Kona French Press Coffee Maker: Great Coffee, Better Price

The French press is a timeless classic that’s been brewing delicious and robust coffee for over a century. If you’ve recently decided to join the French press club and want to start with a budget model, there’s no reason to sacrifice great coffee. The simple design of this coffee maker means that even some of the most affordable options are well worth a look.

Today, I’m reviewing the Kona French Press, a perfect example of a bargain-priced brewer that doesn’t skimp on coffee quality – and with a fun design to boot.

The Full Kona French Press Review

I always recommend French press coffee makers to newly enthusiastic coffee lovers. They’re reliable, versatile, and easy to use – a perfect introduction to brewing amazing coffee at home. 

The Kona is a basic French press pot with a steel filter and a glass carafe, but it stands out from the crowd thanks to its affordable pricing and a few quirky design touches. Read on for the details.

How We Rated It

• Build Quality
• Features
• Coffee Flavor
• Capacity
• Value for money

4

• See On Amazon

Design And Materials

The Idylc Homes Kona French press has a high-quality borosilicate glass carafe, which is a standard choice for glass coffee makers because it is resistant to thermal shock (1). 

One thing I love about glass presses is being able to observe the extraction process. On the flip side, glass is notoriously fragile. The design and construction of the Kona press do an impressive job of balancing these two factors. 

The BPA-free plastic frame that swirls around the exterior helps a little in protecting the glass carafe while still allowing an unobstructed view of the brew. Sold in basic black or vibrant red, it also gives this brewer a funky and unique look that you’ll want to show off on your kitchen counter. It’s capped with a BPA free plastic lid and a soft-touch rubber plunger knob.

A slightly more expensive version features a shiny stainless steel frame and silver lid. It has a much more elegant look, but I thought it felt like a less protective design than the plastic option. Plus, it’s only microwave-safe with the detachable frame removed.

The heatproof handle is a similarly smart mix of form and function. Its wavy design isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it’s an ergonomic and comfortable handle for a variety of hand sizes.

Cleaning a French press is always a pain, especially those made from borosilicate glass. You don’t want to bang them too aggressively to get all the coffee grounds out. This is still true for the Kona press, but at least once you’ve scraped the grounds into the compost, the brewer itself is easily disassembled and dishwasher safe.

Heat Retention

This single-walled glass coffee press doesn’t have any thermal insulation, so it’s not the best choice for those who enjoy their coffee piping hot. It cools quickly, even while coffee making. In my tests, the brew water temperature dropped from 200 to 192 ℉ during a four-minute steep time. I’d suggest drinking your coffee within 30 minutes of brewing or decanting it into a thermos or travel mug. 

This is always a good practice for French press coffee because the grounds at the bottom of the brewer continue to extract even after you press the plunger, eventually yielding bitter-tasting coffee. I usually pour my brewed coffee from the French press into a pitcher to stop the extraction.

Size Options

The Kona French press is available in two sizes: 12 oz and 34 oz. The 12-oz version is perfect for brewing a single large serving or two small cups. The 34-oz model (the most common French press size) is great for serving four people. Both models include a coffee scoop, though I always prefer to measure my coffee with a scale.

Filter Design And Other Features

For any coffee maker, the filter plays a key role in dictating the style of coffee it brews. The Kona press uses the standard 3-piece stainless steel filter system common to nearly every budget French press. It has a medium-fine metal mesh sandwiched between two steel plates on a plunger rod.

The filter assembly in this case is quite tight, and I found that it did a reasonable job of minimizing sediment in the cup. While I definitely encountered some fine sludge at the bottom of my mug, there was none of the grittiness that I’ve experienced when using poorly made coffee presses.

Brewing With The Kona French Press

Making coffee or even iced coffee with this French press is incredibly easy, which is a big part of its appeal (2). French press coffee makers are very forgiving. You can be as serious or relaxed as you want about your recipe and enjoy pretty delicious coffee either way (3).

“At its essence, coffee is just hot water, ground beans and a method to take one away from the other. The French Press reflects this simplicity.” – Caffeine Magazine

Here is my recipe for the 34-ounce press, but feel free to vary the ratio to your own taste:

1. Add 50 grams of coarsely ground coffee beans to the carafe.
2. Add 150 mL of water at 200 ℉ and let it bloom for 30 seconds.
3. Add an additional 750 mL of 200 ℉ water.
4. Steep for 4 minutes
5. Press the plunger and serve.

How Does The Coffee Taste? 

The Kona French Press delivers the bold coffee flavor you expect from any immersion brewer with a metal filter. The fine mesh removes most of the sediment but keeps the coffee oils in the cup, so you’ll enjoy a robust cup of coffee with a heavy body. It’s equally delicious consumed black or with milk or cream.

I generally prefer using glass French presses to brew medium or dark roasts. Dense light roasts are more difficult to extract, usually requiring a finer grind and hotter brew temperature. Given the metal filter and uninsulated body of this press, it is challenging – though not impossible – to properly extract a light roast. 

I’d probably steer you toward one of the coffee presses with an insulated outer shell suggested below if blonde coffee is your preference.

Is The Kona Coffee Maker Worth Its Price?

The plastic Kona French press models are very good value for money. They are among the cheapest presses on the market but still offer a high quality filter, extra thick glass, and clever design. Just beware that even with the extra protection of the sturdy plastic frame, the glass can crack if you’re not careful. The value goes down considerably if you drop your French press in the first month.

The price point of the steel version is harder to justify unless you really love its classy look. It brews identical coffee, feels a little less durable, and is a bit less user-friendly – at about 20% higher cost.

Don’t Buy The Kona Coffee Maker If…

• You want an insulated French press: If you want a French press that can keep your coffee hot for hours, check out the Stanley Stay Hot French Press. Originally designed for camping, it came out on top when I tested the heat retention of dozens of French presses. For something a little smaller and more stylish, the lovely Fellow Clara was the runner-up in that same test.

• You want alternative size options: If the two available sizes of the Kona don’t meet your needs, there are a few alternatives to consider. The Secura Stainless Steel French Press, which I recently named the best French press of the year, comes in 12, 17, 34, and 50-oz sizes. Prefer a glass carafe? The Bodum Chambord has 17, 34, and 51-oz options.

• You want a coffee press for travel: A breakable glass French press is rarely the right choice for hitting the road. If you want a portable French press that doubles as a mug, consider the Espro Travel Press or Bodum Travel Press. Alternatively, if you just want a coffee maker with the durability to take a beating and keep on brewing, the Coffee Gator French Press fits the bill.

The Verdict

The Kona French press coffee maker is an excellent option for a budget French press. Most importantly, its stainless steel filter and tight screen do an impressive job delivering a robust and residue-free brew. But I was equally charmed by its fun appearance, which makes it a modern design statement piece for your coffee bar or a great gift for any stylish coffee lover.

See on Amazon