Customer Reviews

Bodum Chambord 8 Cup Double Wall Thermal Coffee Maker with New Locking Lid System, 1.0, 34-Ounce.

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I grind beans fresh before making coffee in either my Chemex or Bodum. Both work well but differ a different in type of richness. The Chemex coffee tends to be lighter in taste, never bitter even when coffee is made strong. The Bodum is much richer and sensitive to how made. It's more senstive to variations in brewing time, grind size, and quantity of water used. However, when you find the right brew time, the right quantity of water, the right grind size for a particular bean, nothing beats it, it's like a perfect glass of wine. I have to admit it has taken me a bit of time to get all this right but on weekends when I have the time, it's the best.

The double wall unit is strong and easy to clean. It does not keep the coffee hot for a long time. So, usually I only make enough for one or two cups for my wife and myself. For me taking the time to get the coffee right is kind of a zen thing, grinding, making, cleaning up and drinking for me is relaxing, a quiet way to start a weekend day on a high note.

I love my Bodum Thermal French Press Coffee Pot. I wanted a coffee pot that didn't take up a lot of room on my precious counter space, and that made a great cup of coffee. Plus the thermal glass is a must. There's no worrying that the boiling water I pour into it will crack or break the glass. There's nothing to plug in and there's no noise. The coffee steeps for as long as I like, although the 4 minutes recommended works well. The directions say to stir the water and coarsely ground coffee in the pot before letting it steep, but I omit that step. I found that stirring seems to leave a trace of grounds after I pour. I have a great cup of coffee w/o the stirring. I just put my coffee in the pot (I use 1 tablespoon per 3/4 cup of water),add boiling water,and let steep. The directions on the box say 1 T per 1/2 cup but that's really strong.
I actually prefer my coffee than the coffee shops I was going to in the morning.

I take my coffee black. No cream. No sugar. I've been drinking it this way for the last five years, since my first cup of coffee brewed in a French Press. My first French Press was a Bodum and I have purchased three more since then. Two as gifts and this one, to replace my original, which I broke while cleaning. Though the French Press is more involved than brewing coffee in a drip machine, the difference in quality is well worth it. If you're going to invest in a French Press, then I'd also encourage you to purchase a grinder. Great coffee is best when the coffee is freshly roasted and freshly ground. I use the Capresso 560 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder, Brushed Silver Finish.

After breaking my first Bodum (be careful, the glass is very slippery when wet), I bought this one for two reasons: 1) the double-wall feature (more for the visual effect than the "keep coffee hot" claim) and 2) the locking lid. I didn't put too much stock in the Press "keeping coffee hot for hours" claim because coffee brewed in a French Press should be poured from the Press immediately after brewing, to keep the coffee from becoming bitter, due to prolonged exposure to the coffee grounds. I pour my coffee from the Press into a Bodum Canteen Double-Wall Carafe with Stainless Steel and Silicone Lid, which is perfect for setting onto the table or for making coffee available for everyone to pour, grab and go. One final note of warning: the locking lid works well, but the spout does tend to drip after pouring. Overall, I highly recommend this French Press.

This is the best french press pot, period. I've tried them all. The double wall thermal insulation keeps the coffee warm for hours. I think it brews better too since it stays hot longer. Can't go wrong with this.

I have a 12 Cup Chambord that I use every day at work, split between some co-workers and myself, so I bought this one for home use. The taste of coffee from the French press is much better than that of any drip machine I've ever used.

I didn't originally want the double wall figuring it was unnecessary but in the end I'm very happy with it. It's kept my coffee hot for a few hours after the initial brewing.

It was easy to get out of the box, taken apart, washed up and ready for it's first brew. The "trickiest" part was pulling the lid/plunger assembly out for the first time, I wasn't expecting as much resistance as there was pulling it out, however since the top part seals it in to prevent spilling thats a good thing!

Just like the 12-cup, it's a snap to clean up, I just rinse it down the sink and run the disposal, then use a wash cloth or bottle brush to clean out the beaker and take apart the strainer every few brews to make sure it doesn't get grounds built up between the discs and screen.

I decided to purchase a French press after having the best cup of coffee I've ever had at an upscale restaurant (made in a French press, of course). This is the only French press I've ever owned, so I can't compare it with anything else. I looked a wide variety of models, and settled on this one due to other reviews.

I really have no complaints. This model works very well and produces brilliant coffee. I'm using this with a conical burr grinder set to its most coarse setting, and I get perfectly smooth coffee every time, with little to no grit or sediment at the bottom of the cup. The double wall glass beaker keeps the coffee hot for long enough to enjoy a second cup.

Note that while this is billed as an "8 cup" coffee maker, you should expect to get no more than 3 servings out of it. First of all, you have to leave room at the top, so you can't actually make 8 cups worth of coffee. Second, if you try to drink it down to the last drop, there will be some sludge at the bottom. However, those first 3 servings are perfect.

Also, I recently broke the beaker after tapping it on the side of a plastic garbage bin to shake out the used grounds. Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea. A replacement (double wall) is around $50. So try not to break it!

When I received this item, I was impressed with the unit until I made my first pot of coffee. The rubber (polymer) seal/gasket below the spout was torn and allowed coffee to pour on the counter without coming through the spout as designed. An inspection of this seal determined that it was manufactured from a very thin ring of material and, in my opinion, would be prone to this type of failure due to its' insubstantial construction. The other parts of this unit seemed to be well made. I am very surprised that this was not discovered by the engineers at Bodum during preproduction testing of this coffee press prior to placing the unit in full production. I have used other Bodum presses and have not seen problems of this nature with the other units. I am returning this unit and will purchase another Bodum press as a replacement, but I would NOT purchase this model until Bodum has resolved what I would consider a major design flaw. This flaw has the potential to seriously injure a person pouring coffee due to the coffee which pours out without being routed through the spout. I was lucky, in that I used non-boiling water per the directions which were included with the press. Had I been using boiling water, I would have been scalded. That is why I am giving this particular press a one star rating. Note: Amazon made the return as easy as it could be in this situation, and the fault lies with the press design and not with Amazon or the shipper.

Got it two weeks ago, used it several times and I am one impressed puppy! The instructions that came with it work great, the quality of the product match all of my expectations! Most important of all, it took my coffee experience to the next level! If you are considering a french press, this is the one. The double wall keeps your coffee warm, the mesh is of good quality and the workmanship is the best... Bodum does it right!. The new lid works great but you have to remember to press down on the latch to get coffee out of it. That small point is not in the documentation but, if you take it all apart first, you get to find out.

Way to go Bodum!

I will get to the not-just-for-coffee claim toward the conclusion of this review.

But first, this particular French press is a high-end product: a very attractive and well-made item which produces superb coffee, especially if you follow the instructions. The inner container of glass need not shatter if you avoid using a metal spoon or avoid knocking it against the sink or whatever.

Plastic spoons or small wooden spoons work well to stir the course coffee grounds after I have added the hot water. Actually, I do not always bother to stir the grounds after adding the hot water, and I first heat the FILTERED water in a LARGE pyrex cup in my microwave.

To clear the spent grounds from the coffee maker I use the flexible end of a plastic spatula and simply hold the product over a garbage container and scrape out the remains. I avoid pouring too many grounds into the garbage disposal, because it's easier to get most of the spent grounds into the garbage container.

Per the instructions, I usually brew the coffee for four minutes. Because I like strong coffee I use a rounded tablespoon of course-ground coffee per FOUR OUNCE cup. I generally make two eight-ounce cups of the brew, and that takes four rounded tablespoons of course-ground. Sometimes I get distracted before pouring my second eight-ouncer into my large coffee cup, and even after it has brewed for ten or more minutes, the taste is still superb.

For what it's worth, I add eight ounces of heated whole milk to my eight ounces of brew and sweeten it with pure honey. What a treat for a coffee freak like me.

Having recently created a coffee bar in my kitchen, reminiscent of the wonderful coffee bars in England and the continent, I do not neglect to use my high-maintenance, very expensive automatic coffee maker which was a gift a couple of years ago. I alternate it with my French press. Of the two products, the French press makes the better brew. And how! Had I known of the existence of the French press coffee maker before I was given the other one, I would have asked for a French press instead.

Before I mention the other use(s) of a French press, I want to point out that I have been seeing the French press in use on US and UK drama or comedy sitcoms. Those images got me started investigating the French press. If you watch the UK "Doc Martin" series, you will see the French press in use occasionally, and if you watch the US "The Good Wife" series you will see the occasional use of the French press as well.

Other uses of the French press: Of course, you can use it for your favorite bulk teas. Bulk teas are generally less expensive than tea bags, and the tea will be surprisingly smooth tasting.

Best of all, you can also concoct your own herbal teas: Just go on line and Google up recipes for herbal teas. Peppermint tea is especially soothing if you have an upset stomach. Herbal teas made with chamomile blossoms are also soothing. Just make certain your herbs, etc., are free of pesticides. Enjoy!

I originally gave this coffee press a 5 star review. While it makes excellent coffee, I have just broken my 2nd double wall glass container while washing it. It looks sturdy, but is actually very delicate and I don't want to waste more money. I plan to buy a regular coffee press and pour the coffee in a thermos to keep it warm.