Here’s what we found when testing the Le Creuset French Press

French brand Le Creuset is famous for its collectible, colorful enameled cast-iron cookware that begs to be put on display — and the Le Creuset French Press, featuring a stoneware carafe with a glossy enamel finish, is no exception. But does it actually make good coffee? 

According to Le Creuset, their French press provides excellent heat retention, is easy to clean, dishwasher-safe, and resists scratches, stains and chips. But when the BestReviews Testing Lab evaluated it for brew quality, ease of use, ease of cleaning and overall value, we found it to be somewhat disappointing in its performance relative to its price.

What is the Le Creuset French Press?

Our test unit was in Le Creuset’s famous cerise color, combining black and red with an eye-catching gloss.

Product specifications

Weight: 2.2 lb | Capacity: 34 oz  | Dimensions: 8.5” H x 6.5” W (including handle) | Material: Glazed stoneware | Dishwasher-safe: Yes

The Le Creuset French Press features a 34-ounce, 8-inch tall stoneware carafe with integrated stoneware handle and a stainless steel plunger with a stainless steel filter screwed into a stoneware lid. The plunger and filter unscrew from the lid for cleaning. The glaze covers both the interior and exterior of the carafe, creating a nonporous, nonreactive surface for brewing coffee. The Le Creuset French Press is available in 14 irresistible colors, including Caribbean blue, cerise (cherry) and black licorice.

Pros

• Attractive color: We think the Le Creuset French Press compares well to other Le Creuset products in offering attractive, glossy glazes in a variety of hues, suitable for collectors and influencers.
• Integrated handle: We like that the handle of the Le Creuset French Press is of a single piece with the body of the carafe, providing sturdy support and ensuring thorough cleaning.
• Nonreactive interior: We noted that the glaze inside the Le Creuset French Press is designed not to react to hot liquids or acids and resists staining and odors, helping ensure coffee purity.
• Dishwasher-safe: The Le Creuset French Press was easy to clean simply by loading in a dishwasher. The filter and plunger were also easy to disassemble for cleaning.

Cons

• Loose lid: During testing, we found that the heavy stoneware lid of the Le Creuset French Press provided only a loose fit, allowing heat to escape from the top and making it necessary to hold it in place while pouring to prevent the entire lid and plunger assembly from falling out.
• Poor heat retention: Despite Le Creuset’s claims, we found that the French press didn’t keep coffee warm enough to drink beyond 60 minutes. While the stoneware was thick, it was also dense enough to immediately cool the hot water upon pouring, and the loose lid allowed heat to escape.
• Weight: The Le Creuset French Press weighs 2.2 pounds, which was heavier than other French presses we tested and somewhat awkward to lift and pour from.
• Cost: The Le Creuset French Press costs between $65 and $85, making it much more expensive than an ordinary glass-and-plastic French press without providing much performance benefit.

Who is it for?

The Le Creuset French Press is attractive for collectors of Le Creuset products or people who love the look of Le Creuset’s renowned enameled cast iron cookware. Influencers and consumers who want the prestige factor of affording expensive Le Creuset products will want the Le Creuset French Press to show off on their table despite its ordinary performance.

How we tested

When testing the Le Creuset French Press, we sampled the coffee we brewed for flavor, texture, body and temperature.

We tested the Le Creuset French Press by brewing a standardized recipe, using 200-degree water and store-bought preground medium-grind coffee. We used a probe thermometer to check the coffee’s temperature every 30 minutes for two hours. We filtered the brewed coffee through a paper filter to see how much sediment was left after pressing. We poured the coffee from the French press to test weight, comfort and ergonomics. We disassembled the French press and ran it through the dishwasher multiple times to test for durability. Most importantly, we sampled the coffee we brewed for flavor, texture, body and temperature. As a control, we compared the results of all our tests to a Bodum Classic French Press with a glass carafe, steel parts and plastic lid.

Price and where to buy

The Le Creuset French Press costs between $65 and $85 depending on the glaze color. It is available from Amazon and directly from Le Creuset’s website.

Le Creuset French Press brewing experience

The Le Creuset French Press brewed a cup of coffee with a good head of foam.

Brewing coffee in the Le Creuset French Press was slightly less pleasant than expected. Its heavy ceramic material cooled the water from 200 degrees to 191 degrees upon contact, affecting the taste and efficiency of extraction from the grounds. Its mesh filter felt rough against the interior glaze, giving the pressing action an unpleasant grating sensation. Its loose lid forces you to hold it with one hand while pouring, like a teapot. We think that for the best coffee, you should follow Le Creuset’s recommendation of a coarser grind. You may also want to consider preheating the carafe with hot water before brewing, as you would a teapot. 

In-person aesthetics review

The main selling point and advantage of the Le Creuset French Press is its looks. It boasts the high-gloss ceramic glaze that makes Le Creuset products unmistakable and craveworthy. The test unit was in cerise, and we found its subtle ombre effect of black and red just as eye-catching as in the marketing photos. However, we briefly had the mistaken impression that the French Press was enameled cast iron. When we realized it was instead stoneware, we were disappointed. While not as heavy as enameled cast iron, the stoneware was noticeably heavy.

Should you get one?

The lid of the Le Creuset French Press sits loosely on top of the carafe and overhangs it slightly by a few millimeters.

Based on our testing, we found the Le Creuset French Press produces an average cup of coffee at several times the cost of a typical French press. We also think the Le Creuset French Press somewhat awkward to pour from. Unless you have your heart set on Le Creuset’s brand recognition, collectible colors and conspicuous cost, you should look elsewhere.