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- Verified Buyer
I've used a French press (Bodum) for at least 20 years. I've also broken more of their glass bodies than I WANT TO COUNT!!! Yet again another one had broken and while I was looking for another replacement I discovered this stainless steel model. Happiness reigns...and the coffee stays warm for longer than I expected. Works very well. Wish it was made in a larger capacity model.We've had the 2 cup for years and finally upgraded with more coffee drinkers in the hours - just as good. Dishwasher safe. ExcellentI've long preferred the taste of French press coffee to that produced by drip machines. Although I've had a Bodum Chambord press at home for over a decade, two problems limited my use of the press: 1) If more than one mug of coffee is made, the coffee cools down very quickly through the glass walls of the Chambord; 2) I have broken three Chambord FRAMES (plastic) yet the glass beaker survived...pointing to a weakness in the plastic frame. Maybe expansion of the glass when filled with hot water--or in the dishwasher-- stretched the plastic. I bought the Chambord from Starbucks back when they made colored plastic frames. Bodum replaced the frame once. I now have a complete but unsafe Chambord (with cracked frame AGAIN) and a spare beaker from an earlier plastic Chambord, which was a gift (that makes three cracked plastic frames in all, and no broken beakers).Two years ago, I gave a steel Friesling press to friends who own a boat and whose owner is a daily coffee drinker. They were pleased with it. At the time, the thermal properties were less important than having it be unbreakable for marine use.My year old Bosch drip machine is flimsy, makes so-so coffee, and takes up a lot of space on the counter. Setting it up and cleaning it after use takes as much time as using a French press. Browsing through Amazon for a sturdier Chambord with a metal frame, I ran across the Columbia by Bodum. I don't know when it was introduced, but I don't remember it being an option when I bought the Friesling two years ago. I was attracted to the unbreakable steel design, the modest price ($40, not much more than a Chambord of similar size), and the potential to keep coffee warm, though earlier reviewers warned that it doesn't function like a true thermos.That said, it makes delicious coffee. I preheat the container with hot water, which helps retain heat. The Columbia will keep unused coffee drinkably hot for an hour, and warm for about two hours. The top is not insulated, it is only single wall plastic, so one should not think of this as an insulated double wall steel thermos with a French press inside. The plastic chrome top is subject to fingerprint smudging, far more so than the steel container itself. Because the top is of lower quality than the body of the press, I gave it only four stars. All parts are dishwasher safe.Like all French press devices, the coffee uses should be of a coarse grind. Using fine drip ground coffee will result in clogging of the filter, or the filter will not sequester all of the grounds below the coffee when you press the ground to the bottom. Buy a grinder, or use a grinder at the store to grind your whole beans, using the coarse setting. Many of the burr grinders for home use have a dial to adjust the coarseness. If you use a blade grinder, achieving a uniform coarse grind is more difficult and is somewhat of an art; these grinders are better for producing a fine drip grind. I use a an electric Bodum Ibis kettle which boils water in a few minutes.Preparation is the same as for any French press device: pour hot water over coarsely ground coffee, stir with non-metallic utensil, cover, wait five minutes, press grounds to bottom and pour out the coffee.If you want a French press device that can keep your coffee hot for hours, buy this product and pour the coffee into a double wall thermos as soon as the coffee is ready. Or, if you only need the coffee hot for an hour or two, use this device without a thermos.Pro's: beautiful, unbreakable design; makes delicious coffee; when filled to capacity, can make four big mugs or 5-6 small cups of coffee for a small crowd; all parts dishwasher safe; uses far less counter space than a drip machine.Con's: need to use thermos if you want coffee hot beyond 1-2 hours (but much better heat retention than a glass Bodum press); cheap-looking plastic cover whose chrome lid doesn't match the brushed steel and which is subject to fingerprints; you still need a big drip coffee maker or urn if you are serving a big crowd.With respect to the last "con", there are now two drip coffee makers sitting on racks in the garage, used only when there is a crowd. The rest of the time, a stylish steel press sits on the counter in the kitchen, occupying far less space than it's predecessor drip machine ever did. Since there are no plugs, the press can be moved around the kitchen if more counter room is needed for say a baking project. Much easier than unplugging a drip machine and moving it elsewhere without breaking the carafe. Bodum also makes a matching sugar-creamer set for those interested in a complete look.I bought my Bodum over 7 years ago. During a move, after about 3 or 4 years of having it, I mislaid it and bought an Oxo machine which I loved.... until I found my Bodum! I found it recently and coffee made in this French press tastes much better than from the Oxo machine, at a fraction of the initial cost and without the need to purchase filters on an ongoing basis.I am from the UK originally and, when I left, coffee machines were a rarity and French-presses were the way to go. I suspect this is due to the taste being superior, there is no risk of mechanical failure and you don't have to faff around with descaling the machine and buying descaling solutions. The French press is downright effortless!Plus, reading the reviews on here, I found the heat-saving feature in the lid (you can turn the lid to close it, which makes the pot completely insulated), which I had been oblivious to when I used it in the past! Now, my coffee stays warm in the pot as well as tasting great. It also looks stylish and takes up less space than a coffee machine (my Oxo machine is pretty big).I read somewhere to let the water sit for only 4 minutes before plunging and maybe this is why it tastes so good this time around. I have been a coffee drinker for decades and I don't like Starbucks coffee (too bitter). The coffee made in this French press, using the 4-minute method, tastes superior to coffee I have had from any and all coffee machines. I find that I can use cheaper coffee, without sacrificing flavor, so it is a win-win all around.Another thing I have noticed is that I use half the amount of coffee to get 8 cups of strong coffee. I guess this makes sense since the coffee sits in the water for 4 solid minutes, rather than the water simply passing over and through it for the same period of time. I don't understand people who say the Bodum doesn't make superior tasting coffee - simplicity usually is better and it certainly is when it comes to this item.I am so glad I found it and would highly recommend it.I've been using the Chambord 0.5L (17Oz) model for years, but I wanted a thermal one to keep my coffee hot, so I got this one (also 17Oz).It's small. For some reason, the capacity is just a little smaller than the Chambord, but not enough to really matter. I use 4 tablespoons of coarse-ish coffee, and get 3 lungo cups (110ml, 3.75Oz each), the third one being just shy of full. So I'd say about 11Oz of coffee.If you're American, that would be only about one "small" Starbucks "cup" (12Oz).The strainer is inox, but it's held together by some plastic pieces, if that matters to you, and silicon on the edge. It does a better job at keeping the grounds out of the coffee than the all-metal one in my Chambord coffee maker, which doesn't have the silicon ring.The coffee stays hot for about 3 hours and warm after that. I had to microwave my last cup a little as it was lukewarm, but I had it about 5 or 6 hours after I brewed it. The coffee in the Chambord glass got to that level A LOT faster, so that's a win for me.Last but not least, this little thing is beautiful. The only way it could get better is if it had some sort of window to see how much coffee is still in there.ポルトガル製とあったので購入した。製品が届いて洗浄のためお湯を入れた。ところが２重のスレンレスになっていると書いているのに外側が非常に暑い。調査のため説明書を読むとなんと中国製ではないか！ うその宣伝をして売りつけるとはとんでもない会社である。1. The stainless steel non matte version is extremely scratch prone. So, enjoy how it looks when you take it out of the box then forget what it looked like when you took it out the box.1.5 it's a nicely constructed press. The only let down is the lid which feels/is cheaper. There was a better way and they opted for shiny plastic...not ideal.2. Flavour-wise...I use a one cup bodum french press and an aeropress and am pretty consistent/confident with both. Scaling more coffee+more water from the one cup to this didn't work well. I got some very strange flavours out of it. I played around with grind coarseness and that has helped. Just keep an eye out.3. Coffee stays warm a good amount of time. Let down by the aforementioned lid.Sum: decent product. Worth it when on sale. I wouldn't fork over full asking.If you use a French press daily like me, you will eventually come to the conclusion that glass is not the way forward. That’s because whether it’s a quality Bodum one or a cheap supermarket equivalent, they break very easily. Whether you just slightly tap them, knock them, put them in the dishwasher or even just pouring hot water into them they eventually crack after a few months. This Bodum stainless steel is a perfect alternative. Firstly it looks great with its curved design. The lid and filter are not stainless steel but rather than being a cost saver, I think the filter with its silicon edge and plastic mesh works better than a stainless steel filter. No grains of coffee in the bottom of your cup with this French press. Also if you are worried about a metallic taste like I was, be assured that there isn’t one. Besides if you are boiling your water in a stainless steel kettle it will make no difference anyway. If you can get this on special offer like I did, grab it immediately it’s fantastic. Even at full price I would thoroughly recommend. For 2 large mugs of coffee you need the 1 litre size.デザインはいいですが作りが雑です。持ち手のジョイント部分が傷？なのか？でこぼこでした。蓋の中はプラスチック。写真を見る限り全てステンレスに見えますが実際は違います。オールステンレスを探していたためと、高価な割にステンレスの仕上げの悪さ、また、他の方も記載されていますが、ポルトガル製の紹介なのに、中国製という騙しの商品のため返品しました。I’ve now had two of these Bodum Columbia cafetieres which have developed pin-hole leaks on the inner lining, producing whistles when filled, and resulting in coffee penetrating the lining where it contaminates the subsequent brew with a stale coffee taste. When the first leak happened I replaced it with an identical Bodum Columbia cafetieres (I know .... but they do keep coffee good and warm, and they look stylish, and anyway (I thought) it was unlikely to happen again.... wrong!) So when it did happen a second time I emailed Bodum in case a design or materials fault was indicated. They showed no interest, offered no explanation, just said I should contact the retailer. Not impressed with Bodum quality or customer service so won’t be replacing this second one with another Bodum.
