Customer Reviews

Bodum New Kenya 34-Ounce Coffee Press, Black

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I purchased this coffee press in both the 4 cup and the 8 cup models. Both, like the other Bodum coffee presses, make a great cup of coffee, so if you have never tried coffee made this way, I would recommend getting one of the New Kenya models while Amazon has them at a reduced price. However, I would like to caution you about one thing.

One day after receiving the 4 cup press, I broke the glass carafe! Because these units have outsides that are made entirely of plastic (unlike other Bodum models which have holders and/or handles made of stainless steel), the fit around the glass beaker is very tight. The carafe and the plastic holder do need occasional separating while washing, because sometimes during the rinse process, coffee grounds become lodged between the two. I wash mine by hand.

If you are going to separate the two, please do not do so while you are washing them with the dish soap! I had to pull rather hard to get the glass from inside the plastic, with soapy hands, and, well, you can imagine what happened. They did separate, but the glass beaker went flying into the bottom of my sink and then totally shattered...

At the cost of the replacement carafe with the shipping charges, it was just cheaper for me to order a new one! I did do that, but purchased the Bodum Chambord model instead (which does cost more), with the metal holder, and the glass and holder separate very easily for cleaning (much easier than the plastic holder)! Which, by the way, now always occurs before the dish soap is applied!!!

The 8 cup version of the New Kenya press works just fine and the glass is intact, as I separate the components of that model sans dish soap, also. I thought I would share my experience so that perhaps there might be one less person out there saying to themselves, "What was I thinking!?".

I have had the press for about three weeks. I was very pleased with it. SO much so that I put away my large counter-top drip coffee maker. Then while making coffee the other day, the mesh screen separated from the plunger as I was pushing it down. I have used presses before and I know how to use them and I was not pushing too hard or too quickly. The problem is the weak plastic piece that screws into the bottom of the metal plunger pole gets stripped or breaks. I noticed that other people have the same problem. This makes the press useless!!! Guess I have to get out the old bulky drip coffee maker again. The manufacturer really needs to address this problem.

I ordered this the buy two and save 17 and 34oz deal and am very satisfied. It was shipped quickly and as usual, arrived much sooner then the estimate date. French press defiantly makes a superior cup of coffee to a drip and unless you are serving a large number of people is much more user/space friendly then a drip machine that at best produces an OK cup. Comes with easy instructions and it's own scoop for proper measurement.

Some considerations would be that yes, you need a large grind of coffee. You can either buy a burr grinder or do what I do and buy my coffee whole bean and use the grinder most stores have set up (and I've yet to be in one that will mind you using it for any brand on the shelf). Just set it all the way to the other end from espresso and you'll be fine, even if done once every few weeks I've never noticed a taste difference between every morning and every few weeks grinding. There is a difference though in the ground at the factory stuff. Just stay away from blade grinders that will leave you with a very uneven grind. Also, yes, you will end up with a little bit of coffee bean "dust" on the bottom of the cup. Never bothered me any and so long as you follow instructions you will not end up with any actual grinds. Just don't use pre-ground stuff or if you do, at least find a brand with a large grind.

Some other considerations would be the size. Some have complained in similar items that the cup size is inaccurate. It says right in the title or description the oz size of the unit, if you didn't read that isn't the makers fault. They base cup size on the standard European cup because they are a European company and that is the industry standard. The 17 OZ is good four two good mugs and enough to give you a little top off. The 34oz is, simple math here, good for twice that, so basically you have just about perfect one and two person sizes for morning coffee, 2-4 people after dinner coffee..

One last consideration is the little plastic piece which is part of the filter assembly. Let me explain this pieces roll and a simple at home solution. The plunger rod screws into the actual filter pieces and the plastic piece acts as a sort of nut which holds them in place and keeps them from just going up the rod. But it is not the actual piece that connects the two, this is 100% metal and durable. If the plastic piece goes as you plunge the rod and bottom piece of the filer will go down, the two other pieces will stay in place. If it does strip out on you (which I'm betting on happening eventually), pick up a few washers to act as spacers and a properly sized nut for the rod/thread and problem solved. This IS a design flaw in my opinion, and is the only thing keeping the product from getting five stars. But for this price and otherwise very good design/construction, I can accept having to make a slight modification. It's the tinkerer in me I suppose lol.

But, all in all, it's a good product. From the useful sizes, cost, and the nice plastic holder for the glass (a GREAT feature) this is well worth the money even with a minor, easy to fix, flaw.

And yes, it's a piece of glass that gets a bit slippery when wet so separate from the plastic holder with dry hands!

I have just received my press. I have read previous reviews with regard to the weakness of the plunger attachment. This one is made of all stainless steel parts. No plastic. It seems to be of very high quality and strong. I have taken the screen off many times for cleaning with absolutely no problem. One caution: The glass beaker and the plastic holder expand at different rates. So while they are at the same temperature they will be tight, they may become loose when the glass and holder are at different temperatures when washing. Do not let this catch you by surprise as the glass may fall out while holding it upside down.

This French Press is excellent. Compared to my old one, which was plastic, this Bodum is particularly great because it is glass and doesn't absorb that stale coffee smell as much.

I never owned a coffee press, but kept reading that serious coffee drinkers and those that that really wanted to prepare coffee in the best way, used a coffee press. The problem was, most of the coffee presses were either poorly rated or were more money then what I wanted to spend...until I saw ths press from Bodum. It works great, prepares great tasting coffee and is not real difficult to clean up. I had read some negatives about this particular model and because the price was very reasonable, thought it might be true, but bought it anyway. It seems to work really good and I have no negatives, other then it, like all press pots, requires a little more effort then a drip coffee maker to clean up.

I love this french press. I've owned two other presses (Bon Jour) but they have the plastic nut on the filter stem and as other reviewers have said, they strip very easily. Don't buy any press (Bodum or otherwise) that has this plastic nut...you'll be sorry. I bought the BonJour because it was about $10 cheaper, replaced it twice within a couple of months, then bought the Bodum purposely for the metal nut. I've owned my current Bodum 8 cup Chambord for over two years without any problems. I kept the filters from the other two for spares!

As far as keeping the coffee hot--I'm a mom and can never finish a cup while it's hot!--after brewing, I immediately pour the coffee into a thermal carafe (with a glass bladder) or a stainless steel thermos and it stays hot for hours.

Buy your coffee freshly ground at the coarsest setting and you will love the "clarity" of the coffee (less sediment & grounds) and the flavor is incomparable. Who needs Starbucks when you can brew fantastic coffee like this at home?

If you like coffee straight and strong, a French Press is the only way to make it. French Ppress coffee is never bitter. It is impossible to burn coffee in a French Press. You can make it too weak but it's almost impossible to make too strong. What's great about this Bodum Coffee Press is that it's all plastic. So you just fill it with water, microwave it for 6 to 6 1/2 minutes or until the water boils, put three heaping table spoons of coffee in it. Stir it. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Plunge and drink. Best coffee you'll ever taste.

I have wanted a coffee press for awhile. I really like my coffee and I like to drink it black. I like the taste. Many people are drinkers because of the additives they put in the coffee before they drink it, like the flavorings and sugars. Anyway, this is a very good coffee press. No coffee grounds getting out and ending up in the coffee cup. The container is very sturdy and it cleans up nicely. The coffee is great tasting. I like to be able to make my coffee a bit weaker than some so it is pretty easy to do the taste test. Very good purchase.

The Kenya is a well made coffee press. The press filter and seal spring work together to keep grounds out of the coffee even if you get the grind a little too fine. You must remember that at 34 oz, you will only get about 3 1/2 cups (read 'U.S. mugs') from it. No problem for my wife and I at one 'mug' a setting. If we have guests for dinner, I simply revert to the traditional English cup for our coffee and have no problem getting nearly 8 cups from this press. If you have to make 4 or 5 mugs at a time, you will need to go larger (or rethink your coffee intake!). The only negative for me is that the caraf is glass and you must be consious of the fact that it is fragile. After using a plastic press (and dropping it a few times) I must now focus on what I'm doing, especially when washing it. The plastic frame does hold the caraf securely and should protect it from accidental bumps and maybe even a drop on the floor - though I don't plan on testing this theory. It has been my experience that pressed coffee has that great taste that no machine can match, and any press can give you that taste. It boils down to which press will put the least amount of grounds in your cup, and make a sufficient number of cups for you - and of course last the longest before something breaks.