I've never been a big coffee drinker. I always liked the aroma more than the beverage. But in recent years, I've taken on a new career path where people are forced to work weird hours and feign being alert and creative. Coffee plays a big part in that charade.

So now I am a coffee drinker. And not just a coffee drinker, but a coffee SNOB. (Oh, man how I hate to admit that...)

After drinking many gallons of brown water provided by "craft services" people (they're the ones who feed film/TV crews and the talent), I've learned to hate bad coffee. I don't even enjoy so-so coffee anymore--I tolerate it. Barely. If I am going to drink if for enjoyment, rather than as a stimulant, I want it prepared well. So after spending money on really good coffee beans, I like to prepare it in the best way possible.


Choose Your Instrument of Torture

I have owned and used a few coffee preparing devices; a pricey Krups combination coffee/cappuccino/espresso maker, a cheesy plastic Melita drip-in-a-cup filter thing, an insanely huge restaurant style Bunn coffee maker (owned by a former roommate--she was a little nutty about her coffee), a Mr. Coffee (or a knock off), and something fancy I'm forgetting. You know what? None of them really made coffee all that well. The $2.50 Melita probably worked the best.

Then came the Bodum Chambord French press pot. (Do you see the shaft of light cutting through the clouds? Yeah…) Next to the lever, the Bodum Chambord is the simplest and best machine you could ever want. (The lever is nice, but it doesn't make very good coffee). The best part of the Bodum coffee press is that you don't have to plug anything in to make it work!


It's Simple? Why Bruce, Please Explain

How does it work? Here you go…

1) Boil some water.
2) Add the appropriate amount of ground (preferably freshly ground) coffee to the empty glass carafe followed by the appropriate amount of water. [The right amount for you is mostly trial and error but it's likely to be the same ratio as with your automatic drip machine.]
3) Cover letting the plunger rest on top of the water. Allow the coffee steep for three to five minutes. (Some like to stir things a couple of times before "plunging," but I find steeping without stirring works great for me.)
4) Gently push down the plunger. This separates the grinds from the water.
5) Serve.

You're lovin' it already...I can tell.

This method of making coffee extracts the most flavor from those beans you've been diligently storing in the freezer. (You are freezing your beans, right?) If you aren't using bad beans, you will find no bitterness in the final cup of coffee. The grinds spend just the right amount of time getting soaked. The longer it sits the more likely it will get bitter.


I Ain't Got No Beans

Don't feel you have to go all Martha Stewart to have a good cup of coffee. You don't have to go to a gourmet coffee shop or grind the beans yourself. You can use this to make coffee with your lovely canned Chock Full O' Nuts or Maxwell House grind. In all honesty it's not great that way (and I am trying to give you the monumental pseudo-orgasmic experience I know you can have), but it's far superior to any other method… Oh, just make the coffee!


Hey, Look At My Cool Coffee Thingy!

The Bodum Chambord does this job for you effortlessly and with a great deal of style. The pot doesn't have to stay hidden in your kitchen. Actually, it makes a damn fine presentation on a table or tray with chunky diner style cups or delicate china. Clean up is very easy, but be careful not to bang the carafe around in the sink. It's durable but one whack the wrong way and you've cracked the glass. My wife did just that. The glass replacement was about fifteen bucks direct from Bodum with the shipping. The business end of the plunger (which has a screen and a spring that encircles it) needs a little extra attention to avoid a build up of coffee grind residue. The Bodum Chambord comes in a variety of sizes from a hefty multi-cup version to a tiny, personal one cup travel size. (I sat next to a friend on a plane who brewed coffee in her seat with one of those. Now that's obsessive.)

Thirty-five bucks might seem to be a lot for what appears to be a glass with some fancy chrome. But use the Bodum to make your coffee and you will bring your drink to a surprisingly tasty level.




Recommended: Yes