Side by Side Comparison of: Frieling vs SterlingPro

I bought my first Frieling French Press about twelve years ago and loved it. I bought this because it is larger than my old one which makes it nice for when guests are visiting. This press makes great coffee! The plunger and screens filter out the grounds very well and the double walls keep the coffee hot longer and the stainless steel is very easy to wipe clean with hot water and a paper towel. The plunger disassembles easily for cleaning. It is ruggedly built and you don't have to worry about braking it like a glass French Press.

It was a long search to find the best French Press coffee maker for me. I spent at least 5 hours (may be more) reading and researching. And I ended up buying this why. You might be struggling to decide on which one is the best for you, so here is my review and reasons why I bought this one. I hope it will help you.

Selection process:

I had several wishes:

1) Made in USA or Europe
2) Quality of materials and product
3) Usability (easy to use and to clean)
4) Price

After a quick search I realized that there was no ideal French Press coffee maker. However, I realized that I have several favorites and Frieling was the number 1 for me.

Why?

1) Frieling is a solid professional brand
2) Product had good reviews
3) Product looked solidly built.

Concerns that I had:

1) Made in China (I have nothing against China but I prefer products that are built in here or in Europe for, I assume, obvious reason)
- Nothing can be done about that. But again, Frieling is a solid brand and their French Presses looked not cheap.
2) Quality of Steel (Everyone should be concerned about it since you will eat/drink food that was made there and we consumed enough toxins as it is)
- I contacted Frieling about it and they answered me very quickly. Thank you, Frieling! Other companies are not that professional. For example, Cousinox ignored all my emails. However, the answer from Frieling was not what I wanted to hear. They told me they use either Chinese or Korean stainless steel from a big Korean manufacturer but they assured me that their 18/10 stainless steel was of high quality. I hoped for German, Russian or American 18/10 stainless steel but at least it was not a noname brand one from G*d knows where.

I thought hard about those two minuses, plus the product was not cheap. But at the end, I felt it was the best French Press I could find and I decided to buy Frieling Brushed 18/10 Stainless Steel French Press, 23-Ounce. I paid $79 for it, I see that now it is $59.

So, it has been two years and I love it and gave it 5 stars.

1) The coffee maker looks like new and is beautiful. I have used it at least 100 times, most likely more. I am glad I decided to get a brushed one. They always look like new for a long time since micro scratches are not noticeable and no finger prints.

2) It is made well. You can see it is not a $20 one.

3) It is very easy to clean. I have owned at least 4 different french presses before and always had issues. With this one, I just put a plunger under running water and that is it. Plus, all the parts are dishwasher safe. I usually hand wash it ones every two weeks. Put it in dishwasher at least 10 times too and had no issues whatsoever.

4) Makes good coffee - only remember about a 4 minute rule.

5) I purchased some parts (screens, plunger stick) but it looks like the original parts will last for years to come.

I am going to add some pictures too.

Good luck in your search for a perfect French Press maker and I hope it was useful for you!

I bought the 36 oz press based on other reviews as does make about 4 oz less than specified capacity. I use mine for brewing loose leaf tea for ice tea - 32 oz from the press over quart of ice in separate pitcher. The sieve lets a few of the smaller leaves/dust through, but better than other strainers I've used. Super easy to clean and I like that I can take the screen apart to get any leaves that get stuck.

There is nothing magic about making good French Press coffee. Weigh the beans, weigh the water, add the water to the beans, wait (usually 4 min), then press the beans to the bottom of the pot. This device does it as well as any. So, why pay top dollar? It looks great. No breakage (I've used Bodum for years and simply tired of buying replacement pots). But don't kid yourself, only if you pour your second cup within 20-30 minutes will this pot keep the coffee hot enough to be called "hot." The water does stay hotter as the coffee is brewing, and for a short time thereafter, but don't plan on using this pot as a thermos. If serving at the dinner table, and the second cups will follow shortly after the first, this is a much classier presentation than Bodum, or even other stainless pot makers. And, contrary to what some have said, coffee that sits in the bottom of a French Press necessarily gets stronger the longer it sits; the water is in contact with the grounds and there is nothing to prevent some seepage. Buy it for style, convenience (no breakage) and reputation, but Bodum makes the same great cup of coffee.

இ Fuzzy Wuzzy's Summary:ѾѾѾѾѾ Highly recommended with warm fuzzies!Along with coffee, this double-wall French press can also be used to make tea or, without the plunger lid, the carafe can be used as a pitcher for cold liquids like water, milk, ice tea, and juices. But I only use this to make coffee. And as a French press coffee maker, I think this is the best one available. For both my electric kettle and French press, I prefer stainless steel over glass because it is more durable and unbreakable. I also previously looked at the Bodum Presso Doublewall Stainless Steel Thermal 8 Cup Coffee Press, 34-Ounce, but that one uses plastic in its handle, lid, and (worst of all) plastic is used on its mesh filter press plunger assembly that you are immersing into the really hot coffee. Uggh! This Frieling model is entirely stainless steel. No plastic is used anywhere. Yay!! It is solidly and precisely built, and when it is not in use, its elegant shape and mirror finish looks lovely just sitting on the kitchen counter.Even though this is not like a sealed double-wall vacuum-insulated Thermos bottle (the outside wall of the carafe will become and remain hot while coffee is inside it), the double-wall design keeps my coffee hot for more than two hours. I actually would not care to drink coffee that has been sitting for four or six hours anyway. But if you want to keep your coffee hot for the entire morning and afternoon, get a double-wall vacuum-insulated carafe or pump pot, and transfer the coffee into it right after you press down the plunger.The instructions tell you to pour the hot water into the pot, leaving at least one inch of space from the top rim to allow for clearance when pushing the plunger into the carafe. But if I just follow these instructions, fill the water up to one inch below the rim, and then insert the plunger, I would always get about one tablespoon of coffee squirting out of the spout as I slowly pressed the plunger down, even though I tried really hard to do this very slowly. The method that finally worked for me was to fill the pot to about two or three inches from the rim, then insert the plunger about one inch below the rim (the plunger is still not touching the liquid), and then add the remaining water while still keeping the final water level one inch below the rim. And then when it comes time to plunge, for better control of slowly inching the plunger downward, I initially grab the plunger stem using my thumb and index finger of *both* hands positioned right above the lid and start very slowly sliding the plunger downward. For some reason, the plunger always moves less smoothly during those first few inches downward. As the plunger travels lower, it seems to slide easier and I can just grab the knob with one hand and slowly press downward for the rest of the filter's travel to the bottom. Obviously, you can plunge more quickly and easily if you only fill the pot up halfway with water.This is not an inexpensive French press, but at least the replacement parts of the mesh filter screen and screw-on plunger press only cost $3 and $6 (ordered directly from Frieling).

Pros:
1. My coffee tastes great
2. The press looks beautiful
3. It feels really well made

Cons:
1. The product arrived with hard, white, chalky stains on the top of the press handle. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was weird and I almost exchanged it. But it washed off with a bit of scrubbing so I kept the unit.
2. When I brew and cup, there is sludge at the bottom of my cup. I have a higher-end grinder that is very consistent so I wasn't expecting this. Even at the most course setting I get sludge. So, the advertising that no sediment gets through is false.

At the end of the day the two positive points above matter most to me.

I bought two - the smallest size. One for home and one for work, and one of them works perfectly, and the other has a short piston, so it always leaves some coffee below the strainer, which ends up in the drain. So I'm exchanging it hoping it will work like the first one. Otherwise it looks great - really cute, and it makes a very good coffee - after you'll figure out what coffee beans work the best for you, the grinding size, and the amount. It's very easy to use and clean. It makes about 6oz. of espresso type coffee. I like it with foamed Half & Half, and it tastes like a great cappuccino.

I've used this for 4 days now and the coffee coming from it tastes great... however, I find that I still get a lot of grounds in my coffee. I've tried making the grinds thinner or thicker and no matter what I do, there are still grounds in my coffee. I re-read the directions thinking maybe I'm doing something wrong but I'm not. It's just the name of the french press game I suppose... There will always be a few grounds in the coffee but I have stronger coffee and I love it. I'd go with a cheaper model if I were purchasing a french press again. The price point for this was because they boasted the double screens and no grinds. My mom got one for $45 of Amazon which is just as good. Save your money, get the cheaper one with the great reviews because it works as well as this one.

I really love this French press, I got the 23 ounce which really makes about 20 oz after you put the coffee grind in. Really does a great job keeping the coffee hot for about 30 min which is perfect amount of time for me to drink my two cups in the morning. Took 1 star away due to the cost is so high, but the quality is excellent. Tip on cleaning, I purchase a little 3.5 inch strainer which I used to help get the coffee grinds out. I rinse with water pour through strainer a few times and dump in the trash. I was told the coffee grinds are not good to rinse down the sink. Final note, you can use this to make loose leaf or bag tea as well.

First of all, let me repeat what you've already read in all the other reviews. This thing is beautiful, its luster unmatched, and built to last multiple human lifetimes. Seriously, you could take a hammer to it if it fancied you. Even the individual parts are more robust than other presses; the mesh filter for example feels very rigid, and the metal plate that holds it seems quite substantial. There's one major issue, a terrible metallic smell that did not go away after multiple brews, rigorous washings, soaks in vinegar, and whatever else I could think of. The only solution was to fill it up with hot water and use a couple Efferdent tablets. So whatever the metal was coated in, it was only removed with the help of an oxidizer. Now, this is made in China, so I expect some cut corners, but this was essentially a cut quarter. For $100, I expect better. Really surprised no one else has mentioned it, because my entire family smelled it as well. I'm going to assume that this is some protective coating they use to keep the stainless steel in good condition during storage, and that it's safe for human consumption, but unfortunately it's only an assumption. Keep that in mind if you purchase this, and don't use it without soaking in bleach or some other oxidizer.

Uses far too much coffee as compared to Cusinart pots. The coffee is really good but far too costly for the amount required.

Doesn't retain heat well and you wast about an inch of viable space or you get coffee spurting out when you plunge. I have an old insulated french press that I got at Target in 2006 that is amazing. It keeps coffee warm for hours, is packable as the handle is a detachable piece of leather.... I want a second one and can't find anything quite like it. Thought this would work well at home but it doesn't even stay warm with pre-heating. End up covering it in towels.

The press itself is a nice design and very functional. Just not a fan of the polished exterior. It shows up fingerprints and waterspots very easily. The brushed exterior is my recommendation as it's a little more forgiving.

It's pretty, well made, smooth finish. The handle is ever so slightly out of alignment. Only a perfectionist would be able to notice it. It sounds like a good idea with double walls for insulation but..... It's made of stainless steel so it really conducts the heat anyway. I don't think it holds the coffee much better than a Bodum glass French press. French press coffee is supposedly the absolutely best way to make coffee and I agree. The CEO of Starbucks says he prefers French press coffee. I'm gonna guess his opinion is well informed.

Does what it's supposed to... Except it drips when you pour. I have to pour super slow and carefully for a steady stream not to pour down the side onto the counter. Even being careful and even when less than have full, it drips. Super annoying. I kick myself for buying it but have already tossed packaging. I also gave one to my father for Christmas and had to tell him about the dripping issue. I was hoping the dripping was just my problem, as I don't believe I've read anything about it in the reviews. My last cheap thermos did not do this. It is nice quality and does keep the coffee warm. After my last press broke after a year, I decided to invest in a nice one. Not sure this is it. Too much money $$$$ Thinking about some sort of training in how to pour because I am obviously challenged in this area.

I love French Press coffee and wanted to love this French Press. But I don't. It is lovely looking and easy to use. However, the fine secondary filter is so poorly manufactured that it has pieces of metal sticking out that stick into my fingers and catch on and ruin every sponge or scrubber that I use on it; also the filter has curled and does not fit flat on the courser filter. While the fine filter does a better job than other French Press filters that I use, it does not do a great job, as I find coffee grounds in the bottom of every cup. Another issue: the cover sometimes does not fit tightly into the pot so that I have to hold it with one hand while pouring the coffee to insure that I don't get leaking coffee all over the counter. This may be because there is not enough room in the pot for a little extra ground coffee. I bought the smaller (17 oz) pot to make one good-sized mug, but since I like strong coffee I wish I had purchased the next size up for the extra ground coffee.
I think that the fine filter quality problems are inexcusable in a product that is this expensive. If not for those I would give this 4 stars.
If I were doing it over I would buy the Espro model, with its unique filter type: it is a bit more expensive but may perform better in every respect.

I like it, I bought this so I could just make a single 16 oz cup of coffee. It is very well made but is very expensive.
****UPDATE*** down to 2 stars, after using for a few months the small screen came apart. Other then that it is a nice press, I believe it should come with extra screens for the price.

I don't get what I am doing wrong with this one. I have had the 24-ounce Frieling for years (at least 5) and I adore it. Never any issues. The 8-ounce though, no matter what I do (less water, thicker grains...), I get grains in my coffee and I hate it. I am beyond frustrated, especially due to the price.

I wish that I could give different numbers of stars for different aspects of this pot. This pot is absolutely gorgeous and deserves five stars for design. And it deserves zero stars for price and advertising hype. A perfectly lovely pot, also double walled and made of stainless steel, is available on amazon for less than $40. Go for that one. It even has extra screens.
And then there's the advertising hype. The beauty of a French press is that you grind the coffee so that it is absolutely fresh, steep it for five minutes, and then pour the coffee. Any experienced coffee drinker knows that you NEVER leave the grounds in the liquid coffee because that will only make your coffee bitter. I got this pot for our boat because glass just won't do on the water. I just didn't spend enough time researching the alternatives.

I bought this beautiful Frieling coffee press a long time ago but continued to use my larger Bodum while my mother lived with me. She died recently and I decided I could use the smaller Frieling. After just a few months, the plunger broke. I ordered a replacement on the Frieling site for $6 - but Frieling charged me $9 to ship. The Frieling press is gorgeous but if you want a press that works consistently for years, I'd suggest the Bodum instead.

Update: After I posted, Frieling agreed to charge me only $3.50 to ship the plunger. That's a far more reasonable price.

I would like to note that I have already purchased a replacement press (same make/model) as I'm hoping that this issue is a isolated one. The problem with the press I received was that the handle wasn't fully welded to the press itself... the handle was practically hanging off of the little bar that connects to the main body of the press. I'm hoping the replacement press doesn't have any quality issues, as I really to like the design of the press as a whole.

This is the second one we have bought. The first one weld one top knob broke within a month. The second one, the part that keeps the lid on the plunger broke.

Total rip off! Plunger strips easily. Frieling advertises they're all about quality but they are full of s***. God forbid anyone make a product that's reliable. What bothers me is this press isn't cheap and is still a piece of junk. I am furious with this waste of money.

I loved this product at first. The screen is nice and keep the grounds out. But for over $100 I expect it to not break. As others have said, the lid has an issue. A big one in quality. There is a bushing that is "rolled" into the lid to seal the chamber inside the lid, so no water get's inside the lid. This bushing is also to guide the rod as you press. because of the low quality roll, it has come apart exposing this chamber, and it's now a PITA to use now. I am a certified welder so I can acually weld or braze this back. Other don't have this skill. Just because of this one problem, it is not orth squat to me. For over $100 I expect all details in quality to be perfect. It's not. The rest of the product is wonderful.

I ordered this brushed stainless steel french press, 36 ounce, and it came rusted on the underside of the cover and on the lip of the carafe. For the price I paid for it and it being stainless steel, it should have not have rust on it. Not buying another one of this brand.