Bodum Chambord French Press Coffee Maker - 17 Ounce (0.5 Liter) Chrome Plated - Perfect for Home, Office & Camping Coffee Brewing

I bought this after getting tired of our coffee maker taking up such a large amount of space on our kitchen counter. It is super easy to clean - I don’t put in the dish washer though. The bottom filter part of the press spins off (if done intentionally) so that you can clean between the different layers. We grind our own coffee at home and my husband and I both agree that we can taste the coffee flavor better through using the press than running through a coffee maker machine. We have had for about 4 months, no issues.needed two presses, one smaller for one member of household drinking decaf only, this will make about 2 cups, allowing room for milk. Wished there was a size somewhere around 24oz, would have worked much better. Need a brush to clean grounds that get between screen and base where screen is attached, the book mentions a brush, but nothing was included.I had to read up a little on how to use this, but I am thoroughly enjoying my first French Press. The best advice I've had so far is to warm the carafe and coffee cup by adding boiling water before brewing your coffee (empty it before actually adding coffee). Also, brew a smaller amount first (for about 30 seconds) before adding the rest of the water to really boost the flavor. Wonderful for coffee lovers :-)I'd heard that a french press makes the best tasting coffee but put off buying one for years. To be honest if I had some peer pressure to influence me I'd probably not have resisted for so long. I only know one person who uses a coffee press and they swear by it.The reason I finally bought this was that my last two drip coffeemakers broke in month thirteen, right after the warranty ended. Small plastic parts broke and I took the plunge to try this french press which is mostly glass and metal, figuring the simpler construction might ensure it would last longer (and it's less expensive too).One thing I like about the Chambord is the glass beaker is a separate piece. This is unlike Bodum's Brazil model which has the plastic fused onto the glass. I know replacement glass pieces are sold separately in case mine breaks.I liked the look of the Chambord which is sleek and has a shiny silver metal and black plastic for the holder and cap. I looked at the Bodum Chambord side by side with other coffee presses (like the Bodum Brazil) in a store and could see that this one looks more sophisticated and classy.I also like the 32 ounce capacity of the Chambord.Easy to UseThe coffee press is so easy to use. I boil the water then wait two minutes, as the manufacturer says not to use boiling water. I put the coffee grounds in it then fill it with 32 ounces of water. I stir it with a wooden chopstick then place the lid on and wait four minutes. Then it is pressed very gently and slowly. The coffee is ready to serve.My one complaint about the glass container is there are no marked lines for various measurements. If you want to make coffee in a certain number of ounces, such as to make an 8 ounce cup, you will have to heat the water and measure it in a heat-safe measuring cup then pour it in.I note the manufacturer has legal warnings in two languages which fill over two inches of space on it so it is clear that Bodum wasn't leaving markings off to have a clean design look.Since this uses no electricity and is small I am taking it with me when camping. I am thrilled to be able to have great tasting coffee while camping or staying in cabins without electricity but with access to open fire or portable camping stoves which can be used to boil the water.Best Tasting CoffeeI have two favorite coffees which I've been drinking for over two years using a drip coffeemaker. I was shocked at the superior aste of the coffee made with the same pre-ground beans from this coffee press. There was no bitterness! I'd thought the bitterness was supposed to be there and had accepted it. (This idea is now funny to me. I also note when reading reviews of my former coffeemaker - made by Mr. Coffee - some customers said it produced a bitter brew. I now know that to be true. )I have never tasted home-brewed coffee that tasted this good.32 OuncesBodum says this makes 8 cups of coffee. In America 6 ounces is the standard so that's a bit confusing to this American coffee drinker. However many people now drink 8, 12, 16 or more ounces in one "cup" of coffee. What you need to know is the Bodum Chambord makes 32 ounces of coffee.CleaningI find this easy to clean and have no complaints. With anything you use there is usualy some cleaning, even a drip coffeemaker has parts to clean.Making Coffee in VolumeMy Mr. Coffee drip coffee maker took nearly 15 minutes to make a 12 cup pot so I have no complaints on the time it takes to make coffee in a coffee press. To me flavor is more important anyway; I'd rather have a coffeemaker for daily use that produces superior coffee every day and have a bit of inconvenience when company is here. If I have to, when company is visiting, I will use an insulated coffee pot if I need more than 32 ounces of one kind of coffee. It will actually work out fine as some of my family usually wants decaf while others want caffinated coffee, so I've always had to brew two pots and use an insulated carafe when I brewed with a drip coffeemaker anyway.The CostThis cost me less than half what a drip coffeemaker costs and much less than those one-cup coffee makers. I'm happy with the low cost. As I said earlier if the glass beaker breaks I can buy a replacement for a low price.In ConclusionThis makes fantastic tasting coffee. It may be a different process than you have done before but it is easy. This is an inexpensive item with a simple process with little room for mechanical failure. Don't hesitate like I did!Did some research when I needed a new french press coffee maker. Opted for this model. Really like it, easy to use and like the stand.My husband and I love this coffee pot. We have several. They are great for travel, doesn't take up a lot of room in a suitcase or on the counter. It makes 2-3 cups. Just enough for the two of us. Highly recommend.Absolutely awesome. . .My coffee never tasted sooo good ?☕?The glass seems very thin but I've been using it about once a week for cold brew. It's very easy to clean. Highly recommend for the price. Would be nice if they used anything other than plastic where the water pours.This is cafetière makes two large mugs of perfect coffee. I use it with 2 heaped measuring spoons of Costa Signature coffee and boiling water. I also microwave a small jug of milk and pour about 1.5 inches of warm milk into the mug before topping up with coffee. The results are amazing. So good that I bought another as a spare whilst they were on the Deal of the Day promotion. Go ahead and treat yourself!Back story: Yesterday we bought some ground coffee from Costco that had rave reviews, but remembered we no longer had a cafetiere after our clear-out of frustrating belongings before moving house. (The cafetiere we dismissed was from Sainsburys about 8 years ago. It looked nice, but the spout was so rounded that so much coffee was wasted with it being impossible not to pour without it dribbling down the cafetiere - this also meant always having to pour drinks over the sink.Back to yesterday: The Costco we were in didn't sell cafetieres, and being a Sunday, other shops were soon closing. So, remembering the amazing Amazon delivery service, I searched for the cafetiere with most and best reviews.Today: It arrived in time to wash it up for making after-lunch coffees, all in tact and well-protected in the packaging.Easy to wash, looks smart, and more importantly pours accurately! The cafetiere recommends using course-ground coffee, and the coffee we bought yesterday is fairly fine, but had no problem with it getting blocked or with granules passing through.I hope this lasts us many years!I have been using mine since June and I am very happy with it. Bodum advise using wood or plastic spoons rather than metal which can scratch or chip the glass causing it to crack the thin heat resistant glass when you pour the very hot, but not boiling water in. The glass beaker has the following warnings printed on it: read instructions before use, not for stove top use, children and hot fluids should be kept apart, hot fluids must be handled with care, always use coarse ground coffee, always stir before pressing down, using a plastic or wooden spoon not metal, before pressing down ensure that safety lid is in the correct position, press down very gently. Their instructions list spare parts with part numbers for their 3,4,6,8 and 12 cup models. The top is shiny chrome matching the metal frame. It incorporates a filter which allows the coffee through while allowing the top to grip the glass preventing it from falling out when you pour the coffee out. A good idea. They recommend using coarse ground coffee to avoid letting the grounds out into the cup. Getting the right size maker is not too easy. Coffee measures are given in cups, fluid ounces, ml, dl and litres, but not mugs. A standard cup is 125 ml. So 3 cup = 375 ml, 4 cup = 500 ml, 6 cup = 750 ml, 8 cup = 1 litre, 12 cup = 1.5 litre. I drink my coffee in mugs. A standard mug is 275 ml. (3 cup) and the large mug that I use is 450 ml. So I needed the 4 cup model. The recommended ratio is half to 1 rounded tablespoon of coffee per cup. I use Lavazza Oro 100% Arabica coffee, a timer set to 4 minutes and the Kitchen Craft Stainless steel coffee 15 ml (1 tablespoon) measuring spoon from Amazon. Don't be tempted to make do with an ordinary spoon to measure out the coffee. The larger surface area of a conventional tablespoon means that when heaped you will have 22 g of coffee, but when level you will have just 5 g. This is a huge variation and you will not get a consistent strength. Using a proper hemispherical spoon designed for powders such as coffee will give you 8 g of coffee when level and 11 g when heaped. This is much less variation, which will give you a much more consistent strength.Leave boiling water to stand for 2 minutes to prevent scalding the coffee which spoils the flavour. I pour the boiling water into my mug first, then onto one heaped spoon of coffee. This procedure gives me the correct amount of water, warms the mug, and takes the water down from boiling, helping the flavour and not stressing the glass so much. With just one fully heaped measuring spoon of coffee per large mug I get nice strong consistent coffee. I thought I had cracked the glass beaker on mine by not heeding the instructions about metal spoons and using water that had not been allowed to cool for long enough. Several on-line retailers provide spare beakers. The cheapest I found was from John Lewis for £8 plus £2 delivery. Their 5 cup 600 ml beaker fits perfectly. Happiness.This would be a great coffee maker, but has a couple of flaws compared to the versions they sold a few years ago.Firstly the glass carafe is covered in non-removable safety warnings, in two languages which cover almost 1/4 of the whole unit - the visual noise of this is an ugly distraction.Secondly the top lid is metal outside but black plastic on the inside, this hangs down into the glass and acts as a crude filter, so you have to rotate the top to the correct position before pouring out the coffee. I really can't see the point in this and am tempted to try and remove it (unfortunately I think that would involve sawing it in half). It also adds the issue that all your coffee is now being filtered through plastic.The glass carafe is held in place by pressure from the 4 stainless steel legs, by bending these very slightly (with the carafe removed) you can make the fit stiffer or looser.The build quality of Bodum is still miles better than the alternatives, I just wish they would go back to the original design.Edit: August 2015, I have now found a solution to the lid issue, Waitrose are selling an own brand cafetiere thats the exact same size as this, it has a much better lid and a plain glass carafe, (the handle and filter are of lower quality than the Boden). So if you buy both you can unscrew the plunger and swap the parts over to make a perfect cafetiere.What does it do? Well it's a French press; it's fairly simple. Does it do it well? Meh. Is it the best? Apparently so...I bought this because my rubbish £5 one from Asda broke and TREAT YOSELF and all that jazz.I still have coffee grounds in my coffee with this. Luckily I like coffee and, thus idgaf, but still...