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Bodum New Kenya 17-Ounce Coffee Press

by storemaster Leave a reply »

Freshly designed with swooping curves, the black plastic frame on the New Kenya coffee press adds to the anticipation of the morning coffee. And good coffee indeed this press makes. Most aficionados agree that the French press, or plunger, style of coffee maker produces the smoothest cup of joe. Bodum makes the carafe itself of borosilicate glass, the lightweight, heat-resistant kind found in science labs, and the plunger and three-piece filter system of stainless steel. The plastic frame tightly wraps the glass beaker and protects your table from its heat. The lid is also plastic.

To make coffee in the New Kenya, put in the glass carafe one scoop of coarse-ground coffee beans per every four ounces of brewed coffee you intend to make. Add nearly-boiling water, stir with a silicone spatula, and place the filter-plunger-lid unit in the top. After four minutes of brewing, slowly press down on the plunger. Pour, and enjoy. Use the same spatula to scrape the grounds out afterward, and rinse out the carafe and assembly. All the parts are dishwasher-safe as well. This size makes 17 ounces of coffee, which equals approximately two mugs or four after-dinner cups.

From the Manufacturer

Awards and Accolades

In 2004 the Bodum Chambord coffee press received the American Culinary Institute’s award for best French press coffeemaker.

The American Culinary Institute judges food preparation products such as mixers, waffle makers, and electric teakettles. These products are judged on criteria important to consumers such as ease-of-use, safety, and the quality of the food produced. The institute also judges food preparation products used in restaurants and hotels, including institutional mixers, large-volume coffee machines, and food slicers.

Instructions for Use

1. Place pot on a dry, flat, nonslip surface. Hold handle firmly, then pull the plunger straight up and out of the pot.

2. For each 1.25-deciliter/4-ounce cup, put 1 rounded tablespoon or 1 Bodum scoop of coarse-ground coffee into the pot.

Caution: Use only coarse-ground coffee. Fine grind can clog the filter and create high pressure. Place coffee maker on a heatproof, nonslip surface.

3. Pour hot (not boiling) water into the pot. Leave a minimum of 2.5 centimeters/1 inch of space at the top. Stir the brew with a plastic spoon.

Caution: Metal spoons can scratch or chip the glass beaker and cause breakage.

4. Place the plunger unit on top of the pot. Turn lid to close off the pour spout opening. (Does not apply to the Brazil models.) Do not press down. Let the coffee brew for at least 4 minutes.

5. Hold the pot handle firmly, with the spout turned away from you, then using just the weight of your hand, apply slight pressure on top of the knob to lower the plunger straight down into the pot. Lowering the plunger slowly with minimal pressure produces best results. If the filter clogs or it becomes difficult to push down the plunger you should remove the plunger from the pot, stir the brew, and then slowly plunge again.

WARNING: Using excessive force can cause scalding liquid to shoot out of the pot.

6. Turn the lid to open the pour spout and then pour coffee.

7. Unscrew the filter assembly and clean the plunger unit after each use. All parts are dishwasher-safe.

Safety Instructions

Not for stovetop use.
Check glass beaker for scratches, cracks, or chips. Do not use a pot that is scratched, chipped, or cracked. Install a replacement beaker before using the pot again.
Keep children away while using. Hot water is a hazard to small children!
Do not allow children to use this coffeemaker.

Scald Hazard

Excessive plunging force can cause scalding hot liquid to shoot out of pot.
Do not plunge with force.
Turn lid to close spout.
Use only coarse-ground coffee.

Bodum New Kenya 17-Ounce Coffee Press Features

New Kenya coffee press uses the preferred plunger method
Heat-resistant, borosilicate glass beaker with curved plastic frame
Stainless-steel 3-piece filter system; no paper filter needed
Frame protects table from heat; all parts are dishwasher-safe
17-ounce capacity makes 2 mugs or 4 after-dinner cups of coffee

Bodum New Kenya 17-Ounce Coffee Press Reviews

Makes great coffee
I purchased this coffee press in both the 4 cup and the 8 cup models. Both, like the other Bodum coffee presses, make a great cup of coffee, so if you have never tried coffee made this way, I would recommend getting one of the New Kenya models while Amazon has them at a reduced price. However, I would like to caution you about one thing.

One day after receiving the 4 cup press, I broke the glass carafe! Because these units have outsides that are made entirely of plastic (unlike other Bodum models which have holders and/or handles made of stainless steel), the fit around the glass beaker is very tight. The carafe and the plastic holder do need occasional separating while washing, because sometimes during the rinse process, coffee grounds become lodged between the two. I wash mine by hand.

If you are going to separate the two, please do not do so while you are washing them with the dish soap! I had to pull rather hard to get the glass from inside the plastic, with soapy hands, and, well, you can imagine what happened. They did separate, but the glass beaker went flying into the bottom of my sink and then totally shattered…

At the cost of the replacement carafe with the shipping charges, it was just cheaper for me to order a new one! I did do that, but purchased the Bodum Chambord model instead (which does cost more), with the metal holder, and the glass and holder separate very easily for cleaning (much easier than the plastic holder)! Which, by the way, now always occurs before the dish soap is applied!!!

The 8 cup version of the New Kenya press works just fine and the glass is intact, as I separate the components of that model sans dish soap, also. I thought I would share my experience so that perhaps there might be one less person out there saying to themselves, “What was I thinking!?”.

Good product, but some considerations
I ordered this the buy two and save 17 and 34oz deal and am very satisfied. It was shipped quickly and as usual, arrived much sooner then the estimate date. French press defiantly makes a superior cup of coffee to a drip and unless you are serving a large number of people is much more user/space friendly then a drip machine that at best produces an OK cup. Comes with easy instructions and it’s own scoop for proper measurement.

Some considerations would be that yes, you need a large grind of coffee. You can either buy a burr grinder or do what I do and buy my coffee whole bean and use the grinder most stores have set up (and I’ve yet to be in one that will mind you using it for any brand on the shelf). Just set it all the way to the other end from espresso and you’ll be fine, even if done once every few weeks I’ve never noticed a taste difference between every morning and every few weeks grinding. There is a difference though in the ground at the factory stuff. Just stay away from blade grinders that will leave you with a very uneven grind. Also, yes, you will end up with a little bit of coffee bean “dust” on the bottom of the cup. Never bothered me any and so long as you follow instructions you will not end up with any actual grinds. Just don’t use pre-ground stuff or if you do, at least find a brand with a large grind.

Some other considerations would be the size. Some have complained in similar items that the cup size is inaccurate. It says right in the title or description the oz size of the unit, if you didn’t read that isn’t the makers fault. They base cup size on the standard European cup because they are a European company and that is the industry standard. The 17 OZ is good four two good mugs and enough to give you a little top off. The 34oz is, simple math here, good for twice that, so basically you have just about perfect one and two person sizes for morning coffee, 2-4 people after dinner coffee..

One last consideration is the little plastic piece which is part of the filter assembly. Let me explain this pieces roll and a simple at home solution. The plunger rod screws into the actual filter pieces and the plastic piece acts as a sort of nut which holds them in place and keeps them from just going up the rod. But it is not the actual piece that connects the two, this is 100% metal and durable. If the plastic piece goes as you plunge the rod and bottom piece of the filer will go down, the two other pieces will stay in place. If it does strip out on you (which I’m betting on happening eventually), pick up a few washers to act as spacers and a properly sized nut for the rod/thread and problem solved. This IS a design flaw in my opinion, and is the only thing keeping the product from getting five stars. But for this price and otherwise very good design/construction, I can accept having to make a slight modification. It’s the tinkerer in me I suppose lol.

But, all in all, it’s a good product. From the useful sizes, cost, and the nice plastic holder for the glass (a GREAT feature) this is well worth the money even with a minor, easy to fix, flaw.

And yes, it’s a piece of glass that gets a bit slippery when wet so separate from the plastic holder with dry hands!

Problem Solved
Basically we have all found ourselves on a temporary work assignment where the “free” coffee is so bad you actually yearn for garbage like Starbucks. As I found myself thus, I was in need of a solution of monumental proportions. I already grind my own coffee as a matter of course. So it was a logical leap to try one of these out…

And DAMN was it worth it. The coffee out of a press is amazing. the essential oils are intact and it has a silky, velvety texture. the subtleties of the flavor are evident and all those tasting notes the guy at the coffee shop always describes…well they really do exist.

As for this product itself, I have been using Bodum since I lived in Paris in 1998. the quality and history speak for themselves. Really, the history page on their website is fascinating. I chose this model because the lid has the “open” and “closed” positions built in. The plastic actualy makes it rust-proof and much easier to clean. The lines are sleek and the design crisp. Since the mechanics (plunger and carafe) are identical across their whole line, the outside becomes a matter of taste.