Single-serve coffee meets French press flavors in the Barista & Co One Brew Coffee Maker

As a bit of a French press fanatic, I was thrilled when the Barista & Co One Brew arrived at my door. It promises single-servings of super smooth coffee, packed into a neat, petite carafe.

Even though I've tested the best French presses on the market, this is one that I know will stand out among them all. It's rare that you get a single-cup carafe, especially one with such thoughtful design features and thorough filtration.

If you like bold rich coffee in small quantities, this might be the coffee maker for you. Here's how it stood up in my tests.

Specifications

Unboxing

The One Brew arrived in a tiny box. It's so compact that thought that it was maybe an accessory from one of the other coffee makers. However, sure enough, once I had opened the box, I could see this lovely, petite coffee maker inside.

All of the packaging was recyclable, except for some small padding around the delicate handle. The cardboard box was easy to get rid of and the small amount of non-recyclable packaging isn't exactly inconvenient.

As you might expect, there's very little in the way of setting up with the One Brew, but I’d recommend reading through the instructions. Barista & Co supply lots of useful tips on how to use the One Brew including how long to brew your coffee for, the perfect grind size, and how to make cold brew in it. The instructions are, for once, a great resource to have if you want to make the most out of your money. 

Who would it suit?

If you like French press but only want to make one cup at a time, you’ve probably been struggling to find a good coffee maker. Well, here it is. This compact French press delivers all the flavors that you’ll find in your French press, just without demanding the same space in your cupboards and on your countertop. 

It’s also a great investment to make if you don’t like cleaning your French press. It’s not a fun job, but the way that the filter sits in the One brew means that you won’t end up with coffee grounds stewing in and staining your filter.

It goes without saying that this isn’t the French press that’s going to serve the whole family. It’s tiny, but there are plenty of other, bigger alternative French presses on the market that you could use. This is more travel-friendly and suitable for single servings. 

What is it like to use?

Everything about the One Brew is easy. I placed a scoop of coarsely ground coffee into the bottom of the carafe and filled up to the line marked on the side.

The instructions recommend leaving the coffee to brew for six minutes before placing the filter, and lid, on top and pressing it. The fine, stainless steel filter neatly removed all of the grounds and grains from my coffee as I poured it into my cup. 

You’ll have some water left at the bottom of your carafe, but don’t be tempted to tip out every last drop. This is designed to leave some at the bottom like you would with a French press. This means that your coffee won't taste grainy unless you get greedy and try to drink every last drop. It’s tempting, but don't do it.

My One Brew coffee was absolutely beautiful. The flavors were bold and acidic with some nice balance. I can’t help but think that the absence of the plunger gave it a slightly lighter, if I’m being critical, weaker flavor profile than you might expect from French press. It was like a filter or pour-over take on French press coffee, which suits me absolutely fine, but is nonetheless worth noting.

Cleaning, storage, and maintenance

I’ve already sung the praises of the One Brew for both cleaning and storage. The position of the filter means that you don’t get any wet grounds staining and sticking in your filter, so all you have to do is put the grounds in your food waste and rinse out the rest of the OneBrew.

If you’ve got space in your cupboards for a coffee cup, you’ve got space for one of these. It’s tiny and, if it wasn’t glass I’d say that it’s perfectly portable too. I imagine that plenty of people are happy to pack it in a suitcase, briefcase, or handbag. I just know myself and it would end up in shards at the bottom of my bag.

How does it rate online?

Whilst there's not a lot of literature on the One Brew online, there is still some. People praise the One Brew for its simple and effective design. Everyone says that it makes a good cup of coffee, although some found that the grounds block the filter holes, making it slow to pour from. To avoid this, don't have steep angles with your pouring until you absolutely have to. I found the same issue, but only as I was really tilting the One Brew to get my coffee out.

Honestly, aside from the filter blocking, there's nothing but love for this. People particularly liked how user-friendly it was. I found lots of people who used this were intimidated by other coffee makers, opting for this because of its sheer simplicity.

How does it compare?

If someone was looking for single-servings of French press coffee, I'd normally recommend them the Espro P3 (available at QVC). This is compact, reasonable value, and also uses a permanent filter. Whilst the flavors are ever so slightly closer to an authentic French press, the One Brew has actually supplanted the Espro in our French press buying guide.

The Espro is great for purists, but the One Brew is so simple to use. It's easier to clean up after, feels just as premium, and can brew a delicious cup of coffee too. Plus, it's even cheaper than the Espro.

If you like the convenience of the One Brew, but need more capacity, I'd recommend either the OXO French press, which has a neat Grounds Lifter to help with the clean-up. It's reasonable value, neatly designed, and really easy to use. If you want something a little more premium, the Fellow French press is just as easy to use (with an even neater filter), but it's five times the price.

Should you buy it?

If you’re the sole French press drinker in your home, looking for speciality, single-serve coffee, this is a stellar choice. You’ll love it and use it all of the time. I’m quite smitten with mine. However, if you need capacity and super strong flavors, you’ll be better off investing in a more traditional French press. 

How we test

At Homes & Gardens, we are incredibly thorough in how we test coffee makers. For French presses, we make notes on everything, from unboxing to cleaning up, and, most importantly, how easy it is to make a delicious cup of coffee in one of these.

We use coarsely ground coffee and water at 190 degrees, following a uniform process so that we can make fair comparisons between each coffee maker that we test. Once we're satisfied with the flavors, we'll look at the value of the French press as well as how it compares to other options on the market. That way, you'll be able to make an informed decision about which French press you want to invest in.