The Top 5 Best French Presses for Small Spaces: Reviews and Buyer’s Guide (2023)

If you’re looking for a French press that won’t take up much space, you’re in the right place! While I typically use a larger, 33.8-ounce French press, I’ve also done quite a bit of traveling with a French press setup, so I know what works and what doesn’t when you’re on the road in an RV or on the trail backpacking. I’ve also used plenty of small, single-serve French presses, so I’ve found what works best for small spaces like tiny kitchens, to keep in your desk at work, or to bring with you in an RV.

In this guide, I’ll be reviewing my top five favorite picks for French presses for small spaces. I’ll also explain what’s most important when buying a small French press and help you decide which one is right for you.

The Top 5 Best French Presses for Small Spaces

1. MIRA 12 oz Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker — Best Overall
2. Bodum 10948-01BUS French Press Coffee Maker — Best Budget Option
3. ESPRO P0 Ultralight French Press — Best for Travel
4. Bodum Travel Press — Best for On-the-Go
5. Frieling Double-Walled Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker, 17 oz — Best Premium Option

1. MIRA 12 oz Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker — Best Overall

This standard stainless steel French press coffee maker is tiny and has a compact design, making it ideal for small kitchens. This is my top pick for a few reasons, but note that it’s not ideal for travel. If you just have a small kitchen or plan to use this in an RV, it’s probably perfect. If you’re looking for a French press for backpacking or camping, there are better options further down that are better suited for you.

This has a 12-ounce capacity, which is a little over a third of the standard French press size of 33.8 ounces (1 liter). It will make just enough coffee for one person in most cases, which you should expect from a French press made for small spaces.

It features a double-wall stainless steel exterior, which provides ideal heat retention throughout the brewing process. That means your water is more likely to remain in the ideal temperature range for brewing, and you’ll end up with a beautifully balanced cup of coffee that’s not too bitter, acidic, or sour.

The plunger comes with two metal mesh screens that will remove the majority of grounds and fines from your coffee. You’ll still be left with some coffee mud at the bottom of your cup, which is unavoidable with this brewing method. However, most of the fines will be taken out, so you won’t have to worry as much about over-extraction after you press and pour.

Despite the high quality of this French press and its extreme durability, it’s still quite affordable.

2. Bodum 10948-01BUS French Press Coffee Maker — Best Budget Option

If cost is one of your primary concerns when buying your French press, then I’d recommend this model from Bodum. It’s one of the most affordable French presses.

This is a 12-ounce French press, so it’s great for single-serve coffee and for taking up minimal space on your countertop or in your cabinets where storage is limited.

The carafe is single-wall construction and is made of glass, so it’s prone to cracking and breaking with extended use. It can crack from extreme temperature changes, unlike metal French presses, so you should make sure you never go from cold to hot or hot to cold too quickly. Additionally, you’ll need to be a bit more careful that you don’t drop this French press, as it won’t stand up to impacts.

The single-wall glass construction also means that you’ll lose more heat during the brewing process than you would with double-wall brewing chambers. This can lead to under-extraction more readily, which can leave slightly sour or salty flavors in your coffee, as well as unpalatable acidity.

The handle, carafe holster, lid, and parts of the plunger are made out of plastic, so they also won’t stand up to as much abuse as a stainless steel French press.

This French press also only comes with one screen for filtration, which isn’t ideal. You’ll get more fines in your brewed coffee, which can eventually over-extract and leave you with bitter and acidic coffee.

However, this French press is cheap and small, so it’s a decent budget option for those with limited funds and limited storage space.

3. ESPRO P0 Ultralight French Press — Best for Travel

The ESPRO P0 is marketed as a French press that’s ideal for things like backpacking and camping, and it’s one of my favorite French presses for travel, which also means it’s great for small spaces.

It’s a 16-ounce French press, and while it’s bigger than the 12-ounce options I’ve mentioned above, it’s also thin and tall to make squeezing into tight spaces easier. I’ve used this backpacking, but it can also be great for small kitchens, RVs, and other coffee setups with minimal space.

The ESPRO French presses use a unique filtration system that includes two metal mesh filters that make a basket for your grounds. The bottom mesh screen removes larger coffee grounds, while the top one removes most of the fines and the sludge you’d see in traditional French press coffee.

The plunger also has a rubber gasket on the sides to prevent grounds from slipping up into your brewed coffee around the edge of the mesh filters. The result is a full-bodied French press coffee that includes the coffee oils for mouthfeel but very few fines that contribute to over-extraction.

If you buy this French press, I really recommend not using it according to the instructions. They state that you can press the coffee and then drink directly from the metal bottle. If you do this without removing the grounds, you’re all but guaranteed to get over-extracted, acidic, and highly bitter coffee. I recommend pouring it into mugs immediately after pressing.

4. Bodum Travel Press — Best for On-the-Go

Another travel-ready French press that can also be great for small kitchens and tiny coffee bar setups is the Bodum Travel Press. This is a to-go mug with a built-in French press plunger, so you could theoretically put your grounds in, pour your water, press, and take the mug to go. I don’t recommend doing this because you’ll absolutely get over-extracted coffee. Instead, I suggest pouring it into a separate mug right after pressing.

Still, this can be a great French press for super small kitchen setups, like in an RV or tiny house, or for use at work, where you could stick it in your desk after cleaning it.

The mug is made of double-wall, vacuum-sealed stainless steel, so it will retain heat much like the larger, higher-end French presses will. The lid is plastic, though, so you’ll see some heat loss there. Still, I haven’t found it to be enough to lead to under-extracted coffee because of thermal loss.

It’s also available in plastic, but I strongly recommend against this. Plastic is technically better at maintaining brewing temperature than stainless steel, but it’s way more prone to cracking and breaking over time. I’d choose a double-wall stainless steel French press over plastic any day. The cost for the plastic one is almost the same, so you won’t even see any savings.

The plunger on this French press has a single screen, so any coffee you brew with it will have some sludge at the bottom that can contribute to over-extraction. This is unavoidable unless you invest in a second screen and/or some paper filters.

5. Frieling Double-Walled Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker, 17 oz — Best Premium Option

Finally, I recommend the Frieling Double-Walled Stainless Steel French Press, which comes in at the largest size on my list at 17 ounces. This might not be ideal for the smallest of spaces, but it’s a super high-quality French press that’s about half the size of the typical French press you’ll see.

It’s made of double-wall, vacuum-sealed stainless steel, so the insulative value is about as high as you can get. This will help maintain those ideal brewing temperatures and deliver well-balanced coffee.

It comes with two super-fine metal mesh screens that will remove the large majority of grounds and fines from your brewed coffee. That means you don’t have to worry too much about over-extraction, even if you let your coffee sit a bit after you pour. You’ll also see much less coffee sludge in your cup than you would with lower-quality screens.

This French press is built to last and is likely to continue serving you for decades. It’s also quite striking with a decorative handle and lid, as well as a brushed-metal finish. This will add to your decor in your small kitchen space and still provides outstanding coffee morning after morning.

This French press is quite expensive, but it’s absolutely worth the money, in my opinion.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a French Press for Small Spaces

Choosing a French press for use in a small space or on the go is tough because you need to balance the quality of the coffee it makes, the size, and other factors, like the price. I’ll explain everything you should think about when choosing a French press for your small kitchen, RV, or other small spaces.

Size/Capacity

Of course, if you’re looking for a French press for small spaces, one of your first considerations should be the size or capacity of the equipment. Thankfully, French presses are generally pretty small, but you might want to look for one that’s below average to ensure it will fit in your small space.

The average French press volume is around 33.8 ounces or 1 liter. The smallest French press you’ll typically find is around 12 ounces, which is considered a single-serve French press. These are great for small kitchens, travel, and tight spaces, but you should be aware that they’re not ideal for serving multiple people at once.

Slightly larger options — up to around 20 ounces — can be good for small spaces as well.

Material

French presses are most commonly made out of glass, stone, or stainless steel. The material will affect not only durability but, more importantly, insulative value.

Glass French presses are the least durable but will lose heat the least quickly. However, glass French presses are most often single-wall construction, so they can contribute to under-extracted coffee — sourness, acidity, or saltiness in your cup — more often than a double-wall steel French press would. Stone French presses are better in terms of insulation at a given thickness, but they can still crack and break if you drop them.

Stainless steel French presses are the best option in my opinion, especially for travel. In terms of thermal value, a double-wall stainless steel French press will be more than suitable, and the durability is significantly better than you’ll see from any other option. However, they tend to be the most expensive.

Since you might be compromising in terms of the construction of your small French press — single-wall vs double-wall, which I’ll explain below — I strongly recommend a stainless steel French press for small spaces.

Single-Wall vs Double-Wall French Presses

Glass and stainless steel French presses can be made with one external wall or two, the latter of which usually includes a vacuum seal between the walls. This boosts the insulative value, but it also makes the French press larger overall or reduces the capacity.

If you’re looking for the absolutely smallest French press possible, you’ll probably do best with a single-wall glass French press. Glass is a good balance of high temperature regulation and cost, although it isn’t the most durable. The single-wall construction will help reduce the overall size of the equipment.

Filter Size/Performance

Another crucial thing to consider is how well the metal mesh filters work and how many you have. The better the mesh filters, the more grounds and fines will be removed from your brewed coffee, and the less risk you’ll run of over-extracting your coffee, which leads to bitter and acidic flavors. Ideally, you want two super-fine mesh screens that filter out most of the fines.

Cheaper French presses often only come with one screen and may have larger perforations than high-quality screens. I recommend splurging a bit on a French press with better screens, as this will lead to better coffee time and time again.

Design

The appearance of your French press might be a consideration for you, even if it doesn’t affect utility. If you plan on displaying your French press in your small space and using it as a piece of decor, then you might want to consider a more decorative option, like the Frieling French press I reviewed above.

Price

Finally, you should consider the price. I put price last in most of my buyer’s guides because, if you’re like me, you drink coffee every single day. It might seem silly now to buy a French press that’s three times as expensive as another option, but over time, your investment is likely to pay for itself.

Just as an example, I went through three or four glass French presses in the span of just a few years. Then I invested twice the money in a stainless steel French press and have used it every day for almost 10 years. Not only will more expensive French presses probably last much longer, but they also tend to make better coffee…and isn’t that what life is all about?

Wrapping Up: The Best French Press Coffee Maker for Small Spaces

There are lots of options for small, 12-ounce French presses and those made for travel. My favorite of the bunch for small spaces is the MIRA 12 oz Stainless Steel French Press Coffee Maker. This delivers outstanding build quality and the ability to make excellent coffee, but it still takes up minimal space. If you’re looking for a French press for use at work or while you’re traveling, I recommend the ESPRO P0 Ultralight French Press.

Overall, I urge you to consider the quality of the coffee a French press will make and not just the size and price. Hopefully, this guide has helped you at least narrow down your options and decide which French presses are right for your limited-space setup.