Bodum Chambord Coffee Press
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Bodum Chambord Coffee Press
Customer Review: Avoid cheap imitations...Bodum Chambord is the *original* French press. As the Bodum box says, "Give up bad coffee for good!"
Summary: 5 Stars
The French press has been around for decades in Europe, an easy alternative to pricier espresso machines and Italian stovetop Moka pots. Bodum is the foremost name in quality French press pots (styles include the Chambord, Brazil, Kenya, and Eileen), and the Chambord is the flagship line, available in 3, 4, 8, and 12 cups.
*NOTE*: the "cups" listed on the box refers to the *European* 4-oz. espresso cup, not a 6- or 8-oz. U.S. cup, so the U.S. measurements are: 3 cup = 1.5 U.S. (12 oz.), 4 cup = 2 U.S. (16 oz.), 8 cup = 4 U.S. (32 oz.) and 12 cup = 6 U.S. (48 oz.).
The Chambord press is simple, efficient, and stylish, and most importantly, solidly constructed. Made of a borosilicate beaker and chromed brass with a molded handle, with proper care, it will last for years. Parts are dishwasher safe, but I prefer to hand wash. There are a number of cheap, made-in-China imposters to be found in discount kitchen stores, but these do not compare to the Portuguese-made originals.
Because the French press takes a coarser grind and doesn't use a paper filter, this allows the coffee's oils and essences to be extracted 100% for a full-bodied, intense brew reminiscent of espresso. Unflavoured dark roasts yield the best results.
To make the perfect cup of French press coffee, use one Bodum scoop (2 Tbsp, included) per 4-oz. cup of coffee (coarse grind ONLY). Add hot, not boiling water, stir with a chopstick or plastic spoon, and put the lid on (with the filter pulled to the top in the closed position). Do not press down. Allow grounds to steep for four minutes. Leaving the spout in the closed position, grasp the handle firmly with the spout pointed away from you. Using the flat of your hand, push the handle down *slowly and evenly* (if you shove the handle down, there is a chance that scalding coffee may shoot out!) until the filter is at the bottom of the carafe. Pour and enjoy. Be sure to thoroughly clean the filter after each use. Replacement carafes and filter parts are available from Bodum's website, www.bodum.com. Say goodbye to stale, bland coffee; take the plunge (bad French press pun intended!) with Bodum's Chambord and see what you've been missing!
Customer Review: Excellent coffee requires excellent beans
Summary: 5 Stars
When people say they get as good a cup of coffee from their drip machine as a french press, I'm guessing they're not using very good coffee. With good fresh beans, and the proper grind, a french press produces the best coffee I've had. You can see the oil from the beans ring around your cup in a very slight froth after pressing. There are VERY small solids suspended in the liquid which carry much of the flavor. You can't tell the solids are there unless you let the coffee sit long enough for them to settle out to the bottom. Even then, though by that time your coffee is likely cold, it doesn't lessen the experience and great cup of coffee. A filter filters out all the good stuff: most of the oil and all the very small solids. The press method retains the most flavorful parts of the coffee.
It's easy to make coffee this way. I use a copper kettle on a gas stove and the water boils very quickly. I've timed it from filling the kettle to pouring 1 cup of coffee at less than 6 minutes. Cleanup is very easy, I just immediately rinse the press using the sink sprayer and set aside to dry. I occasionally wash with soap to remove oils that build up on the metal parts of the press.
I give this press 5 stars because it's as good as I've found. Couple of things, one, as another reviewer has stated, when it says 8 cups, that's not going to fill your mug 8 times. I can get a little more than 2 good size cups (not those giant things either) from one full press. Two, making more than one cup makes it a little more difficult to press and the occasional ground gets through. You're not supposed to press too fast anyway, so after a few uses, and with a little patience, you shouldn't get grounds in your cup.
If you are a coffee lover, I highly recommend this method of making coffee and this press. I use bolder, more earthy flavored coffees, such as Sumatra, and this press makes an excellent cup of coffee. French roast is also an excellent coffee prepared in this manner, as are many other types of coffee I've tried. Use a great coffee and good tasting water, and you'll love your coffee this way.
Customer Review: For what it is, can't be beat
Summary: 5 Stars
I usually don't bother taking the time to write a review, but I saw some reviews kind of knocking the french press and so felt compelled. Yes, french press coffee requires a little time, perhaps a little more effort than a Mr. Coffee, but it's well worth it. I've tried just about every coffee brewing apparatus out there and the flavor of a french press cannot be beat. Cleanup is actually very simple and easy: dump the grounds in your garbage or disposal, rinse the plunger in hot water removing all the grounds, clean the carafe like you would a glass or pop it in the dishwasher. For the reviewers who say the plunger is hard to keep clean (it will get mildly stained over time), I'll just point out that the insides of a 5 year old Mr. Coffee are FAR more gross than a french press will ever be.
As for the grind, you want it coarse enough you don't get a lot of grit in the coffee but fine enough for good aroma and flavor. If you grind it yourself, it's worth investing in a burr grinder because you'll get a more even grind than a blade grinder. Let the coffee sit for a minute after plunging to let more grounds settle to the bottom. Pour without sloshing the coffee around in the carafe to minimize grounds in the cup. You'll always get a few grounds, I usually just toss the last 1/2 inch in the cup.
Long story short -- a french press isn't about making coffee faster or easier, it's about taking the time in life to indulge yourself with excellent tasting coffee. I give the product 5 stars because it does exactly what it should do, it's simple, relatively well made, and looks great too. One catch -- beware of over-tightening the screen to the end of the plunger (it screws on) -- too tight and you'll either strip the threads or need pliers to remove it. 8 cup model is good for 3 people, for serving 4 or more people regularly get the 12 cup model.
Customer Review: Whats that smell?
Summary: 5 Stars
Weird title I know, but that was my reply this morning when my husband presented me with a cup of coffee from our traditional perculator. I recieved the Bodum Coffee press for my birthday a couple weeks ago and have had nothing but fresh pressed cups of coffee until this moring, when hubbie a less coffee anthusiatic drinker decided to use the old pot. I love the man, but a girl needs a good cup of coffee in the morning and unless its pressed- it just ain't good. Yet, the taste improvement isn't the only benefit.
We don't own a microwave, just don't cook in them and don't see the point of taking the counter space, so in the past we would make a full pot of coffee in the morning and rewarm it in the pot when we wanted more later. The result old coffee that took forever to have. Now I can have a cup anytime during the day in as little as 10 minutes, its fresh , its hot and its there when I want it.
Other benefits? We're a little earthy, bet u didn't guess that when I said no microwave, so I compost, coffee ground are great for the earth, now when I finish making a pot I just empty the grounds directly into the composting bin- old pot they just kinda sat there until the next pot was made and at that point- they would be dried out and though still good for compost, laking the required mosture you need to add every once and a while.
another benefit- portability- whether your going camping or to a family get together it comes along easily, doesn't require electricity, and is easy to clean up. In exchange for some hot water, I'm slow converting friends and family to the delicious difference between pressed coffee and piculated.
One last benefit- its fairly resonably priced,I say reasonably b/c there are cheaper purculators out there but as far as press pots this one falls in teh middle to low price range.
Customer Review: Newsflash- glass tends to break if you bang it against something.
Summary: 5 Stars
Why does everyone seem to break bodum glass french presses? I really don't get it. These glasses aren't thick, but they're not so thin that they shatter so easily either. I've had 2 of them in the past 3 years and neither of them broke even though I use the press several times a week. I gave one away to a friend after a year of use and replaced it with this one because I needed a smaller size. I don't treat them especially delicate either. I treat them just like my glass cups. As long as you don't drop it or crash it into something hard it doesn't break. hmm. Maybe everyone is just so used to using plastic in their kitchen's now that they don't know how to not bang things into their glass items anymore?? Yes- we're only human and we can't always be sure we won't accidentally break our glass items by dropping them or accidentally having them hit something, but it's unreasonable to give an item made of glass a low rating because you bumped it against a hard surface and it cracked. While we're at it why don't we give pots & pans a low rating because they get dangerously hot on the stove? It's glass! so yes if you're not careful it will break. But this holds up great under hot temperatures, never gets cloudy no matter how often you run it through the dishwasher (unlike plastic), never holds odors or stains (unlike plastic), never absorbs the coffee bean oils which inevitably leaves trace residue behind (unlike plastic) and most importantly - doesn't have the health concerns associated with plastic which is long suspected to seep dangerous chemicals into food products when heated- and we are using hot water here. My presses have held up well and if the day ever comes where I do end up brushing it up against a doorknob or something- I'll buy a new one- Cuz it's glass.