I tested the newest manual coffee maker from Scandi-cool brand Aarke — and it’s red-carpet ready

If you think French presses can’t be fancy, you’ve clearly never seen the Aarke French press. If looks were everything, this gorgeous stainless steel model would be taking the #1 spot on our list of the best coffee makers, and there’d be very little competition.

Come to think of it, if taste were everything (which it kinda is), the Aarke French press would probably be taking the top spot there, too. This premium French press brews utterly decadent, rich, flavorful coffee with little effort. Have you ever had coffee so bitter it makes you shiver? Yeah, the Aarke French press is not for those kinds of coffee drinkers. This is for those who enjoy tasting the complexities in the brew.

However, at $149, this is not a cheap French press by any means. I’ve tested other French presses with similar — or superior — filtration styles, which makes me wonder if the Aarke French press is worth $149. Need help deciding? To find out, read this Aarke French press review.

Aarke French Press review: Cheat sheet

• Who is it for? Serious coffee lovers who want an aesthetically pleasing French press
• What does it do well? Looks a treat and is super easy to use
• What are its weaknesses? It’s not as innovative as other premium French presses
• What should you use it for? Well, it’s a French press — so French press

Aarke French Press Brewer review: Specs

Aarke French Press review: Price & availability

The Aarke French press is available for $149 at Williams Sonoma and £99 from Amazon U.K.. This makes it fairly expensive for a French press — you can get basic presses from the grocery store for around $20. For example, this Bodum French press is just $19 from Target.

If you’re really into your coffee, then I presume you want the best of the best, right? Of course. In that case, the Aarke French press would be worth the splurge. I’ve also tested the Espro P7, which is $129/£110.

The P7 is a fantastic French press, and the one I use at home. Due to its dual-walled mesh filter, it brews rich, full-bodied coffee without any bitterness. Considering that it’s $20 cheaper than the Aarke version, too, I think I know which one I’d go for — even though the P7 is a pain to clean.

This doesn’t mean the Aarke French press is a bad coffee maker — quite the opposite, actually — but it depends on your preference. Do you want a French press with a better filtration system, or would you rather a more basic model that’s easier to clean? Only you can answer that.

Aarke French Press review: Design

As with everything else Aarke makes, the French press is gorgeous. It’s constructed of polished stainless steel, feels much lighter than you might expect, and is completely plastic-free. All sought-after features in the premium coffee world.

Apart from one reason, which I’ll discuss just below, I can’t really fault the Aarke’s design. On top of the plastic-free construction, the coffee maker also sports a dual-walled design that genuinely feels cool to the touch even when filled with hot water. This dual wall also keeps the coffee warm — after 2 hours, the coffee was still at 150°F, which is hotter than the Espro P7’s 134°F.

One impressive feature present on the Espro P7 but absent on the Aarke French press is the Espro-patented “AirLock”. This feature creates a vacuum as soon as you plunge, stopping the brewing process and preventing the final cup from tasting overly strong.

As a result, I’d recommend the P7 for coffee lovers who want a more innovative French press. Yes, it’s a little annoying to clean, but that’s a price I’m willing to pay for delicious coffee.

Aarke French Press review: Performance

Considering this is a French press, it’s very easy to use. You grind your beans using one of the best coffee grinders, weigh your beans and water using one of the best coffee scales, and you’re good to go.

However, you might need to do a little research or experimentation to get the best flavor. Unlike Espro, Aarke doesn’t ship an ideal brewing recipe with the French press. As a result, I went with the standard 1:18 ratio with coarsely ground beans.

I used my Fellow Tally Pro — its “Brew Assist” feature is perfect for French press and pour-over — and weighed out enough coffee for the full 1-liter capacity. This ended up being 55g of coffee for a ratio of 1:18.

The 1-liter capacity made enough for four small coffees. I was really impressed with the flavor profile. The coffee tasted smooth, rich, full-bodied, rounded with a subtle hint of bitterness. Although it lacked the gentle fruity and juicy notes I tend to enjoy when I drink pour-over, this isn’t an Aarke French press issue — more of a general French press issue — so it would be unfair of me to mark it down for that.

Of course, you can adjust the recipe to suit your taste. If you want a coffee that is so bitter it makes you shudder, then you would just increase the coffee dose, or grind finer (obviously not so fine that the grounds clog the filter). One of the best aspects of manual brewing is that you can play with the recipe until you achieve your desired results.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of a vacuum seal, the last coffee was always very bitter and silty. I ended up throwing the last portion away after a few sips. Despite the Aarke’s ability to stay hot for two hours, I couldn’t actually drink this final brew. This is the only major flaw.

Aarke French Press review: How does it compare?

Considering the Aarke French press is $149 — so $20 pricier than the Espro P7 — it doesn’t have as many innovative design features as I would have liked. While this doesn’t majorly impact the functionality of the Aarke, it’s worth noting that you get more for less with the Espro P7.

While you won’t be disappointed with the Aarke — it makes a lovely coffee and is a treat to use — if you want the best of the best, I’d recommend the Espro P7.

Aarke French Press review: Verdict

Although pricey, the Aarke French press works pretty hard to justify its $149 MSRP. By “works pretty hard”, I mean it looks beautiful. Stunning. Iconic. Show-stopping. This is a French press that needs to be left out on the countertop — not out of laziness, but to show it off.

However, the French press is quite overpriced for what it is. Don’t get me wrong — it’s an easy-to-use, functional brewer that makes delicious coffee — but there are similarly priced alternatives that just do a little more. The Espro P7, for example, has a patented vacuum design that prevents silt and bitterness down to the last drop.

If you prioritize looks over innovative features, or if you just want a high-quality yet expensive French press, you won’t be disappointed by the Aarke. It truly does make delicious coffee.