The French press is very trendy these days but, it’s truly a classic. It’s one of the easiest ways to brew your coffee and trends aside it’s really an icon that’s been patented since 1929.
So what’s all the fuss about?
French presses are simple and efficient. Many coffee lovers would argue they produce the best taste. French press coffee is smooth, rich, and downright delicious.
They take up very little space, far less than a traditional coffee machine. French presses don’t require electricity making them portable too.
They’re also eco-friendly because they don’t operate with coffee pods or paper filters.
If you’re looking to add a quality French press to your home without wrecking your budget read our KONA French Press coffee maker review.
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Quick Glance: KONA French Press Coffee Maker
KONA French Press Review
We’ll cover the good and the bad to help you decide if it’s the right French press for you.
Design
The KONA French press has a modern design with an insulated BPA-free plastic outer frame to protect the glass from chips and cracks.
It doesn’t cover all of the glass and serves as more of a cradle which is nice for being able to watch your grounds steep.
In addition to adding durability the exterior plastic frame and plastic lid make the KONA French press very light which is beneficial for pouring and for travel.
The pitcher is made of borosilicate glass. It’s extra thick to avoid cracks but, like any French press with a glass carafe you’ll still want to treat it with care to avoid damage.
If you’re hard on your French press or accident prone avoid glass altogether and go for a stainless steel option instead.
One of our favorite design elements on the KONA is the 3 piece stainless steel filter. It does an impressive job extracting acids and oils from your coffee grounds.
The KONA French press is designed with a tight fitting screen and even comes with a spare screen. You won’t have any coffee grounds sneaking into your coffee.
The large ear shape handle is connected to the plastic frame that wraps around the glass carafe. It’s very sturdy and makes straining and pouring very easy. Both the handle and the lid are BPS/BPA free.
The best part is no plastic ever comes in contact with your coffee while it’s steeping eliminating any risk of the flavor being impacted.
Size
You have two sizes to choose from; 12oz or 34oz. The 12oz is advertised to produce 3 cups of coffee and the 32oz to produce 8 cups.
We found that once you plunge the coffee grounds of course take up a bit of space at the bottom so both sizes produce a couple ounces less than advertised. Not a dealbreaker by any means but, worth noting.
Both sizes come with a scoop to easily measure the correct coffee to water ratio. We’ll get into the details of the coffee to water ratio shortly.
Ease Of Use
The KONA French press is really easy to use and clean. Filling it with coffee and water are both seamless but, most importantly the plunge was seamless too. The rubber knob makes it easy to keep your grip while completing the plunge.
We experienced no coffee grounds separating from the water. The KONA plunger really shines because not all French presses get all the coffee grounds. No one wants gritty coffee!
You can even use your KONA French press for brewing loose leaf tea or espresso.
Cleaning
It’s important to keep your French press clean so that you don’t have old grounds sitting at the bottom and then getting into your next brew.
For cleaning it can be completely disassembled. Just unscrew the plunging arm, mesh, and spiral plate.
We wash ours by hand 95% of the time and it takes no more than 5 minutes, including putting it back together.
The KONA French press is dishwasher safe, we’d stick to the top rack and give it plenty of space to avoid the possibility of any other dishes coming in contact with it.
Price
If you’re looking to find balance between value and quality the KONA French press is a great option. It’s not going to break the bank and it’s also not cheaply made.
The stainless steel filter really stands out as a high quality feature and adds a lot of value at such an affordable price point.
What We Like About The KONA French Press
What We Didn’t Like About The KONA French Press
What Grind Size Is Best For Kona French Press?
The secret to delicious French Press coffee is all in the grind. Too coarse of a grind will clog the filter. Too fine a grind will pass through the filter and give you gritty and bitter coffee. A medium-coarse grind is best and it should be uniform and consistent.
Buying pre-ground grocery store beans isn’t going to cut it. More often than not coarse options are limited and they’re not consistent. There are however great options on Amazon.
While it’s best to grind your own beans so that you can customize the grind size there are some great coarse ground options on Amazon. Bizzy Cold Brew Dark & Bold, coarse ground is one of our favorites to use with the KONA French press.
Manual grinders are inexpensive and very easy to use but, if you want something that has more features and requires less work look into automatic coffee grinders.
What Is The Best Coffee To Water Ratio For French Press?
Three tablespoons of coffee to one cup of hot water (not boiling) is typically a good ratio. If you try that out and feel it’s too strong just add less coffee next time and vice versa if you feel it’s too weak. You can fine tune the ratio to suit your tastes. Note – the coffee beans are measured before grinding.
Cold Brew and French Press
In addition to hot coffee, tea, and espresso you can also use your Kona French Press to make cold brew.
Cold brew coffee is a great option when the weather is hot and it’s very easy to make.
Add your coffee grounds and water but, for cold brew make sure the water is room temperature and that you’re using the best coffee for cold brew.
Put the plunger and lid back on – don’t press the plunger down though. Stick it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, press the plunger down and you’ll be all set to enjoy cold brew, French press coffee.
Final World
The KONA French Press Coffee Maker has a great design, unbeatable value, and most importantly it makes a delicious cup of coffee.
Whether you’re a French press pro or just getting started you can’t go wrong with the KONA.
