The Coveted Coffee Press

Published on Thursday, December 6, 2007, by Meredith Arthur / Edit Post

I desperately want a new coffee maker. My husband and I currently use a junky French press with the word Euroware etched goofily onto it that I got as a freebie at a food show years ago. I kept it packed away until I was forced to bring it out: I don’t drink coffee every morning, but he does. And now we’re stuck with it … until one of us accidentally drops it into the garbage can. When that happens I plan to campaign for something that looks nice, and makes good coffee—like this clean and slick-looking double-walled Bodum press. Ahhh. Just gazing at it makes me happy.

Shin Bistro Coffee Press, $59.95

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  • We've now had the Bodum double-walled French press for 3 months, and I have some bad news to report. Beautiful though it is, the pour spout is screwed up! It has this grid, and the coffee as it pours out inevitably gets all over the place. I'm sorry to report that this CHOW Pick is flawed. But take a look at the Frieling mentioned above for other nice-looking coffee press options.

    Meredith

  • Look into the Frieling stainless-steel double walled french press. I found one at fantes.com.

  • I do grind my own beans for both the press and the drip. There is a marked difference. However, I do keep a can of "okay" coffee around for those days that drinking coffee is purely a function of life, as opposed to a savored moment :)

  • yeah..the press stuff shouldn't sit super long... a couple hours at the most. Although, my friend had some good beans he ground them and made some with the press last night...it was yummy! He drinks his right away. I do have a drip coffee maker...but i'm thinking about just switching to presses. I have an itty bitty one (makes about 1 cup). I need to get a lg one for hosting people... and i would...+READ

    yeah..the press stuff shouldn't sit super long... a couple hours at the most. Although, my friend had some good beans he ground them and made some with the press last night...it was yummy! He drinks his right away. I do have a drip coffee maker...but i'm thinking about just switching to presses. I have an itty bitty one (makes about 1 cup). I need to get a lg one for hosting people... and i would like to start
    using beans and get a grinder. I do notice a taste difference btw preground and fresh ground...-COLLAPSE

  • I'll do the same with "drip" coffee, and often. I don't use the Bodum except on weekends as a special option. Regular days, I'll just use the dripper, and yes, that coffee I may even drink the next day. When using the press, I'll use it up within an hour or so, but I do get the coffee out of the press for the sake of taste. I put so much cream in the "dripped" coffee that it really doesn't matter...+READ

    I'll do the same with "drip" coffee, and often. I don't use the Bodum except on weekends as a special option. Regular days, I'll just use the dripper, and yes, that coffee I may even drink the next day. When using the press, I'll use it up within an hour or so, but I do get the coffee out of the press for the sake of taste. I put so much cream in the "dripped" coffee that it really doesn't matter if it's a day old or not. Won't do that with the press, though.-COLLAPSE

  • i'm one of those gross coffee drinkers that will enjoy the coffee even after its sat a while... i know the fact that the true coffee flavor goes away after 15-20 mins. and then gets bitter after that. But, I don't mind it. I still enjoy the coffee. Old coffee (up to 1 day...nothing past that) makes excellent ice coffee... I think its up to each individuals needs for a coffee maker. If someone...+READ

    i'm one of those gross coffee drinkers that will enjoy the coffee even after its sat a while... i know the fact that the true coffee flavor goes away after 15-20 mins. and then gets bitter after that. But, I don't mind it. I still enjoy the coffee. Old coffee (up to 1 day...nothing past that) makes excellent ice coffee... I think its up to each individuals needs for a coffee maker. If someone needs a coffee press that keeps it warm for 2 hours...so be it. I would use it, that's just me. I know to a lot of people that's gross and wrong..but its what I like...-COLLAPSE

  • I have a Bodum press, and have had one for many years. I used to have a larger one, but sold it in a yard sale when I found the smaller one....also at a yard sale. I have long been "stuck" on the delicious coffee they make. AND.....also heresy.......If I'm not going to drink it IMMEDIATELY, I pour the fresh coffee into a different cup and nuke it to heat it again. If you do this, and I know, I...+READ

    I have a Bodum press, and have had one for many years. I used to have a larger one, but sold it in a yard sale when I found the smaller one....also at a yard sale. I have long been "stuck" on the delicious coffee they make. AND.....also heresy.......If I'm not going to drink it IMMEDIATELY, I pour the fresh coffee into a different cup and nuke it to heat it again. If you do this, and I know, I know, many won't, just don't "overheat" it in the MW. Just bring it back to warm, or once again the bitterness will become an issue.-COLLAPSE

  • Say no more. I have purchased one for you and your hubby and it's on it way.
    Coffee crisis solved. Easy.

  • That's such a good question about what makes it junky, onocoffee. It's a rickety little thing, the Euroware, whose mesh press is always coming apart and getting coffee grinds stuck within it, making it hard to clean, and the plastic handle is sort of loose, as is the base. None of these things make it unuseable, which is why I can't bring myself to get rid of it, but they make a brand new Bodum...+READ

    That's such a good question about what makes it junky, onocoffee. It's a rickety little thing, the Euroware, whose mesh press is always coming apart and getting coffee grinds stuck within it, making it hard to clean, and the plastic handle is sort of loose, as is the base. None of these things make it unuseable, which is why I can't bring myself to get rid of it, but they make a brand new Bodum look awfully inviting.

    I also think your note about the flavor eroding is really interesting. We often make a pot and drink even after its cold--heresy, I know--but that's more about laziness than anything else. French pots can be a pain to clean (spooning out soggy grounds), but they are simple and the coffee is so good.

    Meredith A.-COLLAPSE

  • I agree with tdiprincess about the problems of keeping coffee in a press for 2 hours, but I have to admit that I don't use my single-walled glass coffee press much because the coffee gets cold so very quickly. It seems to get significantly colder even before I can serve it.

    So I agree with Meredith that this is a great invention and one I would love to get if and when my current coffee press...+READ

    I agree with tdiprincess about the problems of keeping coffee in a press for 2 hours, but I have to admit that I don't use my single-walled glass coffee press much because the coffee gets cold so very quickly. It seems to get significantly colder even before I can serve it.

    So I agree with Meredith that this is a great invention and one I would love to get if and when my current coffee press breaks (though I'd only keep coffee in it a little while as it will get over-extracted and bitter fairly quickly).-COLLAPSE

  • Is it "junky" because you got it for free or because it's crappily made?

    Don't understand why you would need a double-walled press pot - and don't get me wrong, I sell Bodum in my shop. But really, all you need is a simple Chambord model that's classic looking and never ages.

    You want to avoid the temptation of leaving the coffee sitting in the press for a long period of time. Those additional...+READ

    Is it "junky" because you got it for free or because it's crappily made?

    Don't understand why you would need a double-walled press pot - and don't get me wrong, I sell Bodum in my shop. But really, all you need is a simple Chambord model that's classic looking and never ages.

    You want to avoid the temptation of leaving the coffee sitting in the press for a long period of time. Those additional coffee particulates great great mouthfeel and flavor but they will cause the flavor to erode over a long period of time. Holding pressed coffee for two hours will result in overextraction and lots of bitter notes. Better to make only what you will consume in 20 minutes and make it fresh whenever necessary.

    It may sound like a lot of work, but isn't your day worth something fresh and tasty every time?-COLLAPSE

  • sounds neat.. have you looked on ebay to see if there's any? You might get a better deal too.... I'm going to start looking for it.