Bodum Columbia Thermal Stainless-Steel Coffee Press

Haven't Had A REAL CUP OF JOE or TEA Until You Have A Press!, April 14, 2004

This product, along with my Bodum Assam tea press are the BEST purchases that I have made to date from Amazon. This thermal double-walled stainless-steel coffee & tea press insulates hot coffee or tea to keep it warm for up to two hours. The top part of the stainless steel filter has a closed position to keep the heat in & a strainer position when ...read full review This product, along with my Bodum Assam tea press are the BEST purchases that I have made to date from Amazon. This thermal double-walled stainless-steel coffee & tea press insulates hot coffee or tea to keep it warm for up to two hours. The top part of the stainless steel filter has a closed position to keep the heat in & a strainer position when you need to pour. The end result is something that you can't get from an automatic, vacuum, drip, percolator, or tea bags. You get, instead, a rich, full, smooth, flavorful cup of joe or tea with perfectly extracted flavors and aromas. Since there isn't a paper filter to soak up the rich oils in coffee beans, the oils stay in the coffee where they rightfully belong.

The best practices for this press are the following: For a fine cup o' joe, grind fresh beans to a coarse consistency, add 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of coffee for every 6 ounces of water, add boiling hot water and let the grounds brew for about four to six minutes, depending on how strong you like your coffee before hitting the plunger on top to stop the brewing method.

Tea brews in basically the same manner, but add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of loose tea leaves for every 6 ounces of water, add boiling hot water for black & oolong teas and almost boiling (170 degrees) for green, herbal and white teas, let the grounds brew for about four to seven minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea, too much longer and you will get a bitter cup of tea, press the plunger and voila... a lovely spot o' tea!

I highly recommend this product! It is crafted of the best quality, is esthetically pleasing to look at & use and will last a lifetime! minimize

Fantastic, January 8, 2004

I have tried several types of brewing methods (drip & vacuum), but this coffee press is my absolute favorite. I am able to make hot and robust coffee. Since you control the brew time, water temperature, coarseness of the grounds, & amount of water, you can make your coffee to suit your tastes.

It took me a few pots to tinker with the variables...read full review I have tried several types of brewing methods (drip & vacuum), but this coffee press is my absolute favorite. I am able to make hot and robust coffee. Since you control the brew time, water temperature, coarseness of the grounds, & amount of water, you can make your coffee to suit your tastes.

It took me a few pots to tinker with the variables mentioned above, but it was well worth it. It is a little more trouble than a drip machine, but I got much smoother yet richer coffee with this method.

The pot is sleek and easy to clean. It does a decent job of keeping coffee hot, although a lot of heat seems to escape through the top once you press the coffee grounds down. Also, it makes 12 FOUR ounce cups. Most drip machines are measured in SIX ounce cups, so choose your pot size with care. Occassionally a tiny amount of grounds get through the filter (common with this brew method), but for the most part I have been happy with the filter.

I would definitely purchase this product again! minimize

Nice! But tastes like rubber if it sits..., November 23, 2005

Just like every review; I will also say nothing beats a coffee press! I used to have a glass, 8-cup press which I had for 2 years and just loved it. The glass broke, and instead of replacing it, I seen this (non-breakable) stainless, insulated, 12 cup unit (I love coffee). I made my first pot and just like the glass press, it tasted fantastic...read full review Just like every review; I will also say nothing beats a coffee press! I used to have a glass, 8-cup press which I had for 2 years and just loved it. The glass broke, and instead of replacing it, I seen this (non-breakable) stainless, insulated, 12 cup unit (I love coffee). I made my first pot and just like the glass press, it tasted fantastic the first round. The second round; it had the smell and taste of the rubber gasket around the screen (and yes I washed it thoroughly). I sure hope this issue subsides with usage. I would have preferred if they stuck to spring gasket (like the glass pot). Perhaps the metal on metal prohibited this design. All-in-all, I wish I just replaced the decanter. minimize

The Best Coffe Maker Ever, December 4, 2004

This coffee pot is the best.

My husband is a coffee lover and has brewed coffee all the different ways possible, and by far, he claims this is the best. I, myself, find the coffee the best tasting that I have ever tasted. Out of the French presses, this is the best design since it is made out of metal whereas the glass versions do not ...read full review This coffee pot is the best.

My husband is a coffee lover and has brewed coffee all the different ways possible, and by far, he claims this is the best. I, myself, find the coffee the best tasting that I have ever tasted. Out of the French presses, this is the best design since it is made out of metal whereas the glass versions do not last very long and end up breaking. Also, the filter, being not only very environmentally friendly, is constructed in one piece. The other French presses have filters made in two parts, and that can be a bit of a pain when grinds get caught and are hard to clean.

It is ideal that the pot is thermal. There's no need to reheat.

I give it an A+.

ADDENDUM: and a special NB for latex allergy sufferers: (Oct. 28, 2007)

The strainer for this coffee pot has rubber around its edges, which break down after a couple of years, making the coffee taste gnarly, and for those that are allergic to latex, a fine latex tea. I'd recommend replacing the strainer, and for those with latex allergies, I wouldn't recommend this pot. minimize

Press Coffee is the Only Way, October 17, 2005

My office has its own drip coffee maker, but the coffee tastes absolutely horrible. Everyone complains about it, but no one was doing anything about it.

So I bought this huge insulated french press, and brought it into my office along with an electric kettle and a simple coffee grinder. This is a large french press, so it's perfect...read full review My office has its own drip coffee maker, but the coffee tastes absolutely horrible. Everyone complains about it, but no one was doing anything about it.

So I bought this huge insulated french press, and brought it into my office along with an electric kettle and a simple coffee grinder. This is a large french press, so it's perfect for a situation in which many people will be drinking coffee, or a situation in which a couple people will each be drinking a *lot* of coffee.

The short of it: this little unit makes wonderful coffee. I have been using it twice a day for about 8 months, and it has never let me down. It keeps the coffee hot for about an hour (on average) and cleanup really isn't that hard.

Details:
I use about 3/4 cup of coarse-ground coffee for a full batch, and steep for 4 minutes 30 seconds. I could use a bit less and steep a bit longer (the directions advise a max of 6 minutes), but I don't want to risk overextracting from the coffee beans, which would make the coffee taste bitter.

I boil the water first and let it cool for a minute or two while I'm preparing everything else. This avoids the awful taste of scalded coffee (which we are all familiar with from drip methods).

Pre-warming the carafe by soaking it in hot tap water really extends the length of time the coffee stays hot, because the heat of the coffee isn't wasted on warming up the inside of the carafe.

If I pre-warm the carafe and keep the lid closed (so that the mesh pour opening is aligned with the handle of the press and not the spout), the coffee easily stays hot for an hour, sometimes two, depending on how full the carafe is. A full carafe will stay hot longer than a carafe with only a few cups left in it.

There is always a little sediment at the bottom of each cup of coffee. You can't avoid this (no grinder is perfect), and since this sediment provides much of the flavor of the coffee, would you really want to?

Cleanup:
People complain about cleaning french presses, but it's really not that hard. Here's what I do:

Rinse off the plunger and lid;
Dump the used coffee grounds in the trash;
Rinse out the carafe;
Wipe fine coffee dust off the plunger and carafe with a wet paper towel;
Rinse once more (no soap).

Then I make sure to dry the outside of the carafe very well, just to avoid water spots. I let the filter and the inside of the carafe air dry. Once a month or so, I will take apart the filter (yes, you can do this, but it's well-designed so that you don't have to do it often) and thoroughly clean the whole unit.

In my office, very few people use the old coffee maker anymore. When I decide to make coffee, a crowd forms around my desk! French presses, when used correctly, make truly fantastic coffee. minimize