Bodum Chambord French Press: 18-Year Pro Review

During my years at Purple Café, I used my personal Bodum Chambord at home daily while also working with multiple units of the same model in the restaurant. This dual perspective—personal ownership plus professional observation—gave me complete confidence in the durability and reliability of this French press. In the restaurant environment, these French presses handled staff coffee needs throughout prep, service, and breakdown. They survived the inevitable bumps and drops of a busy professional kitchen, aggressive dishwasher cycles, and daily use by multiple staff members. The borosilicate glass proved remarkably resistant to thermal shock—pouring boiling water into cold glass multiple times daily without cracking. The stainless steel frame protected the glass during the chaos of commercial service. Meanwhile, my personal unit at home continued performing flawlessly through the same period, proving that what worked in the restaurant would last even longer in home use.

After leaving Purple Café, my Bodum Chambord continued as my daily coffee brewing method at home. Now 18 years old, the same unit I bought in 2007 still performs exactly as it did on day one. The glass is clear and crack-free. The plunger mechanism remains smooth and aligned. The mesh filter catches grounds effectively. Zero degradation in performance after nearly two decades of daily use. This longevity matches other buy-it-for-life equipment in my kitchen—the Victorinox chef knife that's lasted 20+ years, the Le Creuset Dutch oven that's approaching two decades, the John Boos cutting board that gets better with age. Equipment that simply refuses to wear out when built correctly from the start.

Full immersion brewing extracts more oils and solids than paper-filtered methods. This creates a richer, more textured cup with complex flavors that automatic drip machines simply can't match. You taste everything the coffee has to offer—no paper filter stripping away the good stuff. The mesh filter allows fine particles through, giving French press coffee its characteristic body and texture. Some people find this sediment unpleasant; I consider it part of the experience. If you prefer cleaner coffee, simply decant into a serving carafe and leave the last ounce behind. After 18 years of comparing the Bodum Chambord to every other brewing method—drip machines, pour-over, espresso, Moka pot—the French press consistently delivers the most satisfying daily coffee. The full body and complex flavor profile make it my preferred brewing method for quality beans.

French press brewing requires no special skills—just hot water, coarsely ground coffee, and 4 minutes. This simplicity is why it thrived in our professional kitchen. No one needed training. No complicated settings or maintenance schedules. Just consistent, excellent coffee every time. The 8-cup size (34 ounces) is the sweet spot for versatility. It's small enough to brew for one or two people without waste, large enough to serve four when needed. I've used the same 8-cup model for 18 years and never felt limited by capacity. **Basic brewing process:** Coarse grind coffee (1:15 ratio - about 56g coffee to 840ml water), add coffee to preheated carafe, pour 195-205°F water (just off boil), stir gently, place plunger on top (don't press yet), steep exactly 4 minutes, press slowly, pour immediately. Perfect coffee every time.

Six years in a commercial kitchen is brutal testing. Equipment gets bumped, dropped, used carelessly during rush, cleaned aggressively, and generally abused. The Chambord survived all of it. The glass never cracked despite countless encounters with metal spoons, countertop edges, and aggressive washing. The plunger mechanism stayed smooth and aligned. The filter never bent or warped. Like our Le Creuset Dutch oven and KitchenAid commercial mixer, this French press represents buy-it-for-life quality. After the restaurant, I brought it home. Thirteen more years of daily use (18 total) hasn't diminished its performance. The glass is still clear, the plunger still smooth, the filter still catches grounds effectively. I expect another 20 years of service. The borosilicate glass construction is the key to this durability. Unlike regular glass that cracks under thermal stress, borosilicate handles extreme temperature changes without failing. I've poured boiling water into cold glass thousands of times—never a crack. The stainless steel frame adds protection during handling and structural integrity to the overall design.

The Chambord's design hasn't changed significantly in decades because it doesn't need to. Borosilicate glass handles thermal shock without cracking. The stainless steel frame protects the glass during handling and adds structural integrity. The plunger mechanism uses a three-part mesh filter that catches grounds effectively while allowing coffee oils through for full-bodied flavor. Unlike cheaper French presses with plastic components that warp or crack, every part of the Chambord is built to last. The glass is thick enough to withstand daily use but thin enough to pour comfortably. The handle stays cool even with boiling water inside. The lid fits securely without being difficult to remove. This is German engineering applied to coffee brewing—overbuilt for the task, designed to last indefinitely, no compromises on materials or construction. The premium price ($40-50) represents genuine value when the product lasts 20+ years.

Daily cleaning takes 30 seconds: dump grounds, rinse with hot water, wash with dish soap. Weekly deep cleaning takes 5 minutes: disassemble plunger, soak in hot soapy water, scrub filter mesh with soft brush, reassemble. That's it. No filters to buy, no descaling needed, no complex mechanisms to fail. The dishwasher-safe construction makes cleanup even easier when you have time. I usually hand wash because it's faster, but occasional dishwasher cycles haven't damaged anything. The only caution: don't put the plunger assembly in the dishwasher—the heat can warp the plastic knob. Everything else is fine. After 18 years, I've never replaced a single part. The filter is original. The glass is original. The plunger mechanism is original. Compare that to drip machines that need new carafes, espresso machines that need gasket replacements, or any electric brewer that eventually fails. The French press just keeps working.