Forget about fancy drip coffee machines. They don’t come near the taste and fail to match the ease of use of the simple old fashioned French Press (cafitiere). The French press provides flexibility in brewing, takes up a fraction of the counter space, is easy to clean and produces a superior cup of coffee.

I’ve used other brands but none quite live up to the quality of the Bodum. The wire mesh filter catches all of the beans and squeezes them to the bottom. The holder is sturdy and despite being the clumsiest guy on the planet, I have yet to break a glass beaker.

The best news of all is that when you brew with a French press, you can actually taste the variations in beans and appreciate those hints of cherry, chocolate, or hickory that roasters work so hard to bring out.

Note: the glass beaker does a decent job of keeping the coffee warm, but I pour the extra cups into a fancy thermos to keep it nice and hot.