Bodum 34oz Java French Press Coffee Maker, High-Heat Borosilicate Glass, Black – Made in Portugal

Exactly as pictured
This is a very good coffee maker. Does the job without full or extra cleaning. Nice product.

Acceptance after initial disappointment
I’m a moka pot user and this is my very first french press coffee maker. I got it rather than getting a bigger moka pot, and also to try a new way to make coffee. With moka pots, you can only make a specific amount of coffee, and if you want to make less or more, you gotta get another moka pot of different size. Whereas with french press, I figured I can fill it half full or all the way full. So anyway, I got it to have flexibility.I did not have a good initial impression, for a number of reasons:1) The thing did not come in a proper box, just a fold of cardboard with most of the pot exposed — though I guess the benefit of that is, if it is broken before purchase, it is more obvious, plus there is an environmental and cost-saving benefit. I hate styrofoam and so packing it this way is preferable (but foam is not the only way to properly cushion glass!). This came with zero cushioning, but was placed in a bubble-wrap type bag inside the Amazon cardboard box.2) Another minor cost-saving benefit that made a poor impression is the very sparse instructions that were for 2 different models (instructions referred to Version 1 and Version 2 and it wasn’t immediately obvious which referred to my item — why not just print proper instructions aimed at a particular model?). Yea it is a pretty simple process but this was my first-time-ever using this type of device. So you’ll have to study up on optimal french press brewing if you’ve never done it before. (The videos posted here are terrible, and obviously done just to get commission by someone who has no idea how to use this thing properly).3) It was super hard to take apart the filter pieces the first time. I had to wrap a towel around the knob and hold on to it with pliers so I could twist the thing apart.4) There was a sticker on the glass proclaiming this is a genuine product; hassle to remove and it left residue (that eventually came off). If a manufacturer must use stickers, make them so that they peel off easily and cleanly, please.5) The final thing that contributed to my poor first impression is that initially I thought it would not be possible to easily remove the glass beaker from the holder, perhaps impossible without damage, so I could properly clean the thing and keep it looking presentable. It is in there pretty tightly! But this turned out to be easy; you just have to press up from the bottom. I think the plastic expands a bit after use with hot water, and that makes this easy, with minimal stress and danger of damage. I immediately clean it as soon as it is cool enough to touch, and I dry it and return it to the plastic holder, while the plastic is probably still expanded enough.The plastic is fine and it is good quality considering it is plastic, and I am definitely not sorry that I did not pay extra for metal. The beaker does not have volume markings but I am at fault for not noticing that in the photos. I was comparison-shopping and most others I looked at had markings, so I did not notice that this did not because it seemed fairly standard for this size. It seems to be designed to be filled up, because the plunger stops and can’t get low enough when I have only half the specified grounds; since I immediately pour the coffee into another container, this is okay because I salvage the coffee that pours out from under the mesh.Now, at last, the most important piece: how about the coffee?I just need more experimenting because initially I was not impressed. What is the big fuss over french press? To me it was not much different from, or even inferior to, the pour-over method. Yes, pour-over is also a flexible-volume method but I got the french press because I wanted the best possible quality along with the flexibility. I’ll just say I won’t be buying another french press, and I’ll probably get a bigger moka pot. But after first try, I ground my coffee much more coarsely, and then it was okay, though still not as good as moka pot coffee, and a lot more hassle to clean up after brewing. Plus it is wasteful of coffee beans! I suppose it is a matter of taste, and I haven’t given up on this thing, but mostly I’m likely to use it for loose tea rather than coffee. Though for tea, a tea pot with removable basket is superior, at least for black tea. And it is not as convenient to clean as other options for tea.I got the 8-cup (1 liter) size so this is my best way to make a large amount of coffee, like for a bigger thermos, so I will almost certainly use it occasionally for coffee. This is also a decent size for tea, and I can alternate using this and my glass tea pot. Plus the fact that I got the various parts to come apart eventually also made me accept it. Given the price, it is acceptable or somewhat over-priced for what it is. I did care that it is the “original” brand that was marketed in the U.S., in part because I figured they’d defend their reputation with a quality product. So I did not buy a cheaper one. Definitely there is a wider profit margin for kitchen tools than many other products. It could be that the fine stainless steel mesh makes this a bit more expensive than cheaper competitors. I noticed that some others have two layers of mesh instead of one, and I’m guessing it’s because it is lower quality mesh, so two are needed. The mesh that came with this does seem to be very good quality. For health and durability reasons, I think I made a good decision by not buying cheaper options.Overall, I’d recommend this to someone who wants to try french press coffee without spending too much. But if you like espresso coffee without the expense and hassle of an espresso machine, I recommend a moka pot, which produces a similar type of coffee as espresso, almost as good as espresso (in fact they are often called espresso makers but no, the coffee is not the same). Moka coffee, like espresso, has less bitterness than french press or other methods, so I use less sugar. I have a LuxHaus that I really love; far, far superior to this item (but also more expensive).

Light easy to use
Replacing my last one that broke. I like the metal around the glass. Expect that will help protect it from breakage. Easy to use.

Good quality
I love the Bodum French Press. This is my third one. The product quality is good.

Funciona 100%Quem pretende usar para pouco café recomendo uma de litragem menor!

It does a decent job ..i am happy with this product 😊