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Bodum Chambord French Press Review

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Scott

October 10, 2023

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The best french press coffee makers embody a combination of simple design, functional, yet also attractive to have in your kitchen. The wonderful thing about a french press is it’s easy to use, requires next to no maintenance but it still makes delicious tasting coffee.

The Bodum Chambord is a beautiful piece that encompasses the classic design of a french press whilst also being long-lasting and makes great coffee with ease. Any coffee lover will find this piece fits perfectly into their home thanks to the versatile size and color options.

Interested?

Well, this review covers everything about the Bodum Chambord French press and why you should consider it for your next coffee-making purchase. If you like the look of this option or any of the other coffee makers listed here click on the ‘price and reviews’ button to checkout current prices on Amazon.

Bodum Chambord French Press

The Bodum Chambord French Press Coffee Maker

The Carafe

The Bodum Chambord carafe comes in two options. The first is heat-resistant borosilicate glass. This type of glass is stain proof and non-porous so doesn’t hold onto dirt or odors. It’s a high-quality material that won’t go cloudy in the dishwasher and looks great on any kitchen countertop. The downside of the glass option is that it’s fragile.

The second option is a carafe made from recyclable shatterproof SAN plastic. This is a durable option that’s food-safe and won’t break if knocked or dropped. This option is also dishwasher safe for easy clean-up.

The Plunger

The stainless steel plunger is made up of a fine-mesh filter plate that easily separates the grounds away from the liquid. It has a stainless steel spiral plate fixed on top that allows the filter to conform to the carafe size so no grounds escape up the sides of this filter.

The Housing

The housing frame and lid are made from stainless steel that has undergone a chrome plating process that keeps it shiny even after years of daily use. The handle is polypropylene plastic with a matte finish. It’s ergonomic and comfortable to hold and remains cool to touch even when hot water is added to the carafe.

These housing components are not dishwasher safe but are easily cleaned with a damp, non-abrasive sponge and a mild dish soap.

Size Options

The Bodum Chambord comes in four size options. The smallest, 12 oz size is also listed as the 3-cup French press. It’s worth noting that each cup is only 4 oz (113ml) so makes a very small cup of coffee.

The largest size, 51 ounces is the 12 cup coffee maker, again, based on 4 oz cups of coffee.

Warranty

The Bodum Chambord carries a one-year limited warranty to cover manufacturer defects. You will need a receipt or proof of purchase to redeem this. It’s worth noting that the glass carafe is not covered by this warranty.

Why Choose A French Press

Easy To Use

The french press is a really user-friendly and non-intimidating way to brew fresh ground coffee at home. There are ways you can tweak the brewing method to give a really delicious tasting cup of coffee but the basic steps are as follows. Weigh out coarse ground coffee and add to your french press. Add hot water, wait 4 minutes and press the plunger. Serve and enjoy!

Delicious Coffee

The immersion brewing process that a french press utilizes gives a really rich and bold cup of coffee. Paper filters soak up some of the coffee oils and remove all the fine micro sediment so this takes away an element of the coffee flavor.

The mesh filter removes most of the coffee grounds but leaves a fine layer of micro sediment behind to give the coffee a thick mouthfeel that adds to the texture and flavor. It’s the kind of coffee that you either love or hate (a pro tip here, if you don’t like sediment in your coffee, try pour-over instead. It makes a much smoother cup of joe!).

Inexpensive

When it comes to brewing decent cups of coffee the cost of a good coffee machine can make it not worthwhile. For less than $50, these coffee makers will deliver again and again without much upkeep necessary. They’re durable, long-lasting, and only require that you keep them clean.

Portable

A great thing about the french press is you can take it anywhere with you to brew coffee. Take it to work, on holiday, camping, the list goes on! You can have a fresh coffee way out in the wilderness as these coffee makers don’t need power. Heat some water over a campfire or camping stove and that’s it!

Easy To Clean

The glass beaker and stainless steel filter can go in the dishwasher for easy clean-up. The coffee grounds are fully compostable so no waste is produced with this brew method. The exterior housing can be easily wiped clean with a damp cloth and in no time at all the french press is ready to brew again.

Many Uses

A french press isn’t just for hot coffee, there are a few different things you can do with this device. You can use it as a tea maker for brewing tea leaves or herbal blends. The plunger works extremely well to strain the tea once it’s finished brewing.

Another option is you can use it as a milk frother. If you press the plunger up and down rapidly through some milk then this aerates it and froths it up. Perfect for making lattes or hot chocolate.

You can also use a french press to make cold brew coffee. Simply add coffee and cold water and leave to stew for 12 hours or more. Then press the plunger and this strains away the grounds.

How To Make The Best Coffee With Your French Press

Coffee Beans

Freshly roasted coffee beans are always the best choice when it comes to brewing the best-tasting coffee. Ideally, source your coffee from a local roaster, the fresher the better. Whole beans are better than pre-ground as the moment the coffee is ground up it starts to lose some of its flavors and aromas. If you don’t have a grinder at home, make sure you get coffee that has been ground up very coarsely or ask for a french press/coarse grind when you buy it from the coffee roasters.

Conical Burr Coffee Grinder

A good quality coffee grinder makes all the difference when it comes to brewing fresh coffee. A conical burr grinder can be set to grind up the coffee beans to an even consistency and they don’t heat up as a blade grinder can. This means the ground beans won’t burn before you brew your coffee. The benefit of an even grind consistency is the coffee won’t end up over-extracted and bitter. It will have a balanced, rounded flavor that’s consistent between batches.

Filtered Water

The better the water tastes, the better the coffee will taste, it’s that simple! Filtering water removes hard minerals and impurities that lead to bitter-tasting coffee. A filter jug is all it takes to get the water ready to brew delicious coffee.

Check The Temperature

The water temperature is critical for ensuring your coffee tastes as good as possible. If the water is too cold then the coffee will taste thin, weak, and under-extracted. If the water is too hot the coffee will taste burnt and bitter. Aim for the water to be between 195-205F or 92-96C. This sweet spot ensures maximum flavor extraction.

Ratio

The coffee to water ratio is another factor that needs to be considered when brewing coffee in your french press. The exact amount of coffee you use is something you need to play around with as some people prefer a stronger and some people prefer a weaker cup of coffee. A good starting place is a 1:17 ratio of coffee to water. So that’s 1g of coffee for 17g of water. Every ml of water weighs one gram so for 600ml of water you’ll need 35g of coffee.

If you like it stronger then try a 1:15 ratio so 40g of coffee for 600ml water. If you prefer a milder brew then try a 1:20 (so that’s 30g of coffee for the 600ml option). You can tweak and adjust this ratio to suit your taste preferences until you have a cup of joe that tastes just how you like it.

Four Minutes

The magic number for brewing coffee in a french press is four minutes. Once you’ve poured the hot water over the coffee grounds start a timer. You can give the mixture a bit of a stir to ensure the coffee is fully submerged but after this, don’t touch it again.

The four minutes allows the coffee to brew and also allows the grounds to settle to the bottom so if you start stirring it again then this will result in a grainy cup of java, not ideal!

Once the timer reaches the four-minute mark, start pressing the plunger. You want to do this firmly yet with even pressure, slowing as you reach resistance, but not stopping. Press it all the way down and serve immediately. Enjoy your delicious hot coffee.

More Coffee Makers

Bodum Brazil

Bodum Columbia

Le Creuset Stoneware French Press

AeroPress

Keurig K-Duo

Final Thoughts

The Bodum Chambord French press is well worth considering due to its high-quality design and attractive housing. It remains sparkling even after years of use and is a timeless piece that fits into any home with ease.