The Bodum Pour Over was our doorway into the world of pour over coffee. Several years back, we were gifted one of these stylish glass coffee makers during the holiday season. We found that the Bodum Pour Over coffee maker served as an excellent introduction to pour-over brewing for beginners. Additionally, it boasts an incredibly budget-friendly price tag. Following our extensive use of the Bodum coffee maker, we’ve come to appreciate its ability to consistently produce a delicious cup of coffee. Nonetheless, it does lack some of the depth of flavor produced with some of the more technical pour-overs.
Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker
The Bodum Pour Over coffee maker is a great entry-level pour-over that looks elegant, is simple to use, and is able to consistently produce a great cup of coffee with little prior experience.
Who Is The Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker For?
The Bodum Pour Over coffee maker is a charming addition to any coffee enthusiast’s collection. It provides an affordable entry point into pour-over brewing without breaking the bank.
Pros:
Cons:
What’s To Love About the Bodum Pour Over?
Capacity
The Bodum Pour Over coffee maker really comes into its own in bulk brewing. Like the Chemex, while it can handle single servings, it is really aimed at providing a whole pot of coffee, whether it’s unexpected guests dropping by or serving your colleagues at the office. The Bodum Pour Over comes in three different sizes: 4 Cups (17 oz), 8 Cups (34 oz), or 12 Cups (51 oz). While any of these options can work well, we own and recommend the 8-cup (34 oz) version. The Bodum Pour Over is designed with a focus on capacity and multi-serve settings.
Price
One of the best things about the Bodum Pour Over coffee maker is that it is incredibly cheap for the quality of materials you are getting. The Bodum is crafted from high-quality borosilicate glass sourced from Portugal, deliberately chosen for its excellent heat resistance. Remarkably, this is the same type of glass found in the Chemex, yet the Bodum coffee maker costs just a little over half the price of the Chemex!
Furthermore, its permanent stainless steel filter eliminates the need for purchasing disposable paper filters. As an entry-level pour-over, it doesn’t demand the array of technical accessories that some other pour-over methods do. In summary, the Bodum coffee maker offers an affordable opportunity to explore pour-over coffee, allowing you to experience both the flavor and the brewing process without breaking the bank.
Ease of Use
Thanks to its flat-bottomed stainless steel filter, the Bodum Pour Over proves to be quite forgiving as a pour-over method. Surprisingly, even though we had never encountered pour-over coffee before, we managed to make a relatively delicious brew right from the start. The Bodum’s design means that precise ratios and the use of timers and scales are less important compared to some of the more technical pour-over coffee makers (although maintaining the bloom time is still essential).
While I’ve been using the Kalita Wave and V60 for a while, I recently decided to switch back to the Bodum to see how the flavors compare. To my surprise, although there were discernible differences in flavor profiles, they weren’t as pronounced as I had anticipated, and I still thoroughly enjoyed the Bodum Pour Over’s taste. This flavor and ease of use that we experienced are also reflected in the overwhelmingly positive reviews that the Bodum Pour Over gets on Amazon.
Elegant Look
To be honest, we’re quite taken with the Bodum’s elegant and stylish design. The Bodum coffee maker consists of a glass carafe with either a cork or silicone band around the neck. The silicone band comes in a range of colors including black, white, red, sand, blue, and lime green. We opted for the cork option and really recommend it as a very natural and aesthetically pleasing look.
What’s Not To Like About the Bodum?
The Decanter Spout
Unfortunately, the spout on the Bodum Pour Over coffee maker is less than ideal and can lead to coffee spills if poured without caution. Consequently, this also means that coffee frequently drips onto the cork band, which, although not a major issue, can be somewhat vexing.
Extraction
Arguably the most significant issue that pour over purists have with the Bodum coffee maker is that the stainless steel filter is simply not ideal for the extraction process. The stainless steel filter allows the coffee oils to pass through, resulting in a rich, full-bodied cup. However, it also makes for a far quicker extraction time, and more water bypassing the beans. This is also compounded by the flat plastic bottom of the filter which can contribute to an uneven extraction. This all leads to a weaker cup of coffee and less highlighting of specific flavor profiles of beans, which is really what sets the pour over brewing method apart.
Bean Sediment in the Coffee
Furthermore, the stainless steel filter does allow some grind sediment to pass into the coffee pot. To be fair, however, we typically leave the last 10% or so of the brew in the coffee maker and find that effectively deals with the sediment issue. Nonetheless, it would be nice if this wasn’t an issue at all.
Should You Buy the Bodum Pour Over?
Despite some of the technical issues with the Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker, we still feel that it is a great doorway into the world of pour over coffee. While its flavor profile may not achieve the same level of complexity as more advanced pour-over methods, it consistently delivers an enjoyable cup of coffee, all without the need for the extensive array of accessories often deemed necessary for models like the Chemex or V60.
If you find yourself relatively new to the world of pour-over brewing and are passionate about exploring various brewing styles, we wholeheartedly endorse this affordable and stylish pour over coffee maker.
However, for those already well-versed in this brewing style and seeking a high-capacity pour-over to further refine their skills, we suggest considering the Chemex as an excellent alternative. While more expensive, the Chemex has very similar aesthetics to the Bodum, but requires far greater precision and technique and consequently delivers a far more nuanced and complex cup of coffee. The downside is that it really does require a gooseneck kettle, coffee scales, and its own paper filters. Alternatively, you could explore our guide to the best pour over coffee makers for some other excellent options.
Bodum Pour Over Instructions
2 Cup Recipe
Step 1
Preheat the pour over coffee maker by pouring hot water over the filter and decanter.
Step 2
Place 30g (or 4 bodum scoops) of either pre-ground or freshly ground coffee beans into the centre of the filter
Step 3
Pour around 60-80ml of hot water (preferably at 195-205F) over the beans so as to evenly saturate them. Then leave to ‘bloom’ for 30-45 seconds. Brewing Tip: if you don’t have a thermometer, boil the water and then leave it for 30 seconds to reach optimal brewing temperature.
Step 4
Pour the rest of the water in increments over the grinds. Pour some and then let the water level subside and then pour some more until the full 500ml is used.
Step 5
Take off the filter, place on the pouring cap, give the coffee a swirl, and then pour into mugs and enjoy!
Bodum Pour Over Coffee Maker – The Verdict
In summary, we have found the Bodum Pour Over coffee maker to be an elegant-looking, and easy-to-use pour over that can make a really enjoyable cup of coffee. So if that sounds like what you are looking for, then the Bodum Pour Over coffee maker would be a valuable addition to your coffee collection!
We would love to hear your thoughts, questions, or experiences with the Bodum Pour Over so be sure to write them below!
