Customer Reviews

Bodum 16-Ounce Travel Coffee Press with Bodum Logo

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

While I love french press coffee and am a fan of Bodum products, they always tend to be on the fragile side. The outside plastic on this travel press cracked within the first two weeks of using it. The material is less than what one would call "sturdy" and the press routinely lets stray grounds through even though I've been following the manufacturer's suggestions and using coarse coffee.

Great in theory, much less so in execution.

This thing brews great coffee, plus loose teas. make sure your grounds are coarse though, otherwise they won't be easy to get out of the mesh. Instead of my old press where i used to have to wait at home to brew then clean both the cup and the press, this is a two in one device, and i can just fill it and tke it on the road with me, and the coffee's still amazing. and the whole thing is dishwasher SAFE! yes! if you like great coffee and don't have lots of time, buy this!

First off, I try to only drink coffee prepared with a french press. I much prefer it over other methods. When traveling though, I can't take my fragile press with me so when I spotted this travel press I had to purchase it. I did not get mine from Amazon though. A B&M had it for much less money. Sorry Amazon!

Anyway, I have a few gripes with this unit. First Bodum did not list the capacity of the unit on the item nor the instructions. I had to go online to find it was rated at 16oz. Since I'm currently traveling I haven't actually checked this with a measuring device. I think the actual usable capacity is a little less. This is important since you need to know the right capacity to put the proper amount of coffee into the press. I worked by trial and error the first few days and found out about 2.5 tbls worked for the amount of water I was using. Since I don't have a travel grinder I had to resort to using pre-ground coffee in the unit which leads me to my second complaint. Grounds getting past the press. I don't know if using a coarser grind will solve this and I always expect a little grounds in my pressed coffee, but this unit lets way too much though. I often have a single layer of grounds on top of the screen after I've pressed the coffee. I don't have this issue with my home press using just a spring loaded metal screen. The silicone ring just doesn't provide the tension on the sides to keep the coffee from getting past. The next item I have a problem with is that the unit is not sealed. For a unit that is both a press and a travel mug it is not very leak proof. There is no seal for the spout that you drink from. The hole in the lid where rod of the press goes though does not have an o-ring seal. The lid itself does not have an o-ring, but is very tight fitting. So be sure not to tip the unit over at anytime. Fourth issue is with the instructions. If you like to sweeten or cream your coffee, don't follow the instructions! They say to press the coffee first then add your additions through the lid. This doesn't make any sense! The hole is way too little to effectively add ingredients. I suggest you wait until the last minute of brew time, add your flavors then press. Much less messy!

Now for the good. The double walled construction keeps the coffee hot for a reasonable amount of time. Much longer then my glass unit, but not as long as a metal vacuum container. It brews an excellent tasting coffee. Far better and more sanitary then any hotel unit. Small enough to pack. In fact, on my backpack it fits in the holder for the sports bottle nicely, making packing the unit a breeze. Although I have only been using it for a few weeks the unit seems pretty durable. It also makes the perfect amount of coffee for one as well.

Even though this unit has some flaws, it does make some good coffee. Since I haven't seen any other travel presses with the same features as this one I'll have to say that I still give it a recommended. Try to find it for under $10 though. Much better value!

makes good coffee, cheaper than any other french press ive seen and since i dont drink more than a couple cups of coffe this is perfect. easy cleanup, quick prep for brewing and its always fun brewing it french press style. great if youre on the go or dont wanna brew a whole pot of coffee or dont have time. you can even brew it on your way out the door its great!

bad reviews are warranted to an extent, it does have some design flaws but considering you would pay about $10 for a similar mug thats just a mug this one is worth it. as far as the plastic breaking i would think any similar plastic mug would break too but i'll have to see how mine holds up. you must use coarse ground coffee and press the plunger down slowly to avoid grounds in your coffee, even regular french press can get grounds in the coffee sometimes. the mug itself is tapered which is why people keep getting grounds, because the rubber ring doesnt seal well enough at the top. if they had a traditional plunger it would work better. just fill it up lower and insert plunger then add water above the plunger to finish it

Used Bodum's for years and love them, they are usually the best, this is like a cheap knock-off. I broke my glass 12-oz press, this looked like it would be a good replacement, but it's poorly made. Bodum replaced their usual 3-piece screen filter system in this press with a 1-piece plastic-frame filter with a silicone "seal" around it, coffee grounds slip right past it. It's junk. I would not buy this again.

As the happy owner of two other Bodum coffee presses, I expected an effective product. The most important function of a coffee press is to separate the grounds from the drink. This coffee press completely failed in that function.

Both on medium grind coffee grounds and loose Chinese tea, the press allowed a significant amount of material to pass.

For example, 1 mm thick tea branches floated up past the silicone sides.


The basic problem is poor design: despite good quality plastics and metal stem, the silicone border is not rigid enough and not large enough to grip the cylinder wall. I do NOT see any material defects in the cup -- it just works poorly.

However, the top lid is quite sturdy and comfortable. Useful as an overpriced hot drink mug for cocoa or milk.

I just bought one of these last night and I was so excited. I love french press coffee and have been dying to own one. And when I found this, it was exactly perfect for me. I'm a student and don't have much use for a coffee pot, but a lot more use for an electric kettle and this is the best way to get a good cup of coffee quickly. I haven't had any problems with the plunger, though it does seem a little short for the cup.

My problem is how fragile the container is. Admittedly, I did drop it, but seeing as it's "indestructible" according to the label, it cracked pretty quick around the edge of the cup and the double walled part. So now it's taped together, depsite being on it's third use. It is easy and the cup of coffee is amazing. But I guess be extra careful with the container, it won't put up with the occasional drop, which lets face it, is bound to happen.

works as advertised, got this and one with no logo to use when we go camping. Hot coffee stays hot, I'd say for close to an hour, which for me is good, cuz I'm not a big coffee drinker. Only when weather is chilly can I imbibe the caffeinated hotness of the coffee beans....

The coffee club at work is hit or miss, but mostly miss for my tastes. I'm not a coffee expert, but it has to be more than brown water. This let's me make a nice strong cup of coffee. I would give it 5 stars if it had a strainer to keep out the chunks at the very end of the cup. I have made many cups it it's still going strong.

I have been using this thing for close to 6 months now, just about every other day. Yes, it does leave some grinds in your coffee, but big deal. The way i use it is I fill up a porcelain mug with water, microwave it for 3.5 minutes (water temp is somewhere around 200 degrees), put two rounded tbsp of a major chain's ground coffee into the press (hint: Double D) and slowly pour the water in until it comes to just below the line on the inside of the press. I stir the water for a few seconds and screw the plunger/lid on top carefully, leave for four minutes. While i am waiting, I pour some sugar and half n half into that nice hot mug that i heated the water in. I then Slowly press the plunger down on the press. The trick to not getting a bunch of grinds into your cup is to sacrifice a few ozs of coffee- slowly pour the coffee into the cup, as soon as it starts slowing down, you are near the bottom where most of the grinds that escaped the filter have settled. Stop there. Stir your cup and enjoy. I think its fast and simple and I enjoy the taste. In fact I just took a sip right now. I am near the bottom of my cup and guess what- barely any grinds! I don't have a dishwasher so all I do is give it a quick rinse and sponge some soapy water onto the filter part. Once every two weeks I'll give it a good scrub for good measure. Overall I would say that it brews one cup of coffee (minus a few oz) quickly and deliciously. I have not had my unit crack, although I have not dropped it.If you're really worried about it, treat it like it was made of glass and DONT DROP IT! I bought it for 15 or 20 bucks in a large chain bed and bath type of store (think triple B). I haven't owned a nice big glass type of french press, I imagine they would make my coffee taste even better, but for the budget and the portability of this unit, I give it four stars. It really deserves five stars, but I don't give anything five stars unless it is out of this world.