[dpatters]

Does anyone here have experience with a good 1.5 L  metal French press (the Bodum is not good)?

I have a Sterling Pro double wall stainless steel French press. It is available in 1.5 liter size. I got tired of replacing the glass Bodums. Also the coffee stays hot longer in the stainless carafe. I buy beans from a local place that roasts it own and use a decent burr grinder.  Good enough for me.

Don P.

[rbbert]

I have a Sterling Pro double wall stainless steel French press. It is available in 1.5 liter size. I got tired of replacing the glass Bodums. Also the coffee stays hot longer in the stainless carafe. I buy beans from a local place that roasts it own and use a decent burr grinder.  Good enough for me.

Don P.

Pricey, but the reviews on Amazon are also stellar.  Ordered!

[jqp]

I have a Sterling Pro double wall stainless steel French press. It is available in 1.5 liter size. I got tired of replacing the glass Bodums. Also the coffee stays hot longer in the stainless carafe. I buy beans from a local place that roasts it own and use a decent burr grinder.  Good enough for me.

Don P.

I'm sure you know you can replace the glass carafes for about $14 dollars on Amazon - you do have to really look for them at that price. I have probably replaced 8 in about 10 years.

The thing about a double walled french press is that, by the time you take advantage of the thermal properties (stays hot for a long time), the coffee is too bitter. I feel the coffee should ideally be out of the French Press in 6-8 mutes max. Reality is not always the ideal 6-8 minutes (4 minutes could be ideal if you are immediately pouring two 15oz mugs), but the flavor can really change if the grinds are over extracted.

I have a few French Presses, including a big 51oz Bodum Chambourd.

At one time I had an official Bodum double-walled glass carafe. I bought just the carafe on clearance at a department store. It was supposed to fit a Bodum Chambourd 34oz French Press frame, but it was just too big. I actually used it without any frame/handle! After all, with a thermal glass container, the outside is cool to the touch! One day of course I broke it and never replaced it.

Now, I can see a metal French Press to prevent having to clean up and replace broken carafes if that is an issue for you. These carafes must always be borosilicate glass (like a laboratory beaker) if they are glass, or they could be metal or plastic. To me glass is what I prefer, for cleanability with no oxidation or degradation. But if you break these carafes too often, then a high quality metal would be good. I just don't think a double wall adds anything to the equation, coffee should not sit in a French Press to stay warm. It is boiling water that can be still too hot to drink when the proper extraction time is reached, no need to insulate it in the press.

The coffee mug or glass is another story. Once you have poured the properly extracted coffee into the cup, you want it to be insulated if possible (but certainly not necessary). I recommend the Bodum (or other quality brand) double walled cups. Look for them on sale (15 or 16oz) but they are well worth the money if you enjoy hot coffee (or cold beer). Only for careful adults, they will break easier than heavy glass containers.



I began roasting with this guy: Melitta Aroma Roast



It was already discontinued when I discovered it, I bought 4 of them for $32! For parts Included were 4oz of green coffee beans! By the time I bought the roasters, the beans were yellow so they went into the trash.

It was similar to an air popcorn popper but was specialized for coffee beans - it had a way to catch the chaff.

I moved on to this one



which was definitely better. Now I have the Behmor 1600.

[randytsuch]

The thing about a double walled french press is that, by the time you take advantage of the thermal properties (stays hot for a long time), the coffee is too bitter. I feel the coffee should ideally be out of the French Press in 6-8 mutes max. Reality is not always the ideal 6-8 minutes (4 minutes could be ideal if you are immediately pouring two 15oz mugs), but the flavor can really change if the grinds are over extracted.

I was thinking the same thing.  Over 4 minutes or so, and the coffee will be overextracted.   I have a little press, just makes one cup at a time, so it doesn't sit around in the press for too long.  But it is double walled, because I want to make sure it stays hot while it is "brewing".

[jqp]

Staying hot while it is brewing is a valid reason to use a thermal press carafe. Probably really getting into the area of diminishing returns now, but if it your French Press why not make it thermal. I do like the Bodum ethos though, I feel the Bodum Chambord is the Platonic Ideal of the French Press.

I actually just received my Sterling Pro double wall stainless steel French press today from Amazon, $30. The reason I bought it, another French Press! But also it will make a good "travel" French Press to take when I drive to see my mother or sister. Nothing to break, I can just throw it in the car.

So now I can do a test - glass carafe versus stainless steel thermal carafe.

My new Behmor 1600 Plus in on the way, with 8 lbs. of free coffee bean (various samples)! A little cheaper on Amazon, but with the free coffee it is net cheaper from Sweet Marias.

[jqp]

Boiling water for coffee:

Did you know that you want to brew coffee with water that is slightly less than the boiling point (The closer to 205 F (96 C) the better)? Did you know that you should just pour it right from a boiling kettle?  For safety reasons turn an electric kettle off first before you grab it.

Here's why. You can't pour "boiling water" into a container because it cools off from 212 degrees F so fast. Furthermore you probably can't boil your water at 212 degrees F anyway because of your altitude (also pressure must be calculated). In Charlotte the altitude is 750ft and boiling point of water is 210.671 degrees F! So by the time I pour boiling water from my 1L plastic kettle into my French Press, it is likely less than 205 degrees. If you live in Denver you start with water boiling at 202.454 degrees F. You can't have good coffee in Denver!

[rbbert]

I have a Sterling Pro double wall stainless steel French press. It is available in 1.5 liter size. I got tired of replacing the glass Bodums. Also the coffee stays hot longer in the stainless carafe. I buy beans from a local place that roasts it own and use a decent burr grinder.  Good enough for me.

Don P.

I have now been using the Sterling for a few days and am very impressed, not only by the cool appearance and design but also by the slightly better taste of coffee made in it.  Seems the proprietary double screen really works!

[randytsuch]

Seems the proprietary double screen really works!

Proprietary double screen?

I have a double screen in my french press, wonder what makes theirs proprietary?

But glad it has improved your coffee.

[dpatters]

I have now been using the Sterling for a few days and am very impressed, not only by the cool appearance and design but also by the slightly better taste of coffee made in it.  Seems the proprietary double screen really works!

Glad it worked out for you!

Don P.

[J-Pak]

good brewing method without paper filter to absorb the oils (that's where the flavor is!)

For me I don't mind sacrificing a bit of flavor to get the mouth feel I like, which I can never achieve with a French press. So it's Hario pour over or the Techni if it's very early morning/I'm late.

[FullRangeMan]

JQP,
Personal taste aside in my experience w/the Italian maker a less than boiling water will result in less flavor, I dont know the French maker though.

[FullRangeMan]

This week I tried a new type of coffee from the known brand Melitta, it is the Melitta Especial, I not thought it was so good as this brand is very popular and the price was not expensive, about $6 USD per 500g.
It had a sweet flavor similar to chocolate and a strong parfum, it even good at a second pass at the electric maker. It was a glad surprise.

===
It was much better than the Melitta Tradicional($3.5usd) and ever better than the expensive gourmet Baggio($15usd).

http://www.baggiocafe.com.br/#sobre

[vilding]

Looks like people here stopped drinking coffee in 2016..?

Hopefully not since many a record has been made even more enjoyable with the right cup of coffee. 

When I get home from work today I plan on pairing Wayne Shorter with a light roast, flowery and berry-like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, brewed with Hario v60. Maybe I'll make a coldbrew aswell since the weekend is promising sun and warmth here in Stockholm.

[FullRangeMan]

Do you have any local good coffee to suggest us?

[vilding]

Do you have any local good coffee to suggest us?

In Stockholm? You have Sosta in Vasastan, that makes great espresso. Drop Coffe in Södermalm, they roast themselves. Also Kaffe in Södermalm. But Sthlm is a really good coffe city, with lots of good roasters and cafés. The list could be long...  A lot of them also sell online if you're in Europe and want to try some.

[Rusty Jefferson]

.. When I get home from work today I plan on pairing Wayne Shorter with a light roast, flowery and berry-like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, brewed with Hario v60......

My local roastery (Ceremony Coffee Roasters, which does ship in the US and internationally) will occasionally have the Yirgacheffe available, but with their peak roasting techniques for each type of bean, that taste of Blueberry just isn't my cup of tea though it is amazing flavor.   Generally prefer coffees from central/south America. Good thread to revive. I need a coffee.

[guf]

Looks like people here stopped drinking coffee in 2016..?


When I get home from work today I plan on pairing Wayne Shorter with a light roast, flowery and berry-like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, brewed with Hario v60.

Generally prefer coffees from central/south America. Good thread to revive. I need a coffee.

i agree with both of these. My daily drivers are  central/south american espressos and then I love something lighter, more fruity in the afternoon.  I LOVE coffee

[vilding]

i agree with both of these. My daily drivers are  central/south american espressos and then I love something lighter, more fruity in the afternoon.  I LOVE coffee

Spot on! (just drip coffee instead of espresso for me) 

[Phenol]

Bulletproof coffee, keeps ya going all daylong.

French press what ever is in the house. 1 TBS butter 1 CUP coffee blend in blender. sweetener as needed.

[zerojeff]

Love coffee. There’s a local roasting company that I get my beans from. I let them off gas for a few days. Brew through a Jura Impressa. I’ll drink 3-5 espresso in the morning.