---
slug: do_you_need_a_french_press
category_path: home_kitchen/kitchen_dining/coffee_tea_espresso/french_presses
title: "Do You Need a French Press?"
lead: "Buy one if you like a thick, full-bodied cup — oils included — or never want to stock paper filters again. If you prefer a clean cup, your paper pour-over setup is already the right tool."
recommendation:
  name: "A 350 ml (2-cup) French press"
  reason: "Grind, pour, wait four minutes — there's no technique to get wrong, and the beans' character comes through most honestly. The same pot brews loose-leaf tea and cold brew. If you're a pour-over drinker happy with your cup, you don't need to add one."
published: 2026-07-07
updated: 2026-07-07
---


<ComparisonTable
  columns={["Method", "Taste profile", "Effort and consumables", "Downside"]}
  rows={[
    ["French press", "Thick and round; the oils come through", "Steep 4 minutes, no paper needed", "Silt in the last sip; the most washing-up"],
    ["Paper pour-over", "Clean — paper catches oils and fines", "3 minutes of focused pouring, needs paper", "The cup depends on your pour and filter stock"],
    ["Drip machine", "Clean-leaning and identical every time", "One button; most still need paper", "Counter space; hard to fine-tune strength"],
    ["AeroPress-style", "Concentrated but clean, under pressure", "Fastest at 1–2 minutes, needs its own paper", "One cup at a time"],
  ]}
/>