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Picked up this press recently and love it. As I am the only coffee drinker in the house (except when family or company arrives) this is perfect for me. Be aware that it only makes 1 large cup of coffee. If you want coffee for more get a larger size. So for one mug of coffee its great. I anticipate using it for travel and it should be perfect with no glass to break. Very pretty, very functional, compact and looks indestructable. Overall an excellent product for ONE coffee drinker.

I recently decided to part with my aluminum stovetop "espresso" maker, as I'm trying to eliminate aluminum from my kitchen. I originally thought I'd get a stainless steel stovetop espresso maker, but then I started reading a lot of raves about french presses. I had seen that the Bodum presses were strongly recommended, so then my decision was to decide which of the Bodum presses was best for my needs. I finally decided on the 3 cup Columbia for the following reasons:

1. It is made of stainless steel, so I won't be breaking beakers. I will also be able to travel with it.

2. I prefer an insulated press to keep the coffee warm during brewing. I'm not interested in leaving my coffee sit, since that always results in bitter coffee anyway. I'm only concerned about the couple of minutes in which the coffee is actually being brewed. If I want another cup of coffee, I'll make another one.

3. I wanted a small pot, since I am the only coffee-drinker in my household, and as I mentioned earlier, I prefer to brew one cup at a time. I also like to keep kitchen clutter to a minimum. This little pot fits nicely on my corner shelf.

4. I wanted something that would look nice in my kitchen. This pot is very cute. It's much better-looking than a big machine.

I wasn't expecting my press to arrive until tomorrow at the earliest, but I was surprised to have it arrive today. I quickly grinded up some beans, boiled some water, then brewed my first cup of pressed coffee. I was amazed! There is absolutely no comparison! I don't think I'll ever be able to drink coffee brewed by any other method again. Now I don't understand why companies even bother to make other types of coffee makers. The coffee was perfect, with absolutely no bitterness (make sure you're also using fresh, whole beans from a good roaster.) The flavor of the coffee was all there. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. There was a tiny bit of sludge in the bottom, but personally, I don't mind it. If you don't like it, go a little coarser with your grind (you should use a coarse grind with french presses.)

Clean-up was a piece of cake. I simply dumped out the coffee grounds and then rinsed it out. It takes me longer than that to wash my coffee cup.

This pot feels very sturdy, and I believe it will be with me for a long time. I can't wait to recommend this pot to my friends! I'm sure all it will take is a cup of coffee in my kitchen to convince them.