So I tried making coffee with the french press two times now and everytime it tastes bitter.
Complaint
Kitchen & Dining
Bodum Chambord 8-Cup French Press
The Bodum Chambord 8-Cup is a manual French press with an 8-cup (1.0 L / 34 oz) capacity, made from heat-resistant borosilicate glass with a black metal frame, stainless steel filter parts, and a safety lid. It retails for roughly $78.62 CAD.
9 mentions · 3 threadslast mention Aug 20216/ 10
ClearPick Score
Buyer Beware
Score informed by 9 owner mentions across 3 Reddit threads · see every quote ↓
1 positive1 mixed7 negative
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Bodum Chambord 8-Cup French Press
$78.62 CAD est. on Amazon.ca
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Every mention, sourced
Real comments from Reddit, linked to the original thread. Nothing paraphrased.
I also had a glass bodum that broke, but luckily I didn’t get injured.
Complaint
On the other uses of a french press, I take one travelling now with my coffee of choice and a nice cup. Saves me a fortune and I can have a coffee everywhere there is hot water. ... It is frugal but also as you get the coffee you like, also convenient and tasty. Also bodum [https://www.bodum.com/us/en/11100-294bus-travel-press](https://www.bodum.com/us/en/11100-294bus-travel-press) but I take an extra cup as I don't like my coffee stewed!
Praise
Yeah the glass is thin and while not flimsy (knocked it a bunch of time like OP did), it is not super sturdy either as I broke one dropping it into the sink. ... Yeah, no, I don't think the glass is even 2mm thick. Broke one in like 5 years of use so it isn't that bad but next time I'm going stainless.
Complaint
And then there's my bodum press decided to nope itself. It's just there steeping for 2 minutes and it decided to explode and spill hot coffee all over our dining table.
Complaint
I always use the glass bodum for larger groups of people (rather than my usual V60). I'm a naturally cautious personality so my assumption is always that the glass is about to break if I'm not careful, and I always inspect it for cracks before use and treat it with kid gloves during brewing. For washing, I have a net basket in the sink. I fill the bodum with water and dump into the basket a few times until the grounds are out, then leave it in a designated spot to dry.
Complaint
As pretty as the Chambord is, it's a terrible design. And I say that as someone who uses it for his main coffee device right now. It has nothing holding the carafe to the metal frame, and nothing holding the (heavy) top in place when placed in the carafe. It can just spin 360 degrees for eternity, and if you tip over everything too far can be prone to falling out of the carafe. The Brasilia model fixes both of these issues and is cheaper, but doesn't look as nice IMO.
Complaint
My last bodum press was perfectly fine, until one day when I started pressing, a big triangle section of the glass just popped out. Nothing shattered at all, just a giant shard of glass came out.
Complaint
In a side note...I've had bodum glass French presses for a long time and have broken 2 so far, luckily it did not end in injury..,ever since I've rinse out the grounds using some water and pour it out over a kitchen sink strainer, then dump the grounds in the bin... Seem to work so far...
Complaint
✅ What Works
- Portable enough for on-the-go brewing routines, with one user swapping their usual V60 for a Bodum press while traveling (travel convenience)
- Reusable stainless steel filter parts avoid ongoing paper-filter costs
- Classic Chambord design still draws praise for looks even from users who call out its structural flaws
⚠️ Worth Knowing
- Glass durability is the recurring defect pattern (4 mentions): carafes described as cracking, breaking, or in one case cracking and spilling hot coffee mid-steep
- The carafe isn't secured to the metal frame, so the assembly can spin loose and the heavy lid can slip out if the press is tipped too far, per a long-time user who compares it unfavorably to Bodum's own Brasilia model
- Some owners say they treat the glass "with kid gloves," inspecting it for cracks before every brew as routine practice
- One brewer reported consistently bitter coffee across repeated attempts
ClearPick Verdict
**Glass durability is the most-cited complaint on the wall**, showing up in four of nine mentions, with reports ranging from hairline cracks discovered mid-use to a carafe that one user says cracked and "decided to explode," spilling hot coffee across a dining table. A separate thread flags a structural issue rather than a material one: the carafe reportedly isn't locked to the metal frame or lid, so the assembly can spin freely and the lid can work loose if the press is tipped. Brew quality drew at least one complaint of consistent bitterness after repeated attempts, and even a mixed review describes treating the glass "with kid gloves" and inspecting it for cracks before every use. The tension is real: several of these same users still keep using the Chambord for its looks and simplicity, one even taking a Bodum press traveling, even while flagging its fragility and loose-fit design. **Buyers who want the classic Chambord look should plan around a glass carafe that several owners describe as prone to cracking or breaking, and households with kids or anyone brewing for a crowd may be better served by a sturdier alternative like Bodum's own Brasilia.**