Reddit reviews SterlingPro French Press Coffee Maker (1L)-Double Walled Large Coffee Press with 2 Free Filters-Enjoy Granule-Free Coffee Guaranteed, Stylish Rust Free Kitchen Accessory-Stainless Steel French Press

I feel the need to reply to this to share my experience over, about, 5-6 years of French pressing.

First, it is my preferred method. I also owe an aero press but found the FP more practical. AP is like pressing an espresso and adding water (how cafe Americana are in France/Italy). They also produce less. Great for one mug but if you want to make a big 16-20oz mug/travel mug for two you will have to make several.

I also started with the $20-30 Bodum glass presses. These are classic and easy to find. Sadly, accidents will happen and I've broken a lot. One fell out of the drying rack. One accidentally knocked over on the stone countertop (it didn't fall off, just knocked over), on broken tapping it out into the bin, etc. $20 or more a crack. That adds up.

I wish I knew about this FP sooner. It's metal and well constructed....

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_x_NuE7xbFBQETM9

It's metal all the way through. The mess is double layered and is screwed/treaded into the plunger stick. I've had some FP that looked well made in the carafe but the press was made of plastic and rubber that wore away quickly.

This thing is study. It won't break if it falls (I've unintentionally proven it) and you can vigorously tap it on the side of a bin to get the grinds out.

The twist/screw off of the mesh is awesome as it's super easy to clean any stuck grounds. My FP came with an extra mess set that I've never needed.

Also about coffee. I believe it's an 80/20 thing. 80% of the taste will come from the bean. Get good beans. I'm not a fan of Starbucks double roasting. Most of it tastes burnt. I used to be more of a dark roast but have learned that I really like a good medium breakfast/house blend roast.

I'm lucky to have several local roasters near me. Do a search for local roasters in your city. It will be the freshest.

Also, grind your own beans. Pre-grinding will make the beans go stale faster. I've tried both blade/whip grinders (like a blender) and burr grinders (beans are crushed between two gears). I personally don't really notice the difference in taste between them. Haro sells an inexpensive hand burr grinder that will probably last to the end of time but hand grinding takes a lot of energy, if you like the extra process effort. But you could bring it camping because no electricity required.

The other 20% flavor, I think comes from the brew method. I.e. French Press/drip/pour over/etc.

I find traditional drip machines get a bad taste over time. The office machine just isn't cleaned enough and the pitcher will grow coffee barnacles over time. Yuck. Some of the pots I've cleaned out to improve flavor, it's crazy.

Either way, FP will give you better flavor by like 1000 times compared to a Kureg and you can feel better knowing your not tossing wasteful plastic kureg cups into the landfill. I'm not even much of an environmentalist but wasteful is wasteful.

I also recommend getting a decent insulated travel mug. At least for work. It keeps your coffee warm so you can enjoy all of it and don't get displeased if it gets too cold. My wife gets me an annual Shutterstock xmas mug with family pictures of that year. It's like having a beer stein collection but with annual family memories and the mugs double as family deck photos so I don't need to keep rotating those.

Hope that helps anyone make a decision. and if your office doesn't have a hot water dispenser, an electric tea kettle is real cheap. Otherwise I use a regular tea kettle at home and get to enjoy the sound of the kettle whistle in the morning. =)

Cheers!

I know it's expensive, but the sterling stainless steel french press is a CHAMP:
http://www.amazon.com/SterlingPro-Double-Stainless-French-Coffee/dp/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1449597157&sr=1-3&keywords=stainless+steel+french+press

I've had multiple bodum's that broke (I usually get a year or two out of them). This one, though, is incredibly resilient. I was initially nervous about using something other than glass, but I honestly can't tell a difference in taste (by the way, I cannot say the same thing about the aeropress, people tell me I'm crazy but I feel like I can taste the plastic in the brew).

I was given this one as a christmas gift several years ago and I'm positive it will be around for a very long time.

I bought one of these September 2017. I use it probably 2-3 times per week, immediately disassemble and rinse with warm water, and have had 0 problems with anything, including the screens.


Edit: Since it appears there are lots of similar styles, this is the one I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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All stainless, I only use it for cold brew, so I've never worried about shattering glass with hot water anyway.

So, here's a consideration. A Keurig requires less than 10 seconds of effort. Anything else you hear in this sub will require from 4 minutes upward of manual effort or concentration, in order to prep and brew. Do you think he is willing to go through with that just for a cup of coffee, since it's quite new to him? If not, either stick with Keurig, or get into the hobby together and make the coffee together. You'll be the one driving for the first few days I'm sure - so then the question becomes are YOU willing to go through the motions, until he gets into it?

If you are I'd say a porlex mini hand grinder, a stainless steel simple French press, and some nice beans (plus some of those single serving chocolate flavoured creamer) would be a perfect starter kit for beginners. Aeropress and chemex can come later when you actually know how to taste the difference - not being snarky, just realistic :)

I second the other poster and say you skip IKEA and get a bodum Brazil. It's the standard French press for sure. You could also go the stainless route. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MMQOZ1U?psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1463657397&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=stainless+french+press&dpPl=1&dpID=41neKF3R7dL&ref=plSrch

After 2 glass French presses, I was tired of scalding hot coffee spilling when they broke with as little as lightly tapping a spoon on the top after stirring. This has been amazing for years now and I don't have to be super careful handling it. It also doesn't get super hot on the outside so I don't need to be cautious when pouring that I don't touch the glass.

Not OP, but we've been using this one for about a year, and it still looks good as new:

French Press Double-Wall Stainless Steel

I alternate between this guy and my moka pot. Depends really on how much I'm looking to make.

Get a steel french press - then you can't break it. It's even insulated so it stays hot longer

I use the solid wall sterling pro. It holds the heat a bit better for the second cup. Like the double screen. Had a bodum before, which worked well.

http://www.amazon.com/SterlingPro-Double-Stainless-French-Coffee/dp/B00MMQOZ1U/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1452101756&sr=8-7&keywords=french+press

I found myself in a similar position a few years ago.

I have two different stainless steel french presses (one more expensive model and a cheaper one). If you have ever had coffee from a stainless steel mug or thermos without complaint (I haven't had your thermos issue), I think you should be fine. You can wash with vinegar the first time (or first few times) if you're very concerned about it.