Frieling 0103 5-6 Cup French Press
By doing away with filters and cones, this 23-ounce French press from Frieling makes rich, delicious coffee in a self-contained, non-electric design. The press also smartly sidesteps the problem of breakable glass carafes with its high-quality 18/10 stainless-steel construction. At once beautiful, sleek, and sturdy, the mirror-finish piece has a satisfying weight, a comfortable full-length handle, and an all-steel mesh plunger mechanism ideal for coarse coffee grounds or loose tea leaves. Frieling’s double-wall construction keeps hot beverages hot and cold ones cold if you use the pitcher by itself for milk or juice. Standing 8-5/8 inches high, the press disassembles completely for washing by hand or running through the dishwasher
Best press I ever owned – still..
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!
Wow and a half.
I had the opportunity to try French-pressed coffee recently and I was sold immediately. The increased character and complexity just blows even the most carefully drip-brewed coffee right out of the water. The first time I saw a sheen of rich oil (normally removed by paper filters) shining back at me from a piping hot cup, I knew I was in for a treat. I wanted to be able have that wonderful French-press taste at work, but the glass carafe of the other models on the market prohibited the rough transport. Enter the Frieling. Holy moose. This thing is amazing. Even decaf has more character and body (which is great for me since too much caffeine just kills my stomach). It’s built like a tank so it can withstand a good tumble in a backpack (just toss that ancient enamel percolater you used to take camping right out the window) and the insulated carafe keeps your perfect cup steaming hot. The carafe holds about 3 standard coffee mugs worth which I found ideal. If you’re new to French press, do yourself a favor and purchase a good quality burr grinder with a “very coarse” or “French press” setting. They’re expensive, but you’re wasting your time if you just drop in some generic-grind supermarket grounds; you won’t get the proper extraction from the beans and you’ll have a lot of icky sediment. Blade grinders just don’t give you a consistent grind and they tend to be a bit “dusty” which will leave you with even more sediment. I should note that sediment is a part of a French-pressed cup anyway, but the Frieling has a superfine steel mesh that removes all but the nearly microscopic grounds, which really just adds to the body of the coffee rather than anything unpleasant, and is an essential part of French-press coffee. This is a fantastic buy for anyone who takes their coffee seriously. The Frieling is also outstanding for loose tea so even if you’re not a coffee fanatic you can take advantage of this high-quality piece of brewing equipment. I would also reccommend the Vacu Vin coffee saver to store your fresh ground beans so you can savor the perfect cup just about anywhere.
Stylish, and it makes great coffee!
Well, I’m impressed. I’m don’t drink a lot of coffee, so I want what I DO drink to be special. I had my first French press coffee over the holidays, and thought it was some of the best coffee I’d ever tasted.
After reading reviews for the various brands of French presses here on Amazon, I decided on this little Frieling model. It makes just the right amount of coffee to last me an entire morning (23 oz, or about 2 12-oz mugs). The “5-6 cups” specified in the description are 4-oz cups (demitasse size), NOT our typical American mugs, so bear that in mind. Also, you’re likely to find a little “sludge” in the bottom of your mug, but that’s part of the French press charm.
This is an attractive item as well — very nicely finished, well-balanced, stylish. The double-wall construction provides insulation adequate to retain the heat of that second mug of coffee for a couple of hours. It’s sturdy (no glass to break!), and cleans nicely in the dishwasher.
I’ve been so impressed with this coffee maker that I’m seriously considering getting a second larger one, so I’ll be able to serve company.
