Best press pot on the market. Make this the last press pot you will ever have to buy.
Positive Product Points
Stainless steel retains heat better than glass varieties Pot is virtually indestructible, can't say that about glass ones! The plunger/filter is the best one that I have ever used on a few different Bodum models. Product breaks down into fewer pieces than other press models. The product looks great (IMO) and performs equally well.
Negative Product Points
None really, only that stainless is slightly harder to keep clean than glass, but this pot has never been a problem to keep clean.
Detailed Commentary
I have a couple Columbia press pots and have purchased them over the course of a couple years. This has come to be the only press pot that I use anymore simply because I never have to worry about breaking it and I know that it is going to keep the coffee hot while steeping/brewing better than any other Bodum press out there. We have a couple of these that we use at the shop that I work at and I love the fact that I never have to worry about anyone (or me!) breaking the press. While stainless is a little harder to clean than glass, I have NEVER had any problems keeping this press spotless. Every once in a while at the shop we will get really busy and the press wont get cleaned for 3-4 hours, and yet all it ever takes to get this press pot spotless again is 2 teaspoons of espresso machine detergent and about 30 minutes of soaking. If you follow the guidelines on this site for brewing press pot coffee you should have one of the best tasting pots of coffee you have ever had. One thing that I would caution against is that many people buy the Columbia press pot so that the coffee "stays hot longer." I worry when I hear people say this because it seems as though they are going to keep the coffee in the press after they have plunged the grounds. You should always decant the coffee into your mug or a thermal carafe/thermos as quickly as possible after the coffee has finished brewing. I never recommend any press pot other than this one. It only makes sense to me to buy one pot that you know you will never break and that you know is going to retain heat better than any glass pot out there. If you are buying your first press pot, make it this one because you will never have to buy another. If you are buying an upgrade pot, or simply adding to a collection, make it this one because you will find that you will never have to upgrade again!
Buying Experience
Purchased at a local grocery store, no need to review them.
Three Month Followup
The Columbia is still doing great, even though it is being used in a commercial setting. We probably use the press 20-30 times a day and there is still no wear on the press, we haven't had to replace any parts at all. We rinse the pot after we decant the coffee into the mug/airpot, and then give it a quick rinse. At the end of the night we soak it in a mild espresso detergent solution and it still looks as good as it did the day I purchased it!
One Year Followup
What else can I say that I haven't already said in previous reviews? It's (IMO) the best press pot on the market. I own many of these press pots now, but still have the original one that I wrote this review about and it still looks and performs exactly as it did when I first purchased it.
