eat/drink food that was made there and we consumed enough toxins as it is) - I contacted Frieling about it and they answered me very quickly. Thank you, Frieling! Other companies are not that professional. For example, Cousinox ignored all my emails. However, the answer from Frieling was not what I wanted to hear. They told me they use either Chinese or Korean stainless steel from a big Korean manufacturer but they assured me that their 18/10 stainless steel was of high quality. I hoped for German, Russian or American 18/10 stainless steel but at least it was not a noname brand one from G*d knows where. I thought hard about those two minuses, plus the product was not cheap. But at the end, I felt it was the best French Press I could find and I decided to buy Frieling Brushed 18/10 Stainless Steel French Press, 23-Ounce. I paid $79 for it, I see that now it is $59. So, it has been two years and I love it and gave it 5 stars. 1) The coffee maker looks like new and is beautiful. I have used it at least 100 times, most likely more. I am glad I decided to get a brushed one. They always look like new for a long time since micro scratches are not noticeable and no finger prints. 2) It is made well. You can see it is not a $20 one. 3) It is very easy to clean. I have owned at least 4 different french presses before and always had issues. With this one, I just put a plunger under running water and that is it. Plus, all the parts are dishwasher safe. I usually hand wash it ones every two weeks. Put it in dishwasher at least 10 times too and had no issues whatsoever. 4) Makes good coffee - only remember about a 4 minute rule. 5) I purchased some parts (screens, plunger stick) but it looks like the original parts will last for years to come. I am going to add some pictures too. Good luck in your search for a perfect French Press maker and I hope it was useful for you!

I have a fully automatic Espresso machine, one that grinds the beans, compresses the grounds into a cake, heats water, and pushes the heated water through the beans....all by just pushing one button. It also makes both regular strength coffee and espresso, and 99% of the time I'd use it to make regular coffee. I'd never tried using a French Press, until I saw a video where the VP at Starbucks in charge of tasting ("cupping") said that it was his favorite way of brewing coffee. Based on his comments, I decided to try the French Press technique. I bought this Frieling unit because it looked well-made, and was made of steel and thus wouldn't break if it was dropped by accident. I have to admit, I was really surprised at how good the very first cup tasted. In fact, it was much better than my Espresso machine! I've since retired my Espresso machine, and this Frieling is my sole means of satisfying my morning addition. As for the product itself...I have to sing its praises. It's attractive, well constructed (built like a tank comes to mind), and straightforward to use. From start to finish, it takes 5 minutes to brew coffee, not counting the time needed to heat the water. It does make a quiet, metal-on-metal grating sound that some people don't like as you push the plunger down, though that doesn't bother me. Once you're finished, you clean it by running water across the plunger screen, dumping the used grounds out of the carafe, and then rinsing it. I do all this rinsing over a paper towel placed in a strainer basket to avoid possibly eventually clogging up my kitchen plumbing with grounds. The Frieling's double wall insulation is excellent; you can feel a slight warmth on the outside, but it is not hot, which means you won't accidentally burn yourself by picking it up when full of hot liquid. To make coffee, I place four heaping tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee into the bottom, pour about a quarter cup hot water into the unit, let that steep for 30 seconds, then pour hot water just up to the bottom of the V-shaped spout. Cover, wait four minutes, then slowly push the plunger down. I found that you don't want to add so much water that the level goes beyond the bottom of the spout, as that will allow an opening for grounds to escape into your coffee. If you want coffee for two people, a single brewing on this unit will yield two 8-oz cups. Be advised that 8-oz will look a bit skimpy in a traditional size coffee mug. If one large serving or two 8-oz servings isn't enough for you, then get the next size up. Strongly recommended!

I don't drink coffee, but what I DO drink is brewed cocoa. The thing about brewed cocoa (or cacao, depending on who you are talking to) is that it really can only be brewed properly with a French Press. I've only been enjoying brewed cocoa for a short while, (6 months maybe) yet in that short time I've managed to break two glass carafes and spent much too much time fiddling with fussy plungers. So, an unbreakable carafe was at the top of my list of "must haves," along with the absolutes of no plastic, and sturdy. Anyway, I brewed my first pot of cocoa with my 36oz Frieling Brushed Stainless Steel French Press this morning. The plunger with it's fine strainer, is quite sturdy, and very tight in the carafe - so tight that I had to struggle to get it out of the pot to put my freshly ground cocoa beans in the bottom. It's a simple matter of pulling STRAIGHT up, but it's very tight...which is good, because I had no sludge in the bottom of my drained cup. I don't mind a little "fines" in my cocoa, but I was amazed at the clarity of my cocoa - much improved over my other presses (both were Bodum.) As to keeping my cocoa warm 4x longer than a glass carafe...certainly the Frieling with its double walled design is better insulated, and it DID keep the cocoa warmer longer, but by the time I went back to refill my 16oz insulated mug, about an hour later, I had to reheat my cocoa. It was fairly warm, though not hot enough for me. When first filled with hot water, the heat did translate to the outer wall of the carafe - yet it was still fairly easy to handle. Considering some of the reviews I'd read before ordering, I carefully looked over the whole assembly after unboxing it. I was pleased to see that the welds were neat and clean, the brushed stainless was unflawed, and the lid sat firmly and tightly on the carafe. I purposely tried to knock the pot over on the counter by bumping it. It isn't inclined to tip over easily. In fact, even empty, it is rather heavy - but of course it's made of stainless steel throughout, so it should be. I was a little concerned that the narrow handle design would not be comfortable to hold and pour, but I find that it is not a problem for me. All in all, so far I am pleased with the product. However, I have to admit I was frustrated to find that it (as everything else seems to be) was made in China. I didn't realize that until I went to recycle its box. I missed that on the Amazon page, thinking I would find it in the technical specifics where it SHOULD be plainly, clearly stated. October 24, 2013 Update: I am liking this pot more and more each day. It is so very easy and quick to clean, and it looks nice sitting on the counter. One reviewer warned about the possible spurt of hot liquid when pressing the plunger. He was right on. If the pot is filled to within an inch of the top, you can get a shot out of the spout.

If you like the press method of making coffee, I can't imagine a better one than this. If you are not familiar with the French press method, you should be aware that coffee from a press is not nearly as "squeeky clean" as typical American drip coffee. Grounds are separated by a fine wire mesh on a plunger and a certain amount of fine grinds will ALWAYS get through. To minimize this, your coffee needs to be ground specifically for a press - a much coarser grind than for drip. But the press is widely regarded as the best way to get all the subtle flavors out of a great coffee bean. This one is beautiful and built like a battleship - you'll never have to replace broken glass insert again. All parts are dishwasher safe. The Frieling is also insolated but don't get the idea you can let your coffee sit in it. It is not a "thermos". It really is only enough insolation to offset the undesireable thermal conduction properties of stainless steel and keep it superior to its glass/ceramic rivals. No matter to me. Most coffee experts will tell you to get your coffee separated from the grounds after a 4-5 minute brew or over-extraction and bitter taste can result. So my coffee goes into a pre-heated, insolated carafe as soon as it is brewed. Because the Frieling is steel, dense, and more massive than your typical glass press, you may need to adjust your brewing procedure slightly to keep it from adversely affecting your brew temperature - ideally 190-200F. I preheat mine with some hot tap water before brewing but I have heard that you can just put boiling water in one, insert the plunger briefly, then brew using the same water which will now have dropped "into the zone". Happy brewing. P.S. If you are going to "do the press" I have two suggestions: - The Baratza/Solis Maestro Plus burr grinder: It's expensive but it produces a vastly superior (consistent) grind to blade grinders. - CoffeeBeanCorral.com : Learn to roast your own beans and the world will be your cup of coffee. (one year later) I am back to say this is STILL the best. I use it every day and it gets sent through the dish washer every day. It has taken a couple drops and still works fine. (FOUR years later - WOW!) What a great press! I still use this every day and it still makes a great cup of coffee! (TEN years later!!!!) - Well! 2014 and this thing is still selling on Amazon! Mine still works just fine so they can't be getting much repeat business. Still the best!

I'm no pro on coffee, but I know what I like. Good, hot, reasonably strong coffee that tastes like coffee, but without bitterness. Over the decades, I've made all the usual tyro mistakes, including letting pots of it slowly scorch on the heating pad of drip coffee-makers...ignoring those last few late drips from the saturated grounds which ought to have been removed right after brewing. About five years ago, I switched to the Capresso -- very expensive, but probably the best drip coffee maker I've owned. It has built-in carbon water filters, gold mesh filters, and everything. But despite pre-heating, the carafe never did keep the coffee hot as long as I liked, and even though I used all the right measures and amounts, the result never did taste as good as I'd hoped. Then I moved to India for 3 years, and while there I discovered the ease, simplicity, and amazing taste of French Press coffee. Boil water, put in with coarse ground, wait 4 minutes, done. It got to be that when I tried drip coffee again, it tasted like wan dishwater. Unfortunately, the majority of French Press devices are made out of glass. I broke more than my share of them, particularly since my first few were super-cheap imports. A friend where I was staying had a spare Bodum, which was far better...until it broke. The fitting between the filter and the push-rod was nothing but plastic. My 2nd Bodum (brought by another friend) fared better, as the fittings were all metal--but after a few cleanings, the mesh on the filter began to fray and I could guarantee a few painful finger punctures on further cleanings. Eventually, I added a plastic Bonjour press to my collection, which is actually pretty handy yet when traveling, but despite the decent plastic seals and extra spout filter, it still lets an annoying amount of crud into the brew. Finally back in the U.S., unable to find my Capresso in storage, I did locate an old Mr Coffee drip maker. After one pot, I put it back in the box and got out the Bonjour from my luggage. That was when I went FP shopping here on Amazon. I looked at everything--other Bonjours, the endless series of Bodums, the Nissan, and others. What decided me on the Frieling (in addition to the reviews) were these factors: (1) Double-walled thermal pot; (2) Unbreakable, with no plastic parts; (3) High quality stainless steel; (4) Dishwasher safe; (5) Enough capacity for two large (16oz) mugs of coffee, which is my usual amount each day. Since getting the press yesterday, I was very impressed with the overall construction of the pot itself, and it's actually more visually attractive than the photos might indicate. Two minor quibbles: First, the plunger seems a little loose in the cap, but maybe that's a feature. And second, to start with the filter is so snug in the pot, it's difficult to insert it, and pressing down takes a little more pressure than I'm used to. But again, 'too snug' to start with on a press is a good thing, as in time it is certain to loosen up a bit (which I suspect is the problem with the Bonjour). The main thing, of course, is whether the coffee is good. It is. First, out of the box, I washed everything thoroughly. Then, today I took care to preheat the pot, which helps. I waited the 4-5 minutes, pushed the plunger (hot, it goes easier, so again maybe the snug fit is a feature, not a bug). A little bit of sludge in the bottom of the cup after, but that's in large part because my coffee was ground too fine. Would I buy the Frieling again? Yes. As other reviewers have indicated, it also makes for a great new household / wedding gift, especially when paired up with the creamer and sugar bowl set. And by the by, the instruction booklet also mentions the carafe will also keep cold things cold (iced tea, water, etc), which to my thinking is a nice bonus. (Update a couple weeks later: I was right, the plunger does get smoother after some use. Now instead of too snug, it's just right. Pre-warming the carafe with hot water gets me a solid 2 hours of hot-enough coffee (and if it's not quite there, 30-60 seconds in the microwave for that 2nd cup brings it right up to perfect again).)

I've had this French Press coffee pot for a year now. The only thing I like is the high capacity (44oz), but larger would be better. The spout and lid design needs reengineered work. Spout is too small and tends to squirt grounds and coffee out during the initial plunge. I learned quick not to have my arm anywhere near the spout. Better lid design also mitigates this problem. Bodum makes a superior lid and spout, but large capacity is not available. The double walled SS construction does a decent job retaining heat. And Made In USA is a big plus. But more time needs to be spent with the tooling engineers for the fabrication process. I am continuing my search for a better designed large capacity French Press.

Received it yesterday and had my first coffee this morning - excellent! I'm a very picky on coffee, "espresso drinker" all my life, had all different coffee machines - I was a bit sceptic, "to buy or not to buy", as it's not a cheepy one.... The taste is great, easy to prepare and easy to clean. Plus, as I'm an "early bird" always felt guilty, that the noise of my espresso machine may wake the rest of the family up - well, this "French Press" coffee is a very quiet one. Just one thing remains to be seen - how long it'll last, hopefully for a couple of years, looks very solid made, cross fingers!

This is a beautiful plunger to have displayed in the kitchen. It keeps coffee very hot and Im enjoying using it very much.

This is an amazing French Press!! I bought this for my husband to use when we are on our sail boat. The stainless steel is great for anyone who has a boat or lives in an area with salt in the air from the ocean because it doesn't rust. It is easy to use and makes a great cup of coffee that stays hot for a long time. He gets about 4 cups (8 ozish) of coffee from each brew. It is a breeze to wash up. It is very durable and looks as good today as the day we bought it. This is very important to us because things can get bounced around a lot when the water conditions are bad. There is nothing better than being anchored in a remote bay, sitting back enjoying the morning sun and drinking a fantastic cup of coffee brewed in this amazing french press!

Have not used yet but quality is so great that it looks like a 1980s stainless product. Finishing end to end is super quality. Adding this bit after using, it’s a perfect French press. It keeps coffee hot for over an hour, and filters perfectly, the press is slightly hard than plastic ones because it’s stainless. Highly recommended than any other steel cafetière in the market

It's a coffee press, and it works. Probably about the twentieth I've owned, but I don't ever expect to have to replace this. It is so solid and heavy duty! Even the filter part is very robust. Yeah, great quality