Review: Fellow Clara French Press
By Coffee Expert
Jake Johnson
9 photos
The Curated Take
4.8/5
The Fellow Clara French Press is the premier choice for coffee and loose-leaf tea enthusiasts who value quality and durability. With its heat-retaining ceramic walls, exceptional plunger system to keep grounds at bay, and a counterbalanced handle for easy pouring, it provides an unparalleled brewing experience. Though it may be too large for single-cup brewing, its design is ideal for those who appreciate a second serving. Suitable for group gatherings or anyone looking to elevate their brewing game, its high price is justified by its premium build and performance, making it a worthwhile investment for serious coffee aficionados.
Ideal for
- Best-in-class French press
- Excellent heat retention
- Great quality
Not ideal for
- Too big for brewing one cup
Brew Time
Based on my experience with this French press, brew times for coffee can be changed based on how much extraction a recipe calls for. If one wants a stronger brew,...Read more
Pressure Control
Being a French press, there is no "pressure control" as it relates to the traditional 9-bar or 15-bar pressure control on an espresso machine. That being said, I will speak...Read more
Temperature Stability
This Fellow Clara French Press has excellent temperature control, unlike a glass French press. It not only allows one to brew coffee or tea at hotter temperatures for longer times,...Read more
Grind Size Control
When brewing with a French press, there aren't many options for a wide range of grind sizes of coffee compared to pour-over or batch brew. However, because of the excellent...Read more
Quality
The quality of this French press is outstanding. Right out of the box, this feels excellent in the hand, and it encourages one to brew with it due to how...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Jake Johnson
About the espresso equipment
- Model: Fellow Clara French Press
Test conditions
- When I bought it: February 2022
- Where I’ve used it: Home and work
- How many times I've used it: 100
Expert Reviews of the Fellow Clara French Press
Jake Johnson Fellow’s Clara French Press is a top-of-the-line French press. In my opinion, it is the best French press that money can buy. This is because it has heat-retaining ceramic walls on the inside that don’t affect flavor, an excellent plunger system that prevents unwanted grounds from getting in my coffee, and a counterbalanced handle that makes pouring from its spout easy.
This is ideal for people who enjoy coffee and loose-leaf tea, as one can brew both coffee and tea with this French press. The only downside is that it is a little bit big and awkward to pour the final drops into a mug or cup when brewing only one cup. However, one can eliminate this downside by always drinking a second cup!
Product Specs
| Housing material | Stainless steel |
| Product length (in) | 6.69" |
| Product width (in) | 4.53" |
| Product height (in) | 7.87" |
| Cup material | Stainless steel body and filter, BPA-free plastic lid and handle, Non-stick PTFE-coated interior (PFOA-free), optional walnut wooden press and handle |
Review Ratings
Brew Time
5/5
Jake Johnson gave 5 of 5 stars. Based on my experience with this French press, brew times for coffee can be changed based on how much extraction a recipe calls for. If one wants a stronger brew, simply let the coffee or tea steep in the French press for a longer time. Equally, if one wants a weaker brew, let the coffee or tea steep for a shorter time. Plus, if one wants to make a cold brew with this, just use tap water and let the coffee steep in the fridge for 12-16 hours. It's very forgiving.
Pressure Control
5/5
Jake Johnson gave 5 of 5 stars. Being a French press, there is no "pressure control" as it relates to the traditional 9-bar or 15-bar pressure control on an espresso machine. That being said, I will speak on the one thing that does use pressure: the plunger. In this French press, the plunger feels great. It's smooth, consistent top to bottom, fits well into the French press, and keeps grounds out of a final brew.
Temperature Stability
5/5
Jake Johnson gave 5 of 5 stars. This Fellow Clara French Press has excellent temperature control, unlike a glass French press. It not only allows one to brew coffee or tea at hotter temperatures for longer times, but it also allows one to keep brewed coffee or tea hot for several hours. Because this is a double-wall design, it allows air to insulate the stainless steel outside from the ceramic wall inside. This prevents any heat from escaping through the stainless steel, and the ceramic walls prevent the heat from affecting the taste of brewed coffee.
Grind Size Control
4/5
Jake Johnson gave 4 of 5 stars. When brewing with a French press, there aren't many options for a wide range of grind sizes of coffee compared to pour-over or batch brew. However, because of the excellent filter on the plunger in this French press, there is a little more freedom when dialing in a coffee. Four stars because there's not much to do with grind sizes for a French press, but this one allows for the most variety due to the filter's capability on the plunger.
Quality
5/5
Jake Johnson gave 5 of 5 stars. The quality of this French press is outstanding. Right out of the box, this feels excellent in the hand, and it encourages one to brew with it due to how easy it is to brew using a French press. It is very sturdy because of the materials used, and I'm not afraid that this will break anytime in the next decade. Fellow has created the most excellent French press money can buy, and to me, it's worth the price tag to brew excellent coffees for my friends.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Jake Johnson Like anything made by Fellow, I love the design of this French press, the build quality, the ease of use, and the coffee and tea-making potential with this product.
Why did you choose this product?
Jake Johnson I chose the Clara French press from Fellow because of my (not-so-great) experiences with other French presses. Most French presses have a stainless steel mesh filter to plunge down when the immersion brew is done, but the holes in the filter on these allow for small particles of coffee to escape into what is drunk, thus producing cloudy coffee. However, this Clara French press has a top-of-the-line plunger filter that does an excellent job brewing beautiful coffee and tea. I was tired of serving cloudy coffee to my friends, so I purchased this because the filtering method is so well-designed.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Jake Johnson This is probably the most expensive French press. Most French presses cost anywhere from $8-40, so for this French press to retail at about $99, it must have at least $50 worth of value over the other French presses. For me, it was worth the extra $50 to serve great, cloud-free coffee to my friends; however, I am also a specialty coffee industry professional, so my investment in gear is likely more than what most people need. At the end of the day, it's an immersion brewer, so it's no different than any other French press in terms of "how" it brews coffee.
However, this is it if one wants to buy the best French press on the market. It has a ceramic double-walled interior, a great plunger system that keeps coffee grounds and tea out of the final brew, and a spatula to fully saturate the coffee or tea with water before placing the lid on top. Additionally, the exterior is a stainless steel shell, which means it will not break. I've dropped mine on several occasions, and only minor scratches have popped up. The same can't be said for any glass French press.
