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I have brewed both coffee and tea in it. The strainer is of high quality and attached to a sturdy shaft.
The lid is thick enough to contain the warmth. The spacing between the strainer and the wall is minimal or even quite tight.
I am absolutely satisfied with this product. The product is sturdy and heavy enough to be confident.
The drink stays warm for many hours. It is able to create tasty drink in no time.
Both came out fantastic.
I was tired of breaking the glass ones, and am soooo happy I got this one. Not only is this french press beautiful, but so sturdy.
I broke more than my share of them, particularly since my first few were super-cheap imports. I waited the 4-5 minutes, pushed the plunger (hot, it goes easier, so again maybe the snug fit is a feature, not a bug). Over the decades, I've made all the usual tyro mistakes, including letting pots of it slowly scorch on the heating pad of drip coffee-makers.ignoring those last few late drips from the saturated grounds which ought to have been removed right after brewing. But despite pre-heating, the carafe never did keep the coffee hot as long as I liked, and even though I used all the right measures and amounts, the result never did taste as good as I'd hoped.Then I moved to India for 3 years, and while there I discovered the ease, simplicity, and amazing taste of French Press coffee. First, out of the box, I washed everything thoroughly. Now instead of too snug, it's just right. Boil water, put in with coarse ground, wait 4 minutes, done. I looked at everything--other Bonjours, the endless series of Bodums, the Nissan, and others.
And second, to start with the filter is so snug in the pot, it's difficult to insert it, and pressing down takes a little more pressure than I'm used to. I'm no pro on coffee, but I know what I like. A friend where I was staying had a spare Bodum, which was far better.until it broke. What decided me on the Frieling (in addition to the reviews) were these factors: (1) Double-walled thermal pot; (2) Unbreakable, with no plastic parts; (3) High quality stainless steel; (4) Dishwasher safe; (5) Enough capacity for two large (16oz) mugs of coffee, which is my usual amount each day.Since getting the press yesterday, I was very impressed with the overall construction of the pot itself, and it's actually more visually attractive than the photos might indicate. It has built-in carbon water filters, gold mesh filters, and everything. That was when I went FP shopping here on Amazon. The fitting between the filter and the push-rod was nothing but plastic. Good, hot, reasonably strong coffee that tastes like coffee, but without bitterness.
Then, today I took care to preheat the pot, which helps. As other reviewers have indicated, it also makes for a great new household / wedding gift, especially when paired up with the creamer and sugar bowl set. But again, 'too snug' to start with on a press is a good thing, as in time it is certain to loosen up a bit (which I suspect is the problem with the Bonjour).The main thing, of course, is whether the coffee is good. Two minor quibbles: First, the plunger seems a little loose in the cap, but maybe that's a feature. Eventually, I added a plastic Bonjour press to my collection, which is actually pretty handy yet when traveling, but despite the decent plastic seals and extra spout filter, it still lets an annoying amount of crud into the brew.Finally back in the U.S., unable to find my Capresso in storage, I did locate an old Mr Coffee drip maker.
And by the by, the instruction booklet also mentions the carafe will also keep cold things cold (iced tea, water, etc), which to my thinking is a nice bonus.(Update a couple weeks later: I was right, the plunger does get smoother after some use. Yes. Pre-warming the carafe with hot water gets me a solid 2 hours of hot-enough coffee (and if it's not quite there, 30-60 seconds in the microwave for that 2nd cup brings it right up to perfect again)). A little bit of sludge in the bottom of the cup after, but that's in large part because my coffee was ground too fine.Would I buy the Frieling again. About five years ago, I switched to the Capresso -- very expensive, but probably the best drip coffee maker I've owned.
It is. After one pot, I put it back in the box and got out the Bonjour from my luggage. It got to be that when I tried drip coffee again, it tasted like wan dishwater.Unfortunately, the majority of French Press devices are made out of glass. My 2nd Bodum (brought by another friend) fared better, as the fittings were all metal--but after a few cleanings, the mesh on the filter began to fray and I could guarantee a few painful finger punctures on further cleanings.
This one actually does that better than the BonJour model which preceded it in my kitchen, with its secondary screen built into the lid. I've made the same journey as several other reviewers: I've broken a couple glass presses, and then the cheap plastic plunger mechanism on an otherwise "unbreakable" polycarbonate model, before moving on to an all-steel unit. Wish I hadn't sunk more than its price into cheaper presses first - live and learn. And it may be my imagination but I think the coffee's a bit better with the Frieling too, whether that's because the water stays hotter during the 4 minute brew, or maybe that second filter on the other unit was skimming off some of the good coffee magic.I find absolutely nothing not to like about this press. And a heck of a press this Frieling is. Looks and feels terrific, works perfectly.A French press is simple: besides not falling apart (the Achilles heel of most presses, it seems) it essentially just has to keep the grounds out of your coffee.
This product is a beautiful design, but was defective (rattling metal piece) and too narrow for my comfort.
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