The showdown of “Stainless Steel vs Glass French press” is here. Both are worthy options, but one of them is a far better choice than the other. Using a French press as your daily coffee maker will mean investing in a grinder. They require coffee ground coarsely, which is a different grind size than your average drip coffee maker.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- A stainless steel coffee press is a fantastic option across the board. It will turn any ground coffee beans into perfect cups of coffee.
- Glass options are a fine choice, but they fall short in multiple areas, only pulling ahead by providing the brightest coffee flavor possible.
- So long as you understand the coffee brewing process, a French press is a fantastic option for coffee shops and personal homes alike.
The best coffee maker will brew every batch of coffee at the perfect water temperature and keep the coffee warmer for longer. Investing in the correct daily coffee maker will take your coffee level up a notch.
Comparing Types of French Presses
There are a few differences between a glass and a stainless steel coffee press. Material matters when you’re trying to make sure that every cup of coffee is as good as the last. Out of all the choices available, stainless steel is consistently the best option. There are a few reasons for this, which we’ll go over next.
If you’re now wondering, “What are the different types of coffee makers?” we have an article laying them all out for you.
Insider Tip
For the perfect cup of coffee, make sure that you use the highest quality ground coffee beans that you can find.
Heat Retention after Brewing Process
Glass coffee makers are notorious for poor heat retention. If you invest in a glass carafe, you’ll have a more challenging time keeping coffee warm. For this category, glass models fall far behind. If you want an attractive appliance, a glass French press is excellent.
However, if you want a perfect cup of coffee, stainless steel is the obvious choice. A stainless steel FrenchpPress coffee maker will keep your coffee hot long after the coffee brew is finished steeping.
Comparing stainless steel vs an aluminum coffee maker is a great next step if you want to see even more options.
Durable Construction for Longevity
Stainless steel presses are incredibly durable. Because of this, the stainless steel model is fantastic for activities like camping, so long as the product dimensions aren’t huge.
A glass carafe is liable to shatter under excessive pressure. This spells disaster for longevity and might mean replacing your glass French press sooner rather than later.
Overall Coffee Experience
This is the only category where the stainless steel French press coffee maker falls short. Glass is the superior choice for delicious cups of coffee.
While this isn’t true of every model, some stainless steel models impart a metallic taste when exposed to hot water. A simple average of all models available would likely result in around half of them doing so.
Glass is the safer option because it doesn’t have a flavor to transfer and results in the brightest coffee possible.
Warning
Be careful when using glass versions for your coffee brewing method since low-quality glass might shatter under heat.
F.A.Q.S
Does French press coffee raise your cholesterol?
There is no conclusive evidence suggesting that using a French press will raise your cholesterol. This is a popular talking point, but it boils down to being a scare tactic. Your French press won’t raise your cholesterol any more than other brew methods.
Is French press coffee more caffeinated?
Since they use a coarse grind, a French press coffee maker is slightly less caffeinated than other models, like a drip brewer. This is because it is harder to extract caffeine from ground coffee with less surface area available.
What should I consider before buying a French press?
There are a few things to keep in mind before purchasing your French press:
Can I use a French press to craft other drinks?
Absolutely! If you use cold water, you can easily make a cold brew. However, juices, teas, and fruit-infused water are also popular choices.
STAT: Around 4% of coffee drinkers in the US said they used a French Press system at home. (source)
REFERENCES:
- https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~rcollins/scholarship/frenchpress.htm
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coffee/
- https://hdh.ucsd.edu/wellness/docs/Friends-Food-Aug-2019.pdfr
- https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/174893/YAO-THESIS-2017.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/pressed-coffee-health/
