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I use a cheap french press from IKEA and I love it. It takes up little space and my coffee is yummy. Cooling the boiling water a bit before pouring it on the ground coffee is key. If the water is to hot I get that unpleasant burnt taste.

I have been a French Press Coffee addict for years.
I have had about 5.

The best French Press on the market is the Bonjour available at William Sonoma.

It is SO good because it has a double filter and because you can turn the press to stop it from brewing when you decide that the cofee is strong enough.

I have a stainless steel version from REI that I use in my regular kitchen and take camping/on road trips. To avoid bitterness (or lukewarm coffee) when returning for more, I've started filling my insulated work mug first, and pouring what remains into my mug for immediate consumption. fairly obvious, but it makes a huge difference in the cup i drink an hour later...

I like to use my french press for cold-brewed iced coffee in the summer - just add grounds and cold water the night before, stick the whole contraption in the fridge, and press in the morning! Great iced coffee, no bitterness, and no extra step of heating & cooling.

Wait, how is it economical?

I like my french press (stainless steel Bodum) and follow all the tips listed above, but I find that it uses WAY more coffee than my old coffeemaker. Am I doing something wrong?

Perhaps economical because it doesn't draw power all day displaying the time? And you can't accidentally leave it on when you head for vacation.

Economical in that you can buy a good French press for very little money, as opposed to a good espresso machine or even a good drip machine.

Do you guys have problems with the French press filter breaking? We've been through 3 presses in about 6 months (first two were Bodum, current one is a stainless Frieling) and the filters on all three have completely come apart! It's getting ridiculously expensive buying a new French press every couple of months. We hand wash it, are very careful when using it, yet the filters either break apart or will no longer attach to the end of the stem. And no, we're not using it as a weapon or otherwise abusing it!

Any insight will be much appreciated.

@mjoe:

With the right water temp and enough steeping time, you shouldn't need that much coffee. Even if you like it really strong.

Also, a thermal press pot won't break. For me, the uneconomical part of a press is breaking them. One even had the handle, not the glass carafe, break!

Surely in that original thread, someone emphasized the value of a good grinder? Your blade grinder should be replaced with a conical burr grinder immediately so you get a consistent grind, whether it be coarse or fine.

I love the French press, makes drip coffee seem, well, drippy. I use the Bodum, have not had problems with it breaking. very very occasionally the filter unscrews but it is easy to screw back on. you should not have to use tons of coffee to make a good strong cup; I steep for 4 - 5 mins. during the week I make coffee each morning, put it in a thermos and drink it on the way to work. costs less, no coffee cup to toss away and god knows it tastes better than Starbucks.

French Press is by far my preferred method, but I do have a Bialetti espresso every now and then. I have a Bodum press and when the plastic nut that holds the filter in place broke off, I contacted Bodum and they sent me a new metal one. A much better deal than buying a whole new one. Bodum sells replacement filters if yours ever gets mangled beyond recognition. Of course, press gently enough and the filter should last a while. I don't usually wash the metal parts off with soap; I feel like it seasons the press a bit to just rinse it off with water after every use.