Espro
P3 French Press
About the product
Is the Espro P3 worth it?
Espro is well-known by coffee aficionados for its innovative, award-winning dual micro-filter system that removes most of the unpleasant grit other French presses leave behind. The Espro P3 is the more affordable model in their lineup, giving consumers a taste of premium coffee at the same price point as traditional French presses.
The BestReviews Testing Lab put the P3 through its paces, rating it on ease of use, design and, most of all, brew quality. Despite some drawbacks stemming from its plastic-and-glass construction, such as middling heat retention, the Espro P3’s cleaner-tasting and low-sediment coffee makes it a winner, especially at its attractive price.
What is the Espro P3 French Press?
Product Specifications
Weight: 1.8 lb | Capacity: 32 oz | Dimensions: 6.1" L x 4.3" W x 9.5" H | Material: Glass and plastic | Dishwasher-safe: Yes
The Espro P3 French Press is an entry-level French press that uses an innovative dual-filter system to produce cleaner, smoother coffee than traditional French presses. It’s composed of a removable heat-resistant glass carafe in a polypropylene plastic cage with handle; a plastic lid and stainless steel rod screw into the dual filters. Its 32-ounce capacity makes 24 ounces of coffee or three 8-ounce cups in about four minutes of brewing time.
Pros
- Dual filter system: Like other Espro French presses, the Espro P3 uses an innovative two-filter system to strain out coffee grounds, with a silicone seal to help prevent overbrewing. This results in cleaner, less bitter coffee with far less sediment than traditional French presses, a claim we verified in our testing.
- Affordable cost: The Espro P3 is the lowest-priced Espro French press (all other Espro models, with the exception of their Travel French Press, cost over $100), allowing coffee drinkers who watch their wallets the ability to benefit from the Espro dual-filter design without spending significantly more than traditional French presses.
- Attractive design: Although only made of glass and polypropylene plastic, the Espro P3 has a modern design with contemporary lines that set it apart from other French presses in its price range.
Cons
- Mediocre heat retention: The Espro P3 didn’t retain heat as well as other French presses we tested, especially the ones featuring insulation like its more expensive sibling the Espro P7. From an initial brewing temperature of 193 degrees, it dropped to 150 degrees after 30 minutes and 128 degrees after 60 minutes, which is cooler than most people like their coffee.
- Excess liquid: Espro’s dual-filter system with its silicone seals prevents around 6 ounces of liquid from being poured as coffee. This excess liquid complicates cleaning and may feel somewhat wasteful.
- Non-premium feel: Despite its attractive design, the plastic parts of the P3 certainly lack a premium feel, and the glass carafe is loose by design inside the plastic cage, which makes it appear a little unstable.
Who is it for?
The Espro P3 seems geared toward coffee fans who want the benefits of Espro’s dual-filter innovation and the cachet of the Espro brand, but who don’t want to spend significantly more than they would for a traditional French press such as one from Bodum.
How we tested
We used a standardized recipe of 8 grams of medium-ground supermarket coffee per 1 ounce of 200-degree hot water to test the Espro P3. With an instant-read thermometer, we took temperature measurements of the coffee in the P3 immediately after brewing and at subsequent 30-minute intervals for two hours to see how quickly the coffee cooled. We evaluated the brewed coffee not just on taste, but also on body, clarity, opacity and sediment left behind. We noted how easy or difficult the P3 and its dual-filter system was to clean, and we ran it through the dishwasher at least three times to see how it held up to wear. We also evaluated the P3 on materials used, design attractiveness and fit and finish.
Price and where to buy
The Espro P3 French press costs $39.95 and is available from Amazon and direct from Espro.
Espro P3 French Press instructions
To brew coffee in the Espro P3, follow these steps:
- Screw both filters onto the Espro’s lid and plunger rod. You can add a paper filter between them if desired.
- Measure out enough ground coffee for about four 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee. Place this in the glass carafe.
- Heat 32 ounces of water to between 200 and 205 degrees.
- Pour the water into the carafe and mix with the grounds. Place the lid and filters on the carafe but don’t press. Wait for four minutes.
- After four minutes, press down until both filters have reached the bottom of the carafe. All the grounds should be captured behind the filter seal.
- Pour coffee, making sure to keep the carafe from shifting since it’s loosely hooked to the plastic cage.
- To clean, remove the filter and rod. Pour out the excess liquid and grounds into the garbage. Unscrew the filters from the rod and shake off excess grounds. All parts of the Espro P3 are dishwasher-safe on the top rack only; however, Espro cautions that using the dishwasher may shorten the life span of the glass.
How does it compare to other French press coffee makers we tested?
The Espro P3 combined the glass-and-plastic build of lower-priced French presses with the Espro two-filter design. It performed comparably to the Bodum Brazil, but its glass and plastic parts were loose rather than attached. Its coffee was comparable to its more expensive sibling the Espro P7, but it couldn’t match the insulated P7’s heat retention. It’s easier to clean thoroughly than the Bodum Brazil as all its parts disassemble easily.
Is the Espro P3 French Press worth it?
When the quality of its coffee, with low sediment and clean flavor, is taken into account, the Espro P3 provides a compelling value compared to similarly priced glass-and-plastic French presses. It makes a good case for delivering a superior cup of coffee in an easier-to-clean design than traditional French presses at only a few dollars more.