Best of Bodum French Press: Complete Guide and Comparisons

Bodum Set_French Press

Bodum’s french presses have always been of the MOST popular ever among the world. Actually, everything Bodum makes is known to be of the best quality in addition to beautiful and simple design.

In This Post

So since Bodum happens to have the most popular french presses, and many people seem to have a lot of questions about them, we’re dedicating this post to answering these questions to help you buy the best Bodum french press for you.

Introduction to Bodum French Presses

How Does a Bodum French Press Work?

Bodum French Press How To

French press is by far the easiest and quickest way to brew a cup of coffee. How it works:

  • Scoop in the amount of desired coffee (medium coarse grind – amount depends on number of cups).
  • Pour in hot water, stir.
  • Let it sit of a few minutes then press down the lid.

When you press the mess filter down, it presses the coffee ground down, stops it from steeping, and brings the coffee up.

What Sizes Are The Bodum French Press? What Is The Largest and Smallest Bodum French Press?

Bodum BEAN French Press

Lucky for us, Bodum makes french presses in all sorts of sizes, materials and colors. Bodum’s french presses are usually available in these sizes:

  • 12 oz – 3 cups
  • 34 oz – 8 cups
  • 51 oz – 12 cups

However, the calculation for these cup sizes is based on 4 oz cups, which is the standard cup size in Europe. So, if you’re using a standard mug size in the US, which is between 8 oz to 12 oz, a 3-cup Bodum press would make a little over just a mug for you. This is important to keep in mind when choosing the right size for your need.

Colors and material of the french press depends on the model/collection of the french press, which will get to in a bit…

Is Bodum French Press Dishwasher Safe/Microwave Safe?

Bodum BRAZIL French Press

All Bodum french press pots are dishwasher safe. Is it Microwave safe, though? I’m not quite sure why you want to microwave a french press. Re-heating coffee that way only leads to terrible tasting brew… now I got that out of the way. The glass beaker of the press can be safely microwaved, you’ll have to take it out of the plastic or metal part of the press. That is not recommended though, it is much easier to simply make another batch of coffee.

Which Bodum French Press Is The Best?

Here are the top rated Bodum French Press Pots. We’d recommend you get a 34oz 8-cup pot which allows you to make more or less cups easily in case you’re having coffee on your own or with someone. However, all french press pots you’ll see are available in different sizes.

Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker:

Bodum Brazil 8-Cup French Press Coffee Maker
  • A simple french press available in three colors: red, black or green.
  • Patented safety lid prevents spilling and splashing while pressing.
  • All parts are dishwasher safe.
  • Brews 1 Liter, 8-cups of coffee.

Click here to learn more about the Bodum Brazil, read the customer reviews and buy it.


Bodum Chambord 8 cup French Press Coffee Maker:

Bodum Chambord 8 cup French Press Coffee Maker
  • 8-cup Bodum French Press, CHAMBORD collection.
  • Stainless steel frame, heat resistant handle.
  • Heat and scratch resistant borosilicate glass beaker.
  • 3 part stainless steel mesh filter for the best extraction.
  • All parts dishwasher safe.

Click here to learn more about the Bodum CHAMBORD, read the customer reviews and buy it.

Bodum Columbia 8-Cup Stainless-Steel Thermal Press Pot

Bodum 1308-16 Columbia 8-Cup Stainless-Steel Thermal Press Pot
  • 8-cup thermal press that keeps coffee hot for up to 2 hours.
  • Double-wall, insulated stainless steel pot with polish steel finish.
  • Large cool-to-touch handle.
  • Twist Shut lid.
  • 3-part stainless steel mesh filter.

Click here to learn more about this Bodum Columbia press, read the customer reviews and buy it.

Comparison Between Bodum French Press and Other Brands:

Torn between two french presses? Here’s a quick comparison between Bodum and other brands. Actually, we’ll start off by comparing two Bodum models then we’ll get into other brands:

Bodum BRAZIL vs. CHAMBORD French Press – What’s The Difference?

Bodum Chamboard vs Brazil
  • Filter: Both have the same 3-part stainless steel mesh filter.
  • Frame: Chambord has a stainless steel frame with heat resistant handle. The Brazil has a plastic frame.
  • Style: Chambord has a classic style while the Brazil has a modern style and available in many bright colors.

Bodum French Press vs. Sowden Softbrew:

Bodum CHAMBORD vs Sowden Softbrew

A comparison between these two is not even valid, as they’re not the same:

  • The Bodum Chambord is a press pot coffee maker while the Sowden Softbrew is not.
  • The Sowden Softbrew uses a filter basket inside the pot to brew and steep coffee. It does NOT have a press/plunger.
  • The Bodum pot presses down the coffee ground after steeping using the mesh filter.
  • The Sowden Softbrew is a porcelain (ceramic) pot, while the Bodum french press is made of glass.

Bodum vs Mr Coffee French Press:

Bodum vs Mr Coffee

The Mr. Coffee press might be cheaper than Bodum’s but you’ll be giving up on a lot of quality. The glass of the Mr Coffee press is not as good or durable as Bodum’s. And many customers have reported that the filter, which doesn’t seem to have a mesh, falls apart rather quickly after a few uses. We certainly do NOT recommend Mr. Coffee’s press just to save a few bucks. The Bodum press, for slightly more, should last you long years without any issues.

Frieling vs Bodum Thermo French Press:

Bodum Vs Frieling French Press

Now this is a truly fair comparison between two similar products. Both are of great quality, here’s what they have in common:

  • Both are thermo press pots, keep coffee hot for hours (2 hours in Bodum’s case)
  • Insulated double-walled stainless steel construction.
  • 8-cup capacity. Available in other sizes.
  • Both dishwasher safe

It is a fair competition between these two, they’re also about the same price. I’d prefer the Bodum pot for it’s Twist Shut lid, which is safer. But the design of the Frieling pot makes it great for other uses as a pitcher for milk or juice. However, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that so flavors don’t mix later on.

Common Questions About Bodum French Press Pots

Is My Bodum French Press Dishwasher Safe?

Bodum has made the majority of its french press pots using materials that are dishwasher safe. The safest way to clean your Bodum press in a dishwasher is to dissemble the filter and plunger and keep the pot in top rack (you don’t have to separate the plastic handle from the glass, though).

Is My Bodum Press Microwave Safe?

Yes! You can easily reheat your coffee in the microwave using your Bodum press. But of course, take out the lid and plunger and only place the pot in the microwave, since the lid is where the metal parts are, it’s not safe for the microwave. The rest of the press is totally safe to use in a microwave.

What Materials Does Bodum Use In their Presses?

Bodum is known for its use of Borosilicate glass as the body of all their presses. This type of glass is known for being resistant to temperature changes (does not shatter easily with sudden change of temperature), it doesn’t cloud or stain easily and has an overall strong composition.

If the french press has a plastic handle or base, then it’s definitely BPA-free.

Does Bodum Sell Replacement beakers for their French Press?

Yes, definitely. If you happened to accidentally break your press, you’ll be able to buy a replacement for the body, or any other part, over on Bodum’s website.

Further Reading:

Looking for the best grinders for french press brewing? See our favorite grinders here and the best conical burr grinders here.

Common Questions About French Press Brewing:

Is French Press Bad For You?

Coffee, in its natural state (not too much sugar, creamers or flavoring) and in moderation, is great for your health:

  • it helps the body to recover quickly, which is why it is usually recommended after heavy work outs.
  • it protects agains diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s
  • it improves energy levels and helps be more productive.
  • It contains many essential nutrients.

There are many health benefits to coffee that you can refer to here.

So, why does French Press coffee get a bad rep for being bad for your health? The only reason is that using a press to make coffee, it doesn’t filter out the oils from the coffee, which might lead to the risk of raising your cholesterol levels. But if you don’t consume a lot of it, you shouldn’t worry about it.

How Many Scoops of Coffee To Use in a French Press?

You need to know the size of the French Press you’ll use before you decide how much coffee to put in. According to brewing guides, the best ratio to work with is 1:15 of coffee to water. This means that you use 1 gram of coffee or 2-3 tablespoons in every 15 grams of water or one cup of water.

Therefore, if your French Press can hold 8 cups of coffee, you’ll be required to use 8-10 tablespoons of coffee and 860 milliliters of water.

Why Does French Press Coffee Taste Better?

When making french press coffee, the coffee grounds steep in water for a few minutes before pressing the plunge. This causes the oil present in coffee ground to be released and the stay in the brew. This results in a bold and flavorful cup, and that’s pretty much why a lot of people prefer this method for brewing their coffee.

What Kind of Coffee Do You Put in a French Press?

What matters when making a tasty coffee is the grind. For this reason, It is advised to use coarse and even ground coffee. Therefore, no matter where you buy your coffee from, and whichever blend or roast you go for, all you need to do is ensure that you get the grind size correctly. Other than that, it’s all up to your taste buds.

How Can I Make French Press Coffee Stronger?

As said earlier, the ratio of coffee to water should be 1:15. This means that for every one cup of water, you use 2-3 tablespoons of coffee. This gives your coffee a good taste. However, to make it strong, you need to change the ratio. For instance, you can decide to use the 1:8 ratio of coffee is to water. This means that you use more coffee and less water than when preparing the usual French press coffee.

Another thing to try is to make your coffee steep for a longer time before you press down the filter.

How Do I Keep My French Press Coffee Hot?

One of the downsides of using a glass french press is that it doesn’t keep the coffee hot for too long. To ensure your French press coffee remains hot for a lot time, buy a double walled stainless steel french pot. The insulation in such pots is excellent for keeping the temperature of your coffee for a long time. They are also more durable and less likely to break.

Another thing to try when using a glass french press is to rinse it with hot water before brewing (do the same for your mug, too). Now this does not keep your coffee hot for too long. Not as long as a stainless steel pot, at least, but it does help.

Can I Use a Paper Filter with a French Press?

Honestly, it’s not necessary to use a paper filter in your French press. In fact, the only essential items are coffee and water. However, you can use the paper filter if you feel like it. When you place the paper filter in your French press, it sieves fine deposits and produces coffee with a good flavor.

However, some nutrients, oils, and antioxidants present in the coffee will be lost, since they are left in the filter paper. Nevertheless, since all the grounds and sediments are left in the filter paper, you’ll get a cleaner cup of coffee

To use a paper filter with your french press, you’ll have to buy a disc shaped filter, usually sold for use with percolators, but many customers have suggested that it works fine for a french press, too.

Why Is My French Press Hard To Press?

As said earlier, you must ensure that you use the correct grind with your coffee. Using the wrong ground size will not only result in a bad cup of coffee, but will also make the process harder.

If you feel like you’re pressing too hard for the french press filter to go down, this means that you’re using a grind that is too fine and the water is finding it hard to pass through. This is why coarse coffee is recommended for french press, because water passes through it easily, making the pressing process easier.