The French press that has shipped to more kitchens than any other, with a borosilicate carafe and stainless mesh plunger that still set the standard at $55.
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Households that want full-bodied, oil-rich coffee brewed in 4 minutes with no paper filters, no pods, and no pour technique.
Anyone who prefers clean, sediment-free coffee like pour-over or drip, or who is brewing light-roast single-origin coffees where delicacy and clarity are the goal.
The Bodum Chambord is the French press that most kitchens in North America first encountered. The borosilicate glass carafe, chrome-plated stainless frame, and stainless mesh plunger have been in continuous production since 1991 and have not required a significant redesign. It is not the most refined filter on the market. It is the most reliable, dishwasher-safe, paper-filter-free way to brew a full carafe of full-bodied coffee at a price that competes with nothing above it in construction quality.
French press brewing is immersion: ground coffee steeps directly in hot water for 4 minutes before the plunger pushes the grounds to the bottom. The stainless mesh filter does not remove coffee oils or fine particles the way paper filters do. The result is a cup that is full-bodied, rich, and slightly thick at the bottom of the mug. This is the format the Chambord produces best. For medium and dark roasts where body and sweetness are the goal, this method delivers them without a paper filter extracting the oil.
For light roasts, delicate washed Africans, or coffees where brightness and clarity are the point, French press is the wrong method. The oils that enhance a dark roast mute the floral and citrus notes in a light one. The Hario V60 or the Chemex suits light roasts better.
French press brewing is one of the lowest-technique brew methods available. Boil water, let it sit for 30 seconds, pour over medium-coarse grounds at a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, wait 4 minutes, press, pour. The only mistake that consistently produces bad results is leaving the coffee in the carafe after plunging. Extraction does not stop when the plunger goes down. The grounds continue steeping in the residual water at the bottom of the carafe, and the cup in the mug grows bitter as the carafe sits. Pour immediately.
A burr grinder set to medium-coarse reduces the fine sediment that passes through the mesh. Blade-ground coffee produces uneven particles that increase sediment and bitter notes. This is the case for burr grinders across all brew methods; it is particularly visible in French press results because the metal mesh catches nothing.
Borosilicate glass handles boiling water, dishwasher high-temperature cycles, and the thermal shock of cold water poured immediately after a hot brew. The chrome-plated stainless frame is structural and does not contact the brew. The plunger assembly comes apart: the filter disc unscrews from the rod, and each piece washes separately. Bodum backs the glass with a lifetime guarantee against defects. The frame and plunger carry a 2-year warranty. No paper filters, no pods, and no replacement parts outside of the mesh disc if the screen tears (replacement discs are under $10).
The 8-cup model brews 34 oz (1 liter), which works for two to three people sharing coffee. Bodum also makes 3-cup, 4-cup, and 12-cup sizes in the Chambord lineup. For beans, see the french press beans page for options suited to immersion brewing. For equipment comparison, see the full equipment page.
At $54.95 the Chambord 8-Cup is the benchmark price for a borosilicate glass French press with a stainless steel frame. Bodum routinely discounts to $35 to $40 during sales, and at that price it is an uncomplicated buy. The lifetime glass guarantee reduces the long-term cost of ownership. Budget $0 for ongoing consumables: no filters to replace.
The Chambord is the benchmark French press for a reason: the borosilicate glass is heat-resistant and dishwasher-safe, the stainless mesh plunger filters consistently, and the stainless and chrome frame holds up to daily use for years. French press coffee is inherently full-bodied and slightly sediment-forward. If that is what the cup should be, the Chambord delivers it at a price no competitor undercuts with equivalent construction. Buy it, learn the 4-minute steep, and stop thinking about the brewer.
4 minutes is the standard for medium grind at a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio. Steeping longer than 4 minutes over-extracts and produces bitterness. Coarse grinds tolerate 4 to 5 minutes; finer grinds need less.
The stainless mesh filter allows fine coffee particles through. Use a coarser grind, grind consistently with a burr grinder, and pour the coffee out of the carafe immediately after plunging to minimize sediment.
No. The grounds continue extracting even after the plunger is depressed. Pour the entire batch into mugs or a separate carafe as soon as the plunge finishes.
Yes. All components, including the glass, stainless frame, and plunger assembly, are dishwasher-safe. Remove the plunger filter disc from the rod for thorough cleaning.
Beans suited to french press.
Produces grape-and-citrus intensity across pour over, drip, and French press, the anaerobic natural process amplifying Boquete Geisha into something fruitier and denser than the varietal's standard profile.
Built for filter brewers who want fruit clarity before anything else, this Nyeri peaberry delivers blackberry and dried currant at a sweetness the medium roast has no business sustaining.
Cherry and apricot liqueur upfront, with a sweetness that persists through the full temperature drop and never tips into jammy.
Apple brightness arrives first, then maple sweetness catches it as the cup cools, with enough body behind both that the florals have somewhere to land.
The pour-over dripper that defines the category: a 60-degree cone with a single large drain hole that rewards pour technique with unmatched clarity in the cup.
The original cold brew system still makes the cleanest concentrate at home: a reusable felt filter, a rubber stopper, and a glass decanter that holds two weeks of cold brew.
The stovetop brewer that has produced moka-style coffee in Italian kitchens since 1933: a patented safety valve, aluminum construction, and a result that sits between espresso and strong filter coffee.
A 1941 borosilicate glass design that brews 30 oz of clean, sediment-free pour-over coffee with less technique sensitivity than the Hario V60.
