For coffee enthusiasts who brew at home, pour-over coffee is one of the most well-loved and cost-effective brewing methods. One reason for this is that a relatively small amount of equipment is needed to make coffee with a beautiful aroma and satisfying taste in a matter of minutes. To achieve this, you’ll only need a dripper with a filter, a coffee carafe, some freshly ground coffee, and hot water.
The Bodum Pour Over is a great entry point for you to enter the pour-over coffee world, and it represents remarkable value for money, too. It’s also excellent for coffee enthusiasts who prefer not to use paper filters but instead favor permanent stainless steel filters offered by the all-in-one pour-over coffee makers.
This review of the Bodum Pour Over will detail how to get the most out of this extremely affordable beginner’s pour-over coffee maker.
Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker Review
Bodum Pour Over Summary
Things we like:
- Good looking coffee maker
- Super affordable price
- A permanent stainless steel filter, no paper filter is needed
- Easy to use and clean, dishwasher safe
Things need improvements
- The drip rate of the permanent metal filter is too fast
- Sediments in the coffee
Aesthetic Design
The Bodum pour over coffee maker is a one-piece consisting of a glass decanter with a band of either silicone or cork over its neck. This affords it an elegant look that will look beautiful in any kitchen.
The Bodum aesthetic is not too different from the Chemex, and this is high praise indeed. After all, Chemex is displayed in art museums worldwide. The Bodum doesn’t hold quite the same classic appeal as the iconic Chemex. However, it is a far cheaper investment. Meanwhile, it’s more practical to a certain extent, too, particularly in favoring the silicone collar over Chemex’s wooden one.
That collar is available in several colors, too – black, white, blue, sand, lime green, and red – which makes choosing one to fit your kitchen’s style shouldn’t be a problem. Rather than classical for the Bodum, then, think modern.
It’s also straightforward to clean, with a rinse under the tap sufficient. Another advantage is the silicone color band, which ensures your hand won’t burn while you’re pouring from it and allows for a firm grip while doing so. For those who prefer a more organic look, the cork band will fit the bill.
Borosilicate glass makes up the coffee carafe, which, as well as having an easy-on-the-eye curve, is also temperature resistant.
Overall, the Bodum Pour Over is an aesthetically pleasing and beautifully designed coffee maker that would look great as the centerpiece of your kitchen counter.
Ease Of Use
This coffee maker is similar to the alternatives on the market insofar as using it requires the stainless steel mesh filter placing on top of it. From there, you spoon in the ground coffee and – in a circular motion – add the hot water. Once that’s done, an exquisite cup of coffee will be yours to enjoy in only four minutes.
One thing that may need a little practice is getting used to the permanent metal filter’s fast flow rate compared to other pour over makers that use paper filters. Therefore, a bit more care is required when pouring – something that would be easier with a gooseneck kettle. The key is to pour at a consistent speed and, to avoid under-extraction, make sure the correct ratio of coffee and water make contact with each other.
Capacity
There are three sizes available of the Bodum Pour Over- 4 Cup (17 oz), 8 Cup (34 oz), or 12 Cup (51 oz), so there are enough capacity options to suit your specific needs.
However, the cup size is a little misleading. That’s because rather than being measured in 8 oz cups, Bodum has measured them in 4 oz cups. An average-sized coffee mug would be around 10-16 oz, so you’ll only get 2-3 cups of coffee from a 34 oz pot. This should be a consideration when working out which size to purchase.
Coffee Flavor And Taste
One of the distinct advantages of the Bodum’s stainless steel mesh filter over paper filters is that it doesn’t absorb the coffee’s essential oils, instead of becoming part of the brewed coffee. Because of this, if brewed correctly, you can expect richer, more full-bodied coffee with a bolder aroma.
One problem with the stainless steel mesh filter is the inevitable sediment that will accumulate because of the lack of absorption.
The permanent filter does lead to a faster extraction time. It has a much quicker drip-rate than paper filters. All of these issues mean that, if you’re not careful, you’ll see the coffee pouring down instead of dripping. It can lead to a coffee that’s weaker than paper-filter coffee because of under-extraction. Using a darker roasted coffee may increase the flavor of the cup of coffee.
photo credit: bodum.com
The Bodum pour-over coffee flavor is similar to the French press-style coffee, which you can expect to be marginally fuller-bodied and more robust than drip coffee. However, some of the flavor’s depth will be lacking, so don’t expect to have the typical flavors you’d associate with coffee makers such as the Hario V60 and Chemex, which are known for producing particularly lively, fruity, and vibrant coffee.
Durability
The borosilicate glass carafe should be good for several years. However, this depends on making sure you don’t drop it onto hard surfaces. Also, as with any kitchen utensil, keep it away from countertop edges and pack it away well during transportation.
Ease Of Cleaning
Cleaning the Bodum pour-over coffee maker is as straightforward as rinsing the stainless steel filter with warm water after every use and ensuring the removal of any leftover coffee oils and grounds. It’s also fine to use in a dishwasher, while the silicone (or cork) band on the neck is removable too. Overall, it’s super easy to clean.
Value For Money
Unquestionably, one of the most attractive things about the Bodum pour over coffee maker is that it represents a well-made product from high-quality materials at a low price. The choice of borosilicate glass for the carafe, for example, is a good one as it’s excellent at tolerating heat. Similarly, the metal filter makes paper filters obsolete. As a result, it’s better for the environment too.
In short, the Bodum makes great pour-over coffee at a low price, making it the perfect entry-level device for people exploring the process and deciding whether they like the end product.
A Step-By-Step Guide On Making Pour-Over Coffee With The Bodum
The brewing process with this coffee maker is relatively easy, but it’s crucial it’s carried out correctly. Before you get going, it’s best to have a kitchen scale to accurately measure out the beans and a cellphone timer ready to go. However, if you don’t have them, you can trust your instinct and judgment instead.
1) Prewarm The Bodum
Rinse the filter in some boiled water from the kettle. This hot water can also warm up the carafe while simultaneously ridding it of residues such as dust. This is standard practice when attempting to remove the paper taste left by a paper filter, and it doesn’t harm to do the same with the stainless steel of the Bodum’s filter either.
2) Grind Your Coffee Beans
Fresh ground beans always lead to the most satisfying flavors. With a medium to medium-coarse setting, grind 15g (0.5 oz) coffee beans so that they have sand or coarse sand consistency. If you’re using pre-ground coffee instead, add two Bodum scoops of coffee grounds to the filter (one scoop will be around 7g, or 0.25 oz of coffee).
The optimum temperature of the water is between 190F and 205F (90C-97C). Don’t worry if you haven’t got a thermometer to hand – boil the water and then leave it for around 30 seconds. Using a ratio of 1:15 coffee to water should give us 225g (7.5 oz) of coffee.
3) Bloom The Grounds
Add some water to bloom the grounds. Pour on enough to cover the grounds and ensure they are saturated evenly. Let it sit for 30 seconds.
4) Add The Rest Of The Water
Pour the remaining water over the bed of coffee using a circular motion. You can also perform this part in stages. So, pour a third of the remaining water over the beans. When the coffee bed lowers, pour the next third, and so on until you have as much coffee as you require.
5) Remove The Filter
Let the coffee drip into the carafe by removing the filter. After this, add the silicone seal to ensure heat retention, then fill your cups with the coffee.
Ways To Reduce Sediment
After the sediments have settled on the bottom, begin slowly pouring the coffee. Discard the remaining 10% of the coffee for a cleaner cup. You can judge when to stop by pouring until the sediment starts appearing in the stream and then stop.
As suggested earlier, investing in a kitchen thermometer, kitchen scales, and a gooseneck kettle, as well as using a timer, can help you improve the flow and brewing time of the coffee. Even better, consider investing in a high-quality burr grinder so that you can grind fresh coffee beans immediately prior to brewing to ensure you get a better coffee.
Alternatives To The Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker
Chemex
Chemex is one of the most renowned and popular pour-over coffee makers. From a design perspective, it is similar to the Bodum. It also produces a fantastic flavor. However, it will cost twice as much, but it would be money well spent.
There is also a range of Chemex sizes on the market, and it uses filters that are thicker than standard filters for pour-over coffee. For clear and clean cups of coffee, Chemex is hard to beat.
If by starting with the Bodum, you enjoy the pour-over coffee process and end product, it’s a good idea to try the Chemex (and Hario V60) at a later date, where there’ll be plenty of scope for experimenting with different recipes. Check out how to use a Chemex >>
Hario Pour-Over Starter Set
This starter set is perfect for beginners to pour-over coffee. Included in it are the Hario V60 coffee dripper, coffee server, and coffee filter scoop. Hario V60 and pour-over coffee have gone hand in hand for a considerable length of time, with both home coffee brewers and professional baristas swearing by it. There are many recipes and brew guide you can use to take your brewing technique to another level. Check out how to use the V60 >>
You can also check out our best pour over coffee makers collection to pick the one that suits you best.
Conclusion
Back to the Bodum – this coffee maker is an excellently designed, robust pour-over coffee product that will produce excellent coffee for a far lower price point than its rivals. It’s also straightforward to use and look after. If you don’t like using paper filters but are a fan of coffee full of body with a rich aroma, the Bodum Pour-Over is an excellent choice.
Bodum is an affordable and convenient way that lets you enjoy a cup of great coffee at home with little fuss and cost.
