I bought this hoping to simplify my morning routine, but I ended up returning it. Perhaps I was using it wrong, or maybe I got a lemon, but for me, it failed in executing its primary function. I could not get it produce a cup of coffee as well as my electric kettle and Bodum French Press can.
The way it works is by filling the vessel on the right side of the product with water and putting your French Press with coffee grinds on the left. You press the button in the center and water slowly gets pulled from the bottom of the right vessel, passes through the machine, and drips into the French Press cup. On my first attempt, I filled the French Press with my usual amount of beans, pressed the button, and waited for all the water to pass through. When it did, I removed the press from the machine, waited 4 minutes, then pressed. The coffee was weak. I decided to try again, but this time increase the amount of beans. Still weak. I decided I needed to do some testing.
Because of the machine''s compact size and design, I could not get a thermometer probe into the French Press cup while it was working. Instead, I ran the machine until all 16oz of the water passed through, then removed the press cup and took the temperature of the water. I ran this test twice. Both times the water came out at 175-177 degrees F, not the recommended 200 degrees F for French Press coffee. It''s possible I''m supposed to leave the French Press cup in the machine while steeping and it will continue heating, but I usually start the timer when all the water is in the cup and at that time it is not at the optimal temperature. I cannot tell if it will ever reach that temperature since I never let it run that long, but even if it did, it would be difficult to tell exactly how long I should let the beans steep before pressing for the best brew. My Kona beans are a bit too expensive to waste for the sake of science.
PROS
Build quality Despite being plastic, every component of this product feels pretty solid. The French Press top screws and locks into place so it will not come out when pouring. To pour, you depress a lever at the top of the handle to prevent accidental spilling. The tea steeper cup also seems nice. Each piece fits well where it is intended to go.
Size Using Bodum''s measurement of 1 cup equals about 4 oz, this will produce about 4 cups (or approx. 2 8oz cups, if you prefer to view it that way). It is a compact design so it won''t take up a lot of counter space.
CONS
Temperature I was not able to make it reach the optimal 200 degrees F temperature for French Press coffee. After 16 oz of water passes through the machine into the French Press cup, it registered 175-177 degrees F.
Price This seems like a pretty expensive gadget for what it does, considering you could just buy a regular French Press for less than half Amazon''s price. Despite being electric, this device does not do everything for you.
Pieces There are a lot of pieces to this puzzle: machine, water container, French Press cup, lid for percolating water, lid for French Press, cup for tea leaves, lid for tea.
CONCLUSION
If you already have a French Press and enjoy it, I would stick with your current process.
I took a chance on reviewing this item based on the idea that a compact coffee press and tea maker would be a great addition to my office. Here are my thoughts:
What''s in the box:
1. The box contains the unit, plus a tea infuser, a coffee press, and a carafe.
How does it work:
1. The unit works by either making tea or coffee and placing the appropriate parts in the carafe. After boiling the water, you place the desired implement (press for coffee, or the strainer for loose leaf tea (you could also use a bag, of course) into the top of the carafe and you have your desired drink.
Use:
1. I have to say that the coffee that is produced is awesome. It is far hotter and clearly well-brewed then a simple coffee machine is in my experience (for example, a Cuisinart or a Mr. Coffee). The coffee seems more richly brewed and better tasting. Tea is similarly better infused then with an auto tea-kettle and a tea-bag in a cup. The tea is far better tasting as well.
2. The set-up is fairly simple with just a power switch.
3. Clean-up: This item has to be cleaned after each use. This is also not something that can be abused without causing problems with the brewing process as the filter will get fouled up without disciplined cleaning.
Pros:
1. For an office or dorm, this would be a wise purchase as the dual use and small footprint (imagine a small integrated stereo unit) make this a handy unit.
2. For the money, it is fairly well-built. Of course the carafe is glass and subject to breaking. Plus, the parts are plastic and cannot be abused. So this unit has to be handled with care.
3. The combination of the two possible hot drinks is a cool idea and the drinks are better than I would get with a tea-bag or a coffee machine.
4. Design: The unit has a really cool, contemporary design and this does make a nice statement in your kitchen area (or desk area).
Neutral:
1. In using this item, after you brew the water, and place either the diffuser for the tea or the press for the coffee, you have to remove carafe, and place the pourer on the top of the carafe to actually pour the drink. Meh. And, if you want to replace the carafe back into the machine, you have to repeat the process. Meh.
Cons:
1. Dainty. By this I mean that this is not for having a cubicle party as the amount you can brew is about two cups at a time. Plus, you have to clean the unit pretty much each time you use it.
2. Power. This is not a hot-plate, such that you can''t really keep your drink hot for a long period of time. Plus, it is missing that killer app, which is there is no auto turn-off. When you remove the carafe, it turns itself off so there is no real way to keep the drink hot on it''s own. This isn''t a deal breaker, but is one of those things that would have put this over the top of coolness.
Overall:
This is a pretty nice item and overall the good idea here is pretty well executed. For what it is asked to do, I think it covers a lot. I have some issues with the `daintiness'' which is probably because I see that I have to be careful with all the plastic and glass, and the low quantity of drink produced. On the other hand, the unit does produce a pretty darn good cup of tea or coffee that seems to make the above issues petty concerns rather then large obstacles.
Buy Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee and Tea Dripper Now
The Bodum Bistro is, in this reviewer''s opinion, overpriced for what you get. Yes, I know that French Press
coffeemakers get much pricier than this, but the Bodum is of mostly thin plastic construction, and is just
not built to stand up to heavy use. If you use metal utensils with it or use abrasive cleansers to clean it,
you do so at your own risk. The attached AC cord is pretty short. Moreover, Bodum''s idea of "one cup" is
about 4 1/2 ounces, which makes this unit only a two-cup brewer at my usual cup size. Besides, Bodum advises
against the use of fine-ground coffee, explaining that it will clog the press filter; that didn''t happen
when I used a fine grind. You do need to thoroughly clean the Bodum each time you use it, as scale buildup
is said to be a big issue...that''s a huge pain if you use the unit two or three times a day.
Lest you think that I have nothing but negative comments about the Bodum, it must be said that it brews a
darned righteous cup of coffee. The French Press system allows for total infusion, unlike the ubiquitous
drip-style coffee makers, and this gives you a very rich and satisfying brew. That''s all the more important
considering the soon-to-be-skyrocketing prices of coffee beans. The unit itself is stylish in its peculiarly
Euro fashion, and comes in different colors. (Mine is Basic Black, which always works for me.) The Bodum also
comes with a tea strainer, for those who want to get away from lame teabags...admittedly, I did not actually
try out this feature, but I certainly will in the future. The Bodum is quite easy to use, and the manual is
printed in several languages. I just can''t wrap my mind around its nearly $100.00 list price, but, if that
doesn''t bother you, and you can live with the aforementioned issues, by all means buy a Bodum. Amazon offers
it at a pretty good discount, and, since it doesn''t use paper filters, you''ll have everything you need apart
from the coffee itself.
Read Best Reviews of Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee and Tea Dripper Here
A nice concept for the office or other area without a stove or microwave to heat up the water, the Bodum Electric Coffee and Tea maker is adequate only.
The Positives. THis is a relatively compact appliance that works without fail (but within some frustrating limits--see below), and that includes both a press for coffee and a filter for tea. In the Amazon.com picture, the tank on the right is filled with water, and one adds either coffee or tea (inside a filter) to the container on the right. When the two (washable) plastic containers are in place, the machine will turn on--heating the water which transfer over to the container with the coffee or tea. Tea is brewed and coffee is pressed down with the familiar French press mechanism so that the water is infused with coffee and the finished product has no grounds.
After brewing tea or coffee, one fits a safety lid (liquid won''t pour without depressing a lever), and then pours the beverage into cup or mug. The heat turns off as soon as either container is removed. To keep any remaining coffee/tea warm, one must remove the safety lid, put on the other (flat) lid, place it back on the Bodum, and then turn it back on. These safety features are welcome, but also *too* cautious (as described later). One other thoughtful feature, the tea/coffee container''s hot bottom (from restng on the heating element) is somewhat protected by a lip that extends beyond it, thus minimizing contact with the surface upin which you place it.
Coffee and tea taste fresh (after all, you just made it!), is hot (initially), takes a little over 7 minutes to empty a 4-5 cup (full) carafe ONCE it is heated (more on that, too) and brewing is safe. That said.....
Negatives. Yes, this will sound all "Grinchy," but, taken togther, I found myself disappointed, feeling it''s not worth the money even at a 30% discount over list price. Many of these negatives stem from what I see (others may disagree) with a over-concern for safety. I''d feel differently if this were a device that children will use, but I doubt they will be the primary users.
Temperature. While the initial gulps will be enjoyably hot, replacing the container on the hot plate does not keep it close to this temperature: It loses its heat in a very short period. IT''s not lukewarm or tepid, but it''s just not hot.
Tempermental. It appears that if the two containers are not set in the machine "just so," the Bodum will not begin heating (either that or it takes an inordinate amount of time--well over ten minutes) for a full water carafe to start transferring hot water to the other container. It appears to work best when the handle on the receiving carafe and the numbers indicating cups on the hot water carafe are facing outward--but that may just be coincidence. Basically, I have to fool around with these containers to feel confident it will begin heating.
Extension Cord. In a wonderfully paternalistic nod, Bodum informs us that--for safety reasons--they include a short ekectric cord, and that we may need to buy an extention cord (they assume that''s safer, I suppose). Safety or less expense for Bodum, I wonder...
Taste. Tea is not a problem, but French Press coffee should have a richer, somewhat oily (from the coffee beans) taste and texture. I think that the size of the receiving carafe mitigates against this. The carafe bottom is so wide that the coffee just settles at the bottom--there''s little mixing of water and coffee as you press down (with little or no resistance) with the "plunger." Although this may work better with smaller quantities of water, and even more coffee, the coffee is strong and fresh, but it does not taste very much like French Press coffee.
Bottom line. I can''t really recommend this because of the price/value, temperature, and operating deficits noted above. However, if you absolutely need your coffee/tea fix, have no easy access to a microwave or other heat source, and you''re not too fussy about recreating conventionally made French Press coffee (and if you do use this to make tea, not just coffee), you may feel it''s a worthwhile purchase. While concern with safety is laudable, one wonders if designers could have made an equally safe product that produced a more satisfying taste at a more consistent temperature.
Want Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee and Tea Dripper Discount?
We aren''t big coffee drinkers, in fact we never drink it, but my husband is a big hot tea drinker. Really big, he drinks it when it''s in the 90s outside. But making him hot tea has been a pain with only a small kettle so when I saw this in the Amazon Vine list I picked it for a review knowing I''d get to try it several times.
The version I was sent is blue and I''m grateful for that because while the device comes in a lot of other colors, they all seemed rather gaudy to me. The instruction booklet is easy to read once you find your language in it -it needs clearer divisions frankly to make that easier. You''ll need to read all the instructions because unless you do things just so, the safety features will not allow the machine to work. Safety features that require the pot be locked in and that turn off the heating element after a certain amount of time. These are both good because they lessen the risk of accidents.
The water reservoir holds over 24 oz of water or more than four standard coffee/teacups. The filter for the pot makes it easy to use teabags or loose tea and it isn''t very difficult to clean. It is a small size and fits neatly on my kitchen counter after the microwave, KitchenAid, and toaster. For just one two four people wanting a hot beverage this has worked very well for us.
I''m so tempted to try to make hot cocoa with it...
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I''ve used this stuff for years (before you could get it on Amazon) on both furniture and antique sewing machine heads. Yes, you heard me right; antique sewing machine heads. It cleans up the finish that sometimes gets filmy. Just be sure to ALWAYS use it according to the directions and ALWAYS in an unseen spot first. I knew of a woman once who was so excited to use it that she put it over a bunch of wood trim in her house, got side-tracked and left it for 24 hours, then blamed the elixer when it ruined the trim. DON''T DO THAT! It is only supposed to stay on for 15-45 minutes.
