Despite high end coffee equipment continually flooding the market, the century old french press still sells like hot cakes.
And for good reason.
It’s easy to use, cheap and makes dependably delicious coffee (just ask the pros).
But while the french press is remarkably simple, the extra user steps can become a nuisance over time (especially when brewing everyday).
So, how do we get french press coffee with minimal user involvement?
Below we’ve created an intuitive guide to all the creative ways the industry has attempted to automate the french press.
Electric French Press vs Automatic French Press
To better navigate this page, it’s important you understand the difference between these two terms.
An electric french press heats the water in the same vessel it brews the coffee. In other words, it’s a regular french press with a heater intact. However, after steeping, you still have to push the plunger.
An automatic french press heats the water in the same vessel it brews the coffee. However, the plunger is automatically depressed after a specified time interval of steeping.
The Electric French Press
Advantages
Disadvantages
- Available products have subpar reviews
- A little pricey
- Many of the products are no longer available
Is it Worth It?
The key advantage to the electric French press is its space-saving design. Instead of needing a separate kettle, the heating component and the French press are combined into a single unit.
For some people, this convenience alone justifies the minor price difference.
With that said, the number of user steps to create coffee is essentially the same (with the exception of the Bodum electric french press which has a separate vessel to heat the water).
So, if you're hoping for an effortless "set it and forget it" kind of experience with your french press coffee, then the electric french press probably won't live up to your expectations.
All Electric French Presses to Date:
#1 Kalorik Bartista Electric French Press (Still available)
The Kalorik Bartist heats up the water and brews the coffee all in one carafe. The carafe does detach from the base (similar to a modern day electric kettle) and includes an agitator at the bottom to stir the coffee.
The brewing process goes as follows:
- Put the desired water into the carafe.
- Select “Hot Brew” setting.
- Unit beeps, agitator stirs water and heating element turns on.
- Unit beeps again, and LED flashes when water hits approximately 195°F (which takes about 15 minutes).
- Add coffee grounds (manual recommends you stir with a spoon).
- Press center selection button again.
- Electric agitator will stir coffee/water mixture.
- After a 3 minute steep, the unit will beep and stop stirring (no adjustable timing).
- User depresses plunger.
- Coffee is ready to be poured.
Advantages
- No need to preheat carafe
- Agitator is a nice thought (but one extra thing that can go wrong)
- Unit beeps when it’s done so no timer is needed (with an important caveat outlined to the right)
- Saves Space
- The carafe detaches from the heating unit for easier cleaning (as opposed to the Mr. Coffee unit below)
Disadvantages
- Can’t change the steep timer (will beep at 3 minutes no matter what)
- Common complaints about customer service
- Common complaints that motor gives out prematurely
Our Take:
The idea, actually pretty cool.
The execution, not so great.
Unfortunately, Kalorik may have bit off more than they can chew with the 8 functions in 1 product idea.
While making cold brew or iced coffee in your french press is a nice perk, the extra tech left more things to go wrong.
Had they kept it simple and stuck with a self heating french press, it may have lived up to the name.
To make sure it wasn’t just the rantings of angry customers, we bought the kalorik electric french press and put it through some strenuous testing.
We'll post the review [here] when it's ready.
#2 Bodum Bistro Electric French Press (Tricky to find)
The bodum electric french press is the only available model that has a separate reservoir to heat the water.
This means one less user step for the brewer.
The brewing process goes as follows:
Advantages
- No longer required to come back to the french press to add hot water (one less user step)
- Can dial in your water to coffee ratio (it transfers all the liquids you pour into the right reservoir)
Disadvantages
- Does not preheat the left carafe
- Cannot set the water temperature
- Still have to keep track of when the hot water is transferred to time your steep.
- No longer sold (can still find through sites like ebay)
Our Take:
If taking one step out of the brewing process is enough to make your life a little easier, it’s worth checking out.
However, if you’re someone who likes to fine-tune their coffee with precise temperatures and steeping times, there is still some manual work here that can make the price point hard to justify.
#3 Mr. Coffee Electric French Press (Tricky to find)
The Mr. Coffee Electric French Press heats and brews the coffee all in the same carafe. It is very similar to the Kalorik model above but with fewer settings (simpler design).
The brewing process goes as follows:
- Put the desired water into the carafe.
- Select the start button to boil water.
- After the water comes to a boil, the heater automatically turns off.
- Add coffee grounds.
- Steep your coffee for the preferred time.
- User depress plunger.
- Coffee is ready to be poured.
Advantages
- No need to preheat the carafe
- Saves space
- Simple to use
- Customers remark it boils water very fast
Disadvantages
- Common complaints of product failing prematurely
- A bit expensive
- Product is currently hard to find
Our Take:
While Mr Coffee’s design is remarkably simple, many customers complained about miscellaneous parts breaking over time.
It is a gamble….but if you get a properly functioning unit, it can definitely serve a purpose.
Once again, a hard product to find since the reviews are predominantly negative and the company probably stopped making it.
If you find one, let us know by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.
#4 Chef's Choice 695 Electric French Press (Tricky to find)
As I’m writing this, the Chef’s Choice 695 Electric french press is unfortunately no longer available.
It’s a shame because we assumed this model’s simplicity would make it have better longevity than some of the models above.
Not the case.
Customers continually commented on how quick the heating element went out.
If you find this Chef’s Choice model for sale (new or used), please let us know! We’d still love to give it a try.
#5 Bravura Press (Commercial Electric French Press)
The Bravura is a massive electric french press that was created for serving immersion brewed coffee in cafes. The video below outlines the brewing process.
A larger french press is really only practical if you own a coffee shop.
If you’re interested in the Bravura press, we recommend reaching out to them via their contact form at the bottom of their website.
Daily Coffee News created an article that provides a more in-depth look at the brewing process.
Automatic French Press
Unfortunately, a completely automated french press has not been invented yet (to our knowledge).
While it’s hard to understand why none of the major coffee companies have taken a crack at it, we have some ideas.
Why hasn't anyone invented an
automated french press?
Although an automated french press has yet to be invented, the closest available option would be the Bunn Trifecta model below.
Can I Automate My French Press?
Despite the lack of interest from bigger coffee-tech companies, a handful of innovative individuals have taken the initiative to automate the french press themselves. You can view their valiant efforts below.
A Very Inventive Way to Automate the French Press
First Build's Automatic French Press Prototype
Once an automatic french press actually hits the market, the next obvious step will be to make an automatic french press with a grinder all in the same unit.
We look forward to the day 🙂
Alternatives to the French Press (Immersion Brewing)
While these brewing methods aren’t strictly “french press” per say, they offer a similar quality in coffee and provide certain trade-offs worth mentioning.
#1 The Bunn Trifecta MB (unavailable now but might be able to score through certain vendors)
The Bunn trifecta is an automatic “french press” with a timer. The reason we put the quotes around the term “french press” is because no filter is actually depressed to separate coffee from coffee grounds.
Instead, a mesh screen sits at the bottom of the reservoir and gravity feeds the liquid through.
A few disclaimers before I get into the American Press.
Firstly, it isn’t really more automated, it’s just more easy to clean than a traditional French Press.
Second, it’s debatably more on the side of percolation than immersion brewing since clean water passes through the coffee grounds and is quickly separated into the upper compartment (depending on how slow you depress the plunger).
Still definitely worth mentioning.
Coffee expert James Hoffman does an awesome review of the American Press that illustrates the brewing process and sheds a light on the inherent advantages/disadvantages.
#3 The Clover Coffee Machine
We had to include the clover because it’s a marvel to watch.
Although it can be quite expensive, you can still get your hands on one through eBay vendors.
But beware that if it malfunctions, finding replacement parts might be impossible.
Syphon Coffee Makers
Syphon brewing is definitely not easier, or more automated than a french press. It is, however, a really unique way to make immersion brewed coffee that’s mesmerizing to watch.
Check out the demonstration below.
Here’s an example of one that doesn’t run the risk of setting your house on fire (at least from direct-flame).
Better Chef Electric Siphon Coffee Maker
FAQs
Is there a one cup electric french press?
To our knowledge, a one cup electric french press is not available.
Conclusion
After some serious research, I was a little disappointed to find there weren’t a lot of options for automated immersion brewing. You’d think with all the die-hard “french pressers” out there, the market would be flooded with them.
Despite the reality, we will remain optimistic and keep our eyes open for new and upcoming products. If you find one yourself or we missed any, please leave a comment below. We do miss a product here and there.
Michael
