Customer Reviews

BonJour Hugo 3-Cup Unbreakable French Press, Black

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(43)
1 star:		(57)

 

 

I got this little French Press for Christmas (cost was the full $25) and used it every day for five months, until the plastic screen holder on the bottom of the plunger pretty much disintigrated. I've used french presses for years and am in the habit of disassembling the plunger/filter mechanism for periodic cleaning. This is fine for metal screen holders, but this plastic one cracked and soon broke into small pieces.

I'm going back to Bodum. Their glass carafes can break (and be replaced), but I never really liked the plastic carafe on the BonJour Hugo -- it quickly began showing minute scratches, giving the impression that it wasn't completely clean. (I'm not a clean freak, but good coffee calls for clean brewing equipment.)

If it weren't for the broken holder and the plastic carafe, I would have given this french press five stars.

This is a well-made product, and especially great after I broke my third glass one!

For those who complain about the size ... it does say pretty clearly in the description that this is three 4 oz. cups. The reason is that it's designed for making coffee in the French manner, which will produce much better coffee than you're used to. Here's how you do it:

1. Put twice as many grounds in the container as you're used to. I usually use two Tbsp. coarse ground coffee per 8oz., so for this little one 3 Tbsp.

2. Pour the hot water in, let steep for four minutes.

3. Press, and pour your coffee.

4. If you're a long-haul trucker or want hair on your back, drink it straight. Otherwise, cut it as much as 2:1 with hot milk (for a cafe au lait) or hot water.

5. Laugh at all the schmucks who think you need to pay $4 for a cup of coffee.

Incidentally, you can heat the milk by steaming it, although that's not technically an au lait.

First I liked this press - good coffee, reasonable price.
But in 3 weeks operation, the press itself has already broken. The plastic holder for mesh filter has broken...
May be this pres is good for ones a year usage, but not for everyday...

Length:: 2:33 Mins

I purchased this cute little French Press as a house-warming gift for my 19 year-old nephew. Unfortunately, it arrived already falling apart! The handle assembly was in pieces in the box and it looked as though it was missing a piece. I tried to reassemble it, but, as you can see in the video, it was quite uncooperative.

For a young guy living on his own for the first time an unbreakable carafe would be ideal, but unfortunately, the rest of this little press seemed VERY breakable. I can't imagine it holding up for more than a few weeks in a house with several young guys.

Additionally, as you can see in the video, though it holds 12oz of liquid total, the ground coffee displaces at least 2oz so you actually only get less than 10oz of coffee. One small cup of strong, rich coffee is plenty for many people, but 19 year-old guys tend to consume massive amounts of everything so a French Press of this size would definitely not work for my nephew and his roommates.

Ultimately, the BonJour French Press is a cute little coffee press and the fact that the carafe is unbreakable is a big plus. I would definitely consider taking one (although probably the bigger one) if I were going on a camping trip. That said, I would have no expectation of it holding up through more than one or two trips.

If you drink one good cup of coffee a day and are very gentle with your housewares, this French Press might last a while for you. My bull-in-a-china-shop family generally requires things that are much more sturdy (check out my review of the Frieling 0103 5-6 Cup French Press... it's abuse-proof!)

I hope this review helps,
Claire

PS - It always makes my day to know that people find these reviews helpful. So, please vote (The "Was this review helpful to you: Yes or No" buttons) and leave a comment if you'd like, even if it's just to say, "Hi!" I respond to all comments so feel free to ask a question about the product. Also, when you leave a comment, I will go to your reviews and pay you the same courtesy.

I use this press almost every day at work. It certainly is not three cup by American standards, but this three cup is perfect for my thermo mug I put my coffee in after it has steeped. I had read some reviews that there were some issues, but I haven't seen any of them. The measuring cup that comes with it is perfect for the right strength I like, I heat the water for about 2 mins 15 seconds, let it steep for 4 or 5 minutes, and then put it back in the cup. No grounds and lots of flavor. At first, I didn't think I liked it but that was because it was very different from what I'm used to. I like it a lot now; much more flavor. One caveat for those that like boiling hot coffee, you'll need to put it back in the microwave (in your original cup of course). I don't have to because I can't drink it really hot. It is just right for me. I'm very glad I got this. It's better than the instant I was drinking and certainly better than the vending machine. Also, much less than the premium convenience coffee.

I bought this back in 2007 and was initially happy with it. Turns out "unbreakable" only refers to the cup, not the rest of the press.

After a month or so the plunger screen broke in half.

Lots of other people must think the same thing, because among the tag suggestions Amazon is giving me are "horrible" and "junk". Just be warned. You get what you pay for, and sometimes less.

The coffee maker is brilliant, it's better than the normal bodum glass press as it has a rubber surrounding to the shaft filter, so no coffee will run through the holes. It's great as it doesn't break. It has an embedded coaster which is an addition i like.

great value, great buy. You'll love it!

I don't actually use mine for coffee. I have only made tea with it.

Pros:
Plastic, which means I won't scratch it or break it! (This is especially important because when I am not awake I can be a bit clumsy)
13oz - this works well for me because with milk, it is one 16 oz mug. that's usually a good amount for me for the day

Cons:
I like the Bodum press mechanism better. It uses the strainer pressed against the side rather than the rubber seal on this one. My tea, and I imagine, other peoples' coffee grinds can get through the seal when you press down on it because it is pretty soft
My tea leaves have a tendency of getting stuck in the press when I strain it. It washes away pretty easily but I'd prefer if they didn't stick at all.
It doesn't fit under my water boiler. I have a Sunbeam Hot Shot and this is about a 1/4" too tall to get under it. Therefore, I have to dispense it from my Hotshot into a cup, then pour it into the press and then strain and pour into my real cup. I know, this is a pretty small concern and pretty insignificant to most people but that's one more cup for me in the morning!

The plastic screen mechanism disintegrated.....This coffee press is poorly designed,,,,,>>>Meant to break after 3 months ..

After using a French press with a glass jar at home, I came across this product which I obtained from Handy House (Beaver Creek Shop). As I use this on my sailboat, the fact that is an unbreakable product is key. The design is better than my home one as it has a filter on the pouring side, which keeps any grinds in the press (out of my cup).

The service from the Beaver Creek Shop / Handy House was excellent. No whining about shipping to Canada and at an excellent price. Even a personal follow-up on the mailing and arrival of the package.

Well Done!