After weeks of searching for a stainless steel coffee press and reading every review submitted--I really appreciate product reviews: good and bad--I finally found a press that I thought would work...and it does! In fact, it makes an excellent pot of coffee. It is also very beautiful. It looks like a silver coffee pot you might find on the room-service tray at a 4-star hotel: classic art deco design. The generous spout allows you to pour the coffee without dripping and the large handle makes it easy to hold securely. The pot is polished stainless steel, made in China by a British firm with, obviously, very exacting standards; there are no flaws, dents, or unfinished surfaces. It has a smooth and seamless appearing surface throughout: inside and outside and it can sit proudly on any tray or table.
Following my accident with my glass Bodum press (it exploded and I received 1st and 2nd degree burns), I was a little leery about pressing down on the plunger when I made my first pot. No need to worry; it slid down like a dream: smoothly and easily. So easily that I thought it might not have captured all the coffee grounds. (The one drawback in using a metal pot is not being able to see the grounds being pressed.) No need to worry, as I discovered when I cleaned the pot, all the grounds had been captured by the stainless, mesh filter and there was little if any water with the grounds in the bottom of the pot. By the way, this press must be hand washed and dried: it cannot be put into a dishwasher.
The only feature that did not seem to "work" for me was the keep-warm feature. I did not make a full pot (which probably contributed to the cooling down of the brew); but, I did make enough for two mugs of coffee--about 20 oz.--and I drank the second cup within ten minutes. The second cup was not as hot as the first one. I did rinse the pot with very hot tap water before putting the ground coffee into the pot and I placed it on a hot pad so my tiled counter would not cool the pot. However, this pot is double-walled and the air pocket is what "keeps the coffee warm"; it is not a thermos pot. The pot is hefty; but, not as heavy as it would be if it was a thermos or glass-insulated pot. Not having the glass insulation might be a good thing: nothing to break should I drop it; therefore, it should last a very long time. I think the warming aspect would be better triggered if one was making a full pot and using--as the instruction booklet suggests--water "just off the boil." That is, the water for this coffee press should be boiled; it will cool down when it hits the pot and the heat is absorbed by the air pocket.
Oh, yes, the coffee from this elegant press--it was the best! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this great press to anyone. Yes, it is a little more expensive than the glass presses; but, I don't have to worry about it exploding or breaking.
July Update: I have made many full pots of coffee since my initial review and I can safely say that my coffee did stay very warm; that is, very drinkable--for up to 2 hours--and the pot stayed cool to the touch. I did use water just off the boil; I think that certainly helped. I really do like this coffee press!
After trying out (and reviewing) several other stainless steel coffee presses, I guess I'm keeping this one. It's all metal, (unlike the awful new Bodums that use a plastic frame for the screen) solid enough, and does the job for less than half the price of some of the other presses. It's pleasing to the eye, from a distance at least.
Is it well made? No, not really. The brazing that connects the handle with the pot is sloppy, the join is cut at an uneven angle and bent, and the metal of the pot is rippled and distorted at the handle join. The polish job is very rough. It's obvious that this thing was put together in a Chinese sweatshop without a lot of pride in craftsmanship. I find it absurd to compare this cheap, tinny pot to a real handcrafted silver serving vessel. It's like people have lost all understanding of quality... Don't kid yourself; this is a low-quality item that will do the job, period. And considering that the Frieling press, while more substantial, also suffered from low quality metalworking, I'll stick with this one and save a couple bucks. The strainer on this pot is a cheap imitation of the Bodum piece with a looser, thinner screen, but thankfully shares the same thread size, so a real (old-school) Bodum 3-piece stainless screen can be screwed on in place of the stock one.
On the positive side, the spout works very well and does not drip, unlike some others. You can rotate the lid and it will cover the opening, presumably keeping your beverage hotter even longer. The handle sits nicely in the hand, and the pot balances and pours well. Although not a vacuum thermos, the double wall design does keep your coffee hotter longer than a single-wall.
So, although not of the quality I'd like, (which apparently does not exist anywhere, at any price) I will be keeping this one, although I am sure every time I see that wonky handle join, I'll cringe a little. Those less fastidious about metalworking will probably like this pot just fine, and I will give it my qualified recommendation as being the best option on Amazon at the moment, for the price, IMO. Good luck!
Buy La Cafetiere TQ080200 Thermique 35 fl oz Coffee Press, Stainless Steel Now
While this product does hold up to its claims of keeping coffee hot, it has poor seams several places throughout the stainless where there are pin holes allowing liquid to get trapped between the stainless thermal layers. For sanitary reasons, I am not using and have ordered a competitor's stainless french press as a replacement. Very unhappy with my purchase.
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All metal filter...no plastic or rubber. I preheated the thing with hot tap water, then made my coffee using fresh ground coffee from a burr mill. Kept the level 1 inch below the spout as instructed. Let it sit for 4 minutes with the lid on and filter up, then pressed it. Poured coffee. Taste was acceptable, similar to Bodum glass carafe.
Twisted the lid closed again to hold in heat. Angled the filter a little to keep the lid sealed better...it isn't a very tight fit, but the angle sealed in the steam acceptably well.
One timed hour later, spun the lid to the pour position and filled another mug. Perfectly hot, even after adding cream. Room temperature was 73 degrees F. Coffee bitterness after grounds stomped to the bottom did not noticeably increase after the one hour.
You'll get at least one hot hour from this maker. That's plenty.
The lid has a hole in the top and bottom for the filter rod to pass through. In theory, you could get gunk in this space, and find it hard to get out. I say poo on that. Flush with hot tap water, hold it upside down, and work the filter rod...the water comes out fine, as would any grinds that get up there if you get carried away with your filter plunging.
Stays hot, makes good coffee, all metal. Go get one and be happy you aren't breaking glass carafes when your guests come over. If you're a glass carafe aficionado, then keep this one in the cupboard for a backup.
If you like my review, send me one million dollars and I'll send you a thank-you card.
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I spent a good while seeking a replacement solution for the last french press when the press itself had broken. I was determined to find another press that was klutz-proof (so not glass), was not plastic, operated with easy pressure, poured cleanly and easily, and made enough coffee for at least two large cups in the morning (cuz some mornings are just rough like that or I'm fortunate enough to have good company to share with). Sounds impossible, right? Until you look at the product I'm reviewing and notice it satisfies all of those parameters!
What makes me even more giddy about investing in this particular press is that the construction is S-O-L-I-D. The metal has heft to it it is at least 18/8 stainless, but unmarked and the handle and the spout are very artfully, cleanly welded onto the body, and chased back to smooth, as you would expect of a piece of jewelry. And the double walled feature of this product doesn't stop at the pitcher; even the lid is an enclosed air pocket, making not only for better warmth retention, but also a more pleasant cleanup experience. Can you imagine having permanent dampness caught in the thickness of the lid? Doubtless infuriating.
Total bonus that it's damn pretty and I want to leave it out in view. The only disparaging things I have to say about it are that it's not dishwasher-safe (which is understandable), and not USA designed & manufactured (...which is sadly expected: UK-designed, Chinese-manufactured).
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My first impression of this roast was that it was bitter. But the aftertaste was so compelling, it drew me to drink more. And more. And after about half a cup, I realized that the bitterness that I was tasting was nothing more than the flavor of fresh hazelnuts.
