Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker *Starbucks
This is the TOP Watched Coffee Maker on eBay right now for good reason:
As the only coffee-drinker in my house I had originally bought a Bodum Chambord 1923 3-Cup Coffee Maker. Unfortunately, the glass container cracked within a few months. Because I loved the Bodum so much, I looked to see if there was a mostly-plastic model. Indeed there is and I bought the Brazil 8 Cup Unbreakable coffee press.
What you get
What you see is what you get. The Bodum Brazil press comes boxed including the beaker, press and instructions. All this cost around $20. Currently, Amazon lists the 8 Cup Unbreakable model as “unavailable”. The smaller, 3 Cup version is available. Checking the bodumusa web site, there is a possibility Bodum no longer makes the 8 Cup Unbreakable Version. The standard glass beaker is being sold in 8 Cup. According to the Bodum site, their products “are available at fine Kitchen and Specialty stores throughout the US and Canada”.
You should know that Bodum’s cup-size is not what most Americans would call a cup of joe. For Bodum 1 cup = 4 oz. So “8 cups” is more like 3 or 4 depending on the mug. I’m assuming this has to do with European coffee serving sizes, but could not verify this.
How to use
Once you’ve given your French press an initial cleaning, you are ready to make some java. You will need 1) boiling hot water; therefore probably a teapot, and 2) coarsely ground coffee. For each cup of coffee you want to brew, add one well-rounded scoop of coffee to the press (after removing the plunger). Then add the appropriate amount of boiling water (carefully) to the beaker. My first few times, I measured the hot water into my mug first and then to the beaker. Insert the plunger, but do not depress. Let the coffee brew for at least five minutes. Then slowly depress the plunger as far down as it will go. All the grounds are now trapped under the filter and you are ready to pour.
Me like fresh coffee
I love the flavor the Bodum French Press gives me. I can get coffeehouse flavor at home, cheaply. A good way to enhance this experience is to invest in a quality grinder. If your beans are fresh, then grinding right before brewing really skyrockets the flavor.
The lack of heat from the press itself may be prohibitive in some cases. If you’ve made yourself two cups, by the time you finish your first the second may be lukewarm. I don’t mind nuking for reheating. I personally don’t taste any difference. But this is obviously not the best option for an office, for example, where you want to keep a pot warm for whoever may come by next. But at home, I suppose a thermos might be useful.
I also love that the Unbreakable version is 100% dishwasher safe. This model has lasted me over 4 years! And it’s relatively small size allows me to store it away and get one more thing OFF my countertop.
The Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker has really been a great value that I highly recommend giving a try.
