Timeless in design and function
The french press is a staple in any coffee lover's setup of makers or brewers. This timeless piece of engineering creates a great, full-bodied cup without all the hassle of perfecting pouring techniques or needing a large budget or space with more elaborate setups. All that's needed is the french press, a decent scale, beans along with the grinder (to control your grind size), and a way to heat water. This is usually a coffee lover's gateway into brewing cups other than instant coffee at the supermarket. It's not too difficult to use, and the cups are usually consistent and end up being less frustrating in the long run compared to pour-overs.It would be advisable to stick with darker or medium roasts with a french press since you're aiming for full-bodied cups which contain more oils and fines. A super expensive grinder is not necessary, which makes an entry-level grinder such as a Hario with ceramic burrs, or a pentagonal stainless steel burr hand grinder (i.e. Timemore C2, Hario Smart G Pro) decent options. This plays into the affordability factor, though a more expensive burr hand grinder is always welcome.After all the frustration as well as fulfillment that goes along with pour-over coffee equipment, as well as brewers, it's great to go back to more simple methods. Paper filters are also not necessary, which makes one less thing to worry about. The cups are great to drink with its high temperature and full-bodied flavor. Clean up isn't too bad with this french press either. It also makes a great cup of tea if you're using loose-leaf. Aside from the functionality, it looks amazing on your kitchen counter.
✔ Verified Purchase
P
P. B. Reynolds
June 30, 2005
Sleek, Rugged, Simple Machine, & a Revelation For Luddite Coffee-Lovers!
There are myriad reasons why I chose to finally invest in this strange little product that I had heard so much about from coffee experts on the web. First of all, like many other reviewers here, I only have a small number of coffee-drinkers in the household (in my case, my father and I). Most drip makers are built to hold MASSIVE quantities of our beloved go-go juice, and therefor, take up a great deal of counter space, which is of no use to us at all. Also, many of the el-cheapo drip makers that we had bought in the past worked great...for about three weeks, then broke down (The Melitta "Take Two" and the Hamilton Beach Brewstation are great machines, but they didn't prove to be very durable for us.) And finally, to be frank, we've recently had a bit of a roach problem localized to our kitchen, and Dad was paranoid that one of the little pests might sneak into and contaminate a drip-pot, as there's very rarely any kind of seal on them to prevent such occurences.But I was unwilling to let any of these setbacks stand in the way of my favorite, and by far most delicious morning ritual, so my mind drifted back to the French press pot, that low-tech contraption from Bodum that has been around, in the same exact design, since the 1930's. That got me very, very interested. I consider myself somewhat of a Luddite, and I thoroughly believe that many things were just done better back in the old days, and that, in the Modern Age, we've traded quality for convenience and charm for instant gratification. In fact, only the massively galvanizing rush to the cerebral cortex produced by the coffee I just drank has motivated me to crank my newfangled computerola machine into power and set my electronic tele-type mechanism to stamping out a product review! Now if I can just find where to lay the stone tablet.Hehe. OK, enough with the levity. Let's get down to what you really want to know. Is this a good product? YES! It's everything I expected and more. First of all, this thing isn't just low-tech, it's NO-tech. It's made of glass with a metal frame and a steel filter. You never have to SEE another paper filter again, and best of all, no electricity required, and no computerized parts or timers to malfunction after three weeks of moderate use. This baby is as rugged and ready for adventure as almost any kitchen implement you could think of. In fact, I may finally be able to have coffee on my camping trips, which is a very thrilling thought.There are a few reviewers who have suggested that the task of boiling water in a separate vessel is a bit of work, and this may be true if you like your coffee really, REALLY hot. I don't need to boil water. I just get a heavy-duty pyrex measuring glass and pop it in the microwave for three minutes! You may want to wear an oven mit when removing it from the microwave, but it should be plenty hot for you, plus if you use a measuring glass, you have the added advantage of eventually learning the precise amount of water to add for your own perfect cup, as it's quite a subjective thing.Remember when I said that there were only two coffee-drinkers in my family? Well, that's yet another detail that makes me think that this press pot thing was created specifically with folks like me in mind. Not only are there not many coffee-drinkers in the house, but neither of us are multiple-cuppers. I never have more than one good stiff mug a day, because I'm too much of a whimp to handle the caffiene (oh the shame!) This press is perfect for two people to enjoy large mug-sized portions, or for one coffee-drinker to have a tall tumblerful for a hectic day at school, the office, or just wherever. This would be ideal for a studio apartment or dorm room.Oh, and did I mention that this thing is BEAUTIFUL?! I don't know what it is, but it looks like a charming antiquity, something that you might see on a civilized British club-car aboard a dignified old passenger train, being passed around for serving among several avuncular-looking gentlemen with grey hair, handlebar mustaches, three-piece suits complete with vest-fobs, and monocles. Sometimes, I don't know whether I should brew coffee in this thing, or polish it and put it in my china cabinet. But don't let the piece's dainty appearance give you the idea that it's a nere fragile curio, to be protected in a velvet-lined box and fussed over. The Bodum Chambord Press Pot is made of heat-resistant laboratory-grade glass. You can brew with it until Doomsday, and it'll stay in tip-top shape. And if it doesn't, Bodum offers replacement parts by mail. Now that's a company that's confident in their product!A word to the new-age folks out there who just want to be able to flip a switch and have coffee on demand. This machine probably isn't what you're looking for. Some people would say that it's more work, but really, I think it's just more fun. It's like going to a grocery store to buy a candle as opposed to the old-timey way of dipping one yourself (which I did on a tour of a North Carolina plantation some years ago.) The old way is more "work", but it's more play as well, and there's a certain level of pride in knowing that you took part in such a time-honored and historical ritual yourself.I read a lot of Amazon reviews before finally deciding to try the product, and I was terrified at all the comments warning how difficult this little gizmo is to clean. Once I got one for myself (and I'm a fairly lazy guy, to be honest with you), I was shocked. What are y'all talking about? This is ridiculously simple to clean, and there isn't even any of that nonsense with having to run vinegar through it once a month like with those pesky drip-makers. All you need is running water and a steady hand. Maybe you could use a little scrubber brush every week or so, but this thing is surprisingly low-maintenance. Don't be daunted by the comments stating otherwise.OK, now for the best part. The coffee made with the Bodum Chambord Press is some of the most heavenly, mild, even, smooth, and full-bodied coffee I've ever enjoyed from ANY source/brewing technique. And, having been accustomed to convenience store coffee for the last several months, the step up was like that of a music listener going from Lindsay Lohan CD's to Billie Holiday on glorious vinyl. Once you've been to the mountaintop of richness, texture, quality, and substance, you won't want to go back to the valley of blandness, lack of depth, and thorough mediocrity. No offense to Lindsay Lohan fans. They're not bad, they (like instant coffee drinkers) just don't know what they're missing out on. ;-)
✔ Verified Purchase
W
W. Warshauer
February 10, 2008
Upgrade from drip coffee
I was always very curious about the french press method of brewing coffee, but never really got into it. Being away from my espresso machine, I really wanted to try something that was simply better than drip. I thought about getting the aeropress, but decided instead for the french press. Boy am I happy. So why is the french press method than drip you ask? Quite simple...*No paper filter! Coffee has a lot of natural oils in it that carry a lot of flavor. Using a paper filter traps those oils, so they never get expressed in the cup. The french press method produces a coffee that is much richer and fuller in body than any drip coffee I have ever had. I feel like I'm drinking coffee instead of cream and sugar.*Complete control over the brewing process. You control the grind, you control the temperature of the water and you control how long the water is contact with the grinds.*Steeping vs. Drip. Using a drip, the water goes through the grinds and out. Very little prolonged contact with the water. Also, it's very common to see channels develop in the basket which leads to underextraction. With the press, all the grounds are completely submerged within the water for however long you decide. Better extraction, just don't let them sit in there too long.Sometimes you hear of people complaining that there are too many grinds left in the cup using a press. Here is some good advice: "Don't skimp on the grinder". Toss your whirly-blade away (or relegate it to spices) and get yourself a burr grinder. I use a rocky with my french press, but you don't have to buy a $300 grinder for french press. You'll probably want to spend no less than 60. I've heard good things about the antiqua from bodum, the infinity from capresso and pretty much anything in the baratza line-up. Why such an expensive grinder you ask? Well you need to grind your own for any method of coffee brewing you use (throw the folgers out the door), but you need a fairly consistent grind. Whirly-blades will give you a lot of dust and coffee boulders; neither are very good for coffee brewing. Also, if you think that there is any possibility you might one day venture out into the world of espresso, go for no less than the gaggia mdf, or better yet a rocky. Nothing below those two will give you a grind for espresso. (End grinder tirade) Using a good grinder, the amount of grinds in the cup will be exceptionally minimal. You do get a little bit of coffee dust into the cup, but it's hardly noticeable and usually settles out into the very bottom of the cup. The filter on the press does a very nice job of keeping the grounds out.I read somewhere in one of the amazon reviews that the press doesn't go down far enough to really press the coffee. I'm not sure how much coffee this person was using, but I use slightly less than the recommended amount and I am able to press the grounds quite firmly.This particular 3-cup model will make about 8-10 oz of brewed coffee. You can't quite get all 12oz of water in with the grounds, and some of the water gets soaked up in to the grounds. This is the perfect amount for me, since I only drink one cup-a-day, but if you drink more, go for a bigger model. Make sure not to leave the brewed coffee sitting in the press. Pour out any you don't drink immediately into some kind of thermal carafe to keep it warm. The unit itself solid enough. Obviously the glass is breakable, so don't go bouncing it off the floor. Cleanup is pretty easy. I rinse out the press, put some soap in the bottom, fill with water, and plunge up and down a few times and let it set while I drink my coffee. Make sure you keep the press clean, previously brewed coffee grounds are very good at ruining your coffee.As far as how to brew french press, check out the guide over at coffeegeek, but also look at the Illy method of preparation as they detail on their site. Decide which one you like better.The only improvement I would like to see would be some sort of thermal insulation to keep the coffee warm while it brews. The coffee is still hot when I'm ready to pour into the cup, but it would still be nice. Make sure to preheat your press with some how tap water. Bodum does make thermal french presses, but they come at a higher price point.Overall, great little brewer that comes at a very affordable price-point. Pair this with a good grinder as some freshly roasted beans (you're not still using folgers are you?), and you've got a recipe for excellent coffee.
✔ Verified Purchase
