French Press coffee maker

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GA Russell
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French Press coffee maker

Post by GA Russell »

Twenty years ago I used a small Bodum French Press coffee maker, and was quite content with it until the day I was washing the carafe by hand and dropped it and it shattered.

Now I think I would like to go the French Press route again. I plan to get something smaller than a full size pot.

Any recommendations regarding brand and model?

Thanks!
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by M6Classic »

While they no longer offer the old rhodium plated frames, Bodum still makes the almost same old French press coffee maker. That's what I use. I would avoid decorator models. If you still have the nylon filter that came with your old unit, save it; Bodum no longer puts it in the kit nor has it as an accessory, and I think it adds to the coffee's quality. Pots and parts are readily available in three or four sizes on line or, better yet, at the old fashioned cooking shop near you.

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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by fallingwickets »

Good luck with your search!!!

I have an aeropress......definitely not the same thing, but pretty decent nevertheless.

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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by Rufus »

We have a large and a small French press, but for the life of me I can't make a decent coffee with either one. I don't know if it's the workman or the tools.
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by GA Russell »

Thanks, guys!

Clive, would you like to convince me to get an Aeropress? What's their sales pitch?
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by fallingwickets »

I don't really know what their pitch is. I had a moka pot and one day while wandering around the www I started reading about the aeropress and after a few days down that rabbit hole :shock: I bought one. It works for me when I need to use it. I drink pots of coffee a day and so most of these presses don't suit my method of coffee consumption, but I wouldnt hesitate for a split second recommending the aeropress. The only 2 things that the french press has over the aero in order of importance; very fancy looking, and more cups can be made at one time

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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by GA Russell »

Clive, it's interesting that you say that, because I am looking for something on the small side. I will check out the reviews on Amazon, and see what their customers say. Thanks!
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by fallingwickets »

let us know how you made out with your purchase :D
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by maskaggs »

I've had the Bodum 8-cup deal, which I gather is about the standard entry-level device, since Christmas and have gotten a fair amount of use from it. I like it. I do wish the plunger would go all the way to the bottom - I am the only one drinking 99% of the time - but otherwise am very happy with it.
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by drmoss_ca »

I have an Aeropress, and several French presses, but have always preferred my Saeco Vienna Plus machine, which grinds and makes excellent coffee at the press of a button. I'm on my third, each having lasted about seven years or so before dying. This last machine is getting ricketty, and I started tests to determine its replacement. (Saeco no longer make such a machine at a reasonable price, and I hear the quality has gone since they were taken over by Philips.)

The winner is very clearly the napoletana, aka cuccumella, or Neapolitan flip pot. A video to demonstrate:



As you see, this isn't the same thing as the Moka Express kind of stovetop coffee maker at all. Since coffee is best made with water less than boiling hot (people get excited over the difference between 80º and 85º!), I simply pour water from a recently boiled kettle into the bottom pot, slide in the inner sleeve with coffee in the top compartment, put on the jug and flip it. A 9-cup size (must be meaning demi-tasse espresso cups) gives me four normal coffee cups or two modest mugs, and takes two large scoops of medium ground coffee to do it. It's made of thin aluminum, and seems a bit flimsy. I suspect one would cost a couple of bucks in Naples, but costs a lot more from Amazon. But if I treat it carefully it should last me out. As always, season it with a couple of strong brews left to stand, and after that just rinse it but never wash it. It will taste better and better as the inside becomes stained with accumulated coffee crud, just like a teapot.

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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by fallingwickets »

Looks really nice and only $38 at amzn....thanks for pointing the neapolitan out

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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by brothers »

That's a nice price for what appears to be a great product. After I watched the video I remembered buying something similar on ebay about 10 years ago. It was still on a shelf in the garage where I put it because I wasn't sure how to use it. It's a Wear-Ever model 3044 made in USA sometime in the early 1940s or thereabouts. The handle is a sturdy but beautiful art deco design. It works almost exactly like this one. Pour heated water into the top piece where it is slowly dripped down onto and through the ground coffee, and ends up in the bottom kettle to be poured into the coffee cup. I've brewed several pots since yesterday, and my favorite brand of coffee tastes just as good (or even better?) than what comes out of the Keurig. This is not to say I will or won't switch permanently, but I'm happy to have learned how to use this old relic. The Keureg is almost instantaneous, and the old one obviously takes a few more minutes for all of the heating of water and dripping down through 3 stages. Probably less than about 5 to 7 minutes or so, if I heat the water in the microwave.
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by cjc15153 »

My chief complaint against the Aeropress was that it didn't make enough coffee. So if you just want a little, that is the way to go. I left mine disused for a time and the plunger dried out and they will replace any part for $5—which they say is to cover shipping.<p>A friend recently got me a vacuum pot, which makes about 3 cups of very good coffee (it claims 5) and makes a nice presentation. The trouble to coffee ratio is wrong, so I have not used it much, preferring my moka pot.<p>The Neapolitan pot spews scalding water, which is probably why that method is not better known.
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by drmoss_ca »

The water that comes out is very little, and represents that which was between the wall of the water containing pot and the inner sleeve of the coffee containing part. It's about 5-10ml max, and since I know it's coming I flip the pot next to the kitchen sink, it 'pees' in the sink for a second and then dries up, no harm done. The hole is there so you can tell it is boiling on a stove, and also lets steam out if left boiling. Since I am just pouring water from a kettle into mine (note to Americans: don't use the microwave to boil water as it takes forever! Demand your rights and buy a kettle!) I could block that hole with a drop of solder.

Chris
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by Squire »

My you fellas are industrious. I have the water carafe, microwave and french press within arms reach of my desk chair.
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by drmoss_ca »

An interesting discovery today—about one hundred years after the napoletana was invented in Naples, an American patented a simpler non-flip version that effectively became a manual drip filter pot and called it the Drip-O-Lator. Since it doesn't flip, you cannot heat the water in it on a stove top, and have to use a kettle to fill it, but it was available in much larger sizes than the napoletana. Manufactured from 1921 to mid-1940's, later versions had nice china teapot-like bottoms, but still a nasty aluminum filter top.

Image

A Sears version is on the way to me from eBay, costing all of $20. There are lots of them there.

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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by brothers »

Chris, the Wear-Ever coffeemaker I am referring to just 4 posts above looks identical to the Sears in your photo. I have been using it exclusively since that day. I get my hot water from the Keurig and the coffee is delicious!

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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by CMur12 »

My parents used a Drip-O-Lator through the 1960s (and possibly before and after that), so they must have been in production then, too.

(I remember washing the thing out when it was my turn to do the dishes.)

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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by drmoss_ca »

Reliable or not, it's what Wikipedia says:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drip-O-lator

If you ever look at coffee making videos on YouTube you will soon see there have been many devices for brewing and people are still frantically working on more. It seems that everyone has a Kickstarter to make their own pocket-sized single cup brewer controlled by an iPhone app. Perhaps they would do better to make a modern version of this?

Chris
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Re: French Press coffee maker

Post by brothers »

Chris, what do you think of the Drip-O-Lator now that you've had it a few weeks. I'm still using mine about 90% of the time, Keurig 10%.
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