Bodum Chambord French Press: Fancy Way To Brew At Home

Say thanks to the Bodum brand, responsible for producing one of the most iconic home-brewing coffee devices. The Bodum Chambord coffee press is a timeless, classic, and nearly perfect coffee brewer. It’s a style enriched by the dome on the lid, the glass beaker that’s separate from the steel supports, and the wide handle. And the delicious cup of coffee the Chambord brews is thick, mouthy, heavy, and bold!

During our testing, we found the heat-resistant borosilicate glass makes this French press durable enough, yet the natural coffee taste remains. Let’s dive into this Bodum Chambord review to see what else this machine offers.

Summary: The Bodum Chambord

• Ultra classic quality design
  
• Versatile coffee brewer
  
• Uses BPA-free plastic

I have used other presses but the Chambord is always the one I’ll go back to.

– OutOfTheLimits

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The Bodum Chambord French Press Coffee Maker Review

First things first, a bit of history. Bodum bought the Chambord brand of French press back in 1991, but the design had been around for a few decades before that acquisition. Italians Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta discovered the first patent of a French press that resembles the version we use today in 1929 (1). But the design we know as “Chambord” was achieved by Faliero Bondanini 29 years after. Finally, Danish company Bodum started distributing Chambord.

Bodum vowed to keep the classic design and simply update some of the materials and components. But is the Bodum Chambord coffee maker one of the best French presses you can buy? Keep reading to find out.

Bodum Chambord French Press Review

• Aesthetic Appeal
• Easy of Use
• Portability
• Custom Brewing Features
• Value For Money

4.4

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Aesthetic Appeal – 4/5

The Chambord style of French press brewers is classic, and here are the design elements that make it unique:

• A removable, heat-resistant, borosilicate glass carafe
• Hardened, large plastic handle
• Stainless-steel plunger
• Stainless steel frame
• Dome-shaped lid

This Bodum French Press coffee maker has updated some pieces, like using treated glass for the carafe. Bodum uses BPA-free plastic for all the plastic components that come with any of the Chambord lineups.

The dome top is the most significant aspect of the Chambord, and it’s literally Bodum Chambord’s signature. The quality of the build means it consistently ranks among the top-rated French press coffee makers.

The domed lid gives the plunger more space to sit on top of the ground coffee before being pressed, ensuring a more even extraction and more capacity in your carafe. The lid has slits near the spout, serving as one last filtration while pouring your coffee.

Sometimes the beaker slips in the support and makes pouring challenging. However, the sturdy design will last for a long time. But going with a plastic design like the Starbucks French press coffee maker will make it less likely to break.

Easy of Use – 5/5

Speaking of cleaning, you should clean your brewer after every use to ensure that it stays durable and usable for the long haul. Yet the width of the French press coffee maker is enough to clean it easily.

To fully clean your French press, you need to:

• Empty the grounds from the bottom of the beaker
• Remove the beaker from the supports
• Rinse with warm water and gently wash with soap
• Take apart the plunger and lid by unscrewing the plunger from the filter
• Wash the mesh filter separately with warm water and soap
• Let dry, reassemble, and use again

One problem with the dimensions: the handle protrudes from the cage too far. The handle can sometimes feel too big and make pouring your coffee challenging.

Portability – 4/5

French press brewers take up about as much space as a coffee mug. If you get through a couple of cups in the morning, then go with the 4 or 8-cup press. And if you like to make coffee for more than just yourself (or if you drink a lot of coffee), the 12-cup press is a fantastic option. But for a small amount of coffee each day, the 3-cup press is certainly the most suitable option.

Bodum’s 1 litre French press (or 8-cup) is the most classic and popular, and that’s standard for Bodum Chambord French press coffee maker (2). It also has 12-cup, 4-cup, and 3-cup variations in the Chambord lineup. Each Chambord has the same classic design and aesthetic.

Here’s a breakdown of this French press coffee maker by its capacity:

• 12-cup press: 1.5 litres
• 8-cup press: 1 litre
• 4-cup press: 0.5 litres
• 3-cup press: 0.35 litres

The footprint of the Chambord varies between the sizes, but the classic 8-cup Chambord comes in at 14 cm wide and 22.9 cm tall. That’s small enough to tuck into a cupboard or stay out on the counter without being in the way. The biggest of the Chambord French press coffee makers is still only 19 cm wide.

Custom Brewing Features – 5/5

French press coffee is an immersion-style coffee, which means that coffee grounds steep in hot water. And this means that hot water will not pass through the grounds.

Immersion coffees extract more oils from the grounds, resulting in a heavier, siltier, and richer flavour than other styles of coffee. After a lot of testing, we recommend using a full-bodied, heavier coffee with a medium or dark roast.

Here’s a quick rundown of using a Bodum Chambord French press coffee maker:

1. Put 1 rounded teaspoon of coarsely ground coffee into your French press per 120 ml of water
2. Fill your French press 120 ml of water per scoop of coffee
3. Give everything a quick stir
4. Place the lid on your Chambord, but don’t press the plunger
5. Wait 4 minutes before pressing the plunger
6. Pour and enjoy

Note: Your water should be just below boiling; a water temperature of 94 degrees Celsius is a good marker. You should always use coarsely ground coffee—anything finer, and you will end up with grounds in your cup.

Coffees with a bigger mouthfeel and richer flavours will make brewing classic French press coffee easier. That pairs with the French press’s classic mouthfeel and richness.

Cold Brew

French presses also make a great cold brewer. Want to make a cold brew with your Bodum Chambord? Here is what you should do:

• Measure out the number of coffee grounds; (typically about ½ to ⅓ the capacity of your French press)
• Fill your French press with room-temperature tap water
• Insert the plunger, but don’t press it
• Put the brewer in the fridge
• Wait 8-12 hours before plunging
• Have your coffee and enjoy

Note: Two of Bodum’s French Press coffee makers — Bodum Chambord vs Bodum Brazil are a hot topic and competition is fierce!

Value For Money – 4/5

The Bodum Chambord 8-cup French press coffee maker is a solid value for the money. While it might be a startling ticket price at first, it becomes much easier to stomach when you remember that it’s durable, classic, and one of the best coffee presses on the market.

Do Not Buy Bodum Chambord If…

• You need a French press coffee maker for travel. The Chambord lineup consists of a glass beaker and stainless steel supports. We can claim that the glass breaks easily and isn’t all that easy to travel with. But that’s not the end of the world. The Bodum travel coffee press is made with BPA-free plastic and is a phenomenal travel coffee press.
• You want a modern design. Chambord is a specific type of French press with a dome on the lid and a big handle, and the beaker is separate from its support. It’s a design that hasn’t been updated in many decades. But there are other modern styles of French presses out there.
• You want the cleanest cup of coffee. French presses are notorious for brewing coffee with bigger mouth feels and leaving some coffee ground at the bottom of the mug. The Bodum Chambord is no different. Metal coffee filters only do so much to filter out all the grounds. Go with a pour-over style coffee maker for the cleanest cup possible.

The Verdict

It’s hard to beat the timelessness of the Bodum French press. It’s been around for many years and has earned its reputation well, and Chambord nearly defined what a coffee press should be. The domed lid, separate glass carafe, and wide handle are the hallmarks of this coffee maker.

Combine the iconic design with a small footprint and an easy-to-use brewing style, and you get one of the most outstanding coffee brewers available.

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