I seem to be trying every coffee press on Amazon, with dismal results. After breaking _another_ glass Bodum french press, we decided to go to stainless steel. The problem is that all the stainless press pots so far have high prices, combined with quality issues, as detailed in my other reviews. Now for this one:Okay, first, it does not come with a "3-part stainless screen" as described. Actually, it comes with a one-piece screen assembly with a silicone edge gasket and stainless screen material molded into a plastic frame. If you have an old 3-part stainless screen assembly lying around (from a broken glass Bodum, perhaps...) you can screw that on, as the threads are the same size, or just use the whole assembly, lid and all.
Personally, I don't at all appreciate plastic in my food, much less in my scalding hot coffee. There is no safe amount of plasticizer for the human body to contain, and all plastics release chemicals, most especially when heated and in contact with hot liquids. BPA is just the tip of the iceberg... YMMV, FYI, IMO, etc.
Anyway, I don't appreciate the inaccurate description, let alone the cheap, plastic construction. So this one is going back.
The body of the thing is solid, for sure, and looks to be indestructible, other than the handle, which wiggles a bit... Probably sturdy enough for careful use, but not super solid. The picture makes it look nice and smooth, but my example has a bunch of ripples at the angle between the upright section and the angled bottom. Compared to the picture online, mine looks like the "before" picture with abdominal flab.
The lid assembly is pretty bad; there's a cheaply-stamped little triangle in the lid, which mars the smooth look, and is presumably intended to indicate the direction of the plastic grill underneath that permits pouring. But that plastic bit underneath is not connected to the metal top, so they can and do rotate independently, making the stamped triangle useless. The two bits are attached by a plastic clip that also serves as the bushing for the shaft, so you could maybe disassemble it and glue the parts together. The rubbery plastic top button screws directly onto a metal shaft, and looks sure to strip out and loosen.
I'd keep it if it weren't for the plastic screen and chintzy lid, but the cellulite-like rippling on the main body isn't very attractive, either. Ah, market forces and their inexorable pressure for lower quality! My search for a solid, 100% metal, well-made large coffee press continues.
Buy Bodum Presso Doublewall Stainless Steel Thermal 8 Cup Coffee Press, 34-Ounce Now
Bodum makes a great French Press.1. The coffee stays hot long enough for me to drink it all. Yes, one person can drink 34 ounces of coffee in 2 hours. 2. The filter screen works well with the rubber or silicone gasket around the edge. 3. You can actually pour from the press into a cup without spilling coffee. The Bunn was ridiculous when it came to pouring. 4. Did I mention Hot? The coffee is much hotter than any drip pot to begin with. It can stay hot 3 hours in an insulated mug. 5. The stainless steel will not be easy to damage.
Anything I don't like? The top has a lot of plastic in it, so you want to be careful how you store it, I usually keep it in the press after rinsing. The filter screen is plastic too.
I've owned this item 7 weeks and use it daily. I give it 5 stars because it meets or exceeds my expectations.I bought this Bodum as part of my continuing quest to find a simple, reliable coffee maker that doesn't hog up counter space. My first pot was made with store bought coffee that was a little too fine. The solution was to put the grounds in one of those Japanese, fill it yourself disposable tea bags. Worked great and the double wall on the pot keeps the coffee warm long enough for my needs.
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I had a glass version of this but it broke after 6 months. I loved the french press coffee enough to splurge for the stainless version. It keeps the coffee hot for at least an hour.I kept the stainless mesh filter from the glass press because some reviewers had a problem with the plastic framed version that comes with this press; said that it was flimsy and broke. So far I've had no problems with it. It seems robust and is easier to clean; you don't have to disassemble it to clean it (it is a circular plastic frame with plastic spokes to help support the stainless steel mesh which is molded into the plastic).
Other reviewers had a problem with having to press hard to depress the plunger. That has only happened twice in the roughly 200 times I've used it. Not sure why it did that because the grind setting is always the samevery fine on the Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder. One possibility is that the plastic swells in the hot water if it is placed in the carafe while the coffee steeps for 4 minutes. I usually leave it off until I press the coffee. This is because I use water just below the boiling point and the coffee is too hot to drink right away if I put the lid on before the 4 minutes. It cools just enough without the lid so I can sip it right away after pressing it.
After years of drinking inconsistent and usually poor tasting drip coffee I'm so glad my wife bought me the original press for Christmas. I love the taste. Definitely worth the little bit of extra work.
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