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Coffee enthusiasts are a very specific crowd that can be grouped based on their loyalties: Nespresso fiends, Chemex purists, the drip coffee guys. I'm not picky about my coffee—I'll drink whatever's put in front of me as long as it has the capacity to wake me up—but if I had to choose a coffee clique, it'd be all about the French press.
I went through a French press phase a few years ago. I was working from home, and since I was no longer privy to that (debatably) good free office coffee, I needed to take matters into my own hands. There was no need for a drip coffee maker, as I was just making coffee for myself, and I wanted something quiet that wouldn't wake my roommate, whose room was right off the kitchen. I also still have PTSD from when my mom's fancy espresso machine spontaneously combusted when I was 10 years old. A French press seemed like the safest, most economical option.
I know from floating around the French press forums that Bodum Chambord is the brand and model to buy. I also know this because my first French press (which I got for $5 on a final sale shelf!) shattered after pouring in too-hot water. This week, I found a treasure trove of Bodum Chambords on sale over at Houzz: a 3-cup one for $58 (marked down 30%); an 8-cup one for $44 (also marked down from $58); and if you're making coffee for a whole family, a 12-cup one for $50 (marked down from $72.50).
Models from lines other than the Chambord are on sale too, including a portable travel French press for $24. Even if you aren't a French press coffee drinker, the glass carafe has a ton of non-coffee uses, as it's essentially a very fine strainer (go ahead, make broth and wash your grains in it).
BUY IT: Bodum French Presses, $19-$60 at Houzz
The products in this story are based on prices listed at time of publishing.