After shopping around and looking at tons of different french presses, I finally settled on this one. This is what I was looking for: * fine-ground brewing (I don't like chunky grounds) * easy to press and pour (good suction, but not so good I have to use 2 hands to press. Pours like a machine coffee pot, no waiting or adjustments to my pour speed) * filtering (I don't like drinking my grounds) * BIG / holds multiple cups (I was replacing a coffee maker) * non-glass, mixture of plastic and metal (too many horror stories of shattering) * closeable lid (so all the steam/heat doesn't escape within 5 minutes) * easy to disassemble for cleaning (does that really need an explanation?) I'd give this 4 3/4 out of 5 stars. I've had this press for over a year now, with zero problems. I brew every weekday morning, and multiple times on weekends. Here's how it holds up to the qualifications I was looking for: * FINE GROUNDS: works like a charm. See "filtering" below. * PRESS & POUR: If I steep, then put it together and instantly press, it's terrible... I end up with a slow, hard press and grounds seeping through the edges. But then again, a squeegee doesn't work very well when it's dry either. It works absolutely fine if I assemble it while it's steeping, and leave the press/basket at the top so it suctions to the side of the carafe and acts as a barrier to steam. It builds up a little moisture, and voila!, when the coffee is ready, it presses smooth as silk with no loose grounds. The pour comes in at a 9.8 out of 10... the spout is a bit smaller than I expected, so I had a period of adjustment, but not bad. I adapted quickly and just keep in mind that it's a press, not a machine pot. I can't just turn it end-over-end and dump it like a pitcher, I instead have to appreciate the art and beauty of a perfectly brewed cup of coffee gently streaming into my cup. * FILTERING: the press itself works nearly perfectly, providing I let it build up moisture as mentioned above. There's a tiny bit of seepage at the very end as I'm pouring the last cup, but that's to be expected with a press. They're not 100% air-tight or you'd never be able to pull the pieces back apart. There's also an additional filter on the lid that helps catch anything that comes out when you're reaching the end of your carafe. * SIZE: good enough. At the time, it was one of the biggest I could find on the market. It makes about 3 standard American-size cups of coffee... if you have oversized cups, you'll get 1 1/2 - 2 cups. I supplemented my purchase with a thermal carafe (like they give you in restaurants). I pour myself a cup, pour the remainder in the thermos, and while I'm drinking my first cup, I'm brewing a second batch. The thermos keeps the first batch warm for hours while I finish up the rest. * MATERIAL: I saw some other reviews where people said theirs broke, or cracked, or fell apart, etc. No issues here at all. It's a factory-built coffee press folks, not a weight machine built by NASA. There's no need to muscle it, just take it easy and work *with*, not against, science. * LID: this is the primary area that brings it down from a 5. I didn't have much hope of actually meeting this expectation, so I'm not hatin' or anything, just stating my observations. The lid is plastic and has no suction or tightness, so heat gets lost in the teensy gap between it and the edge of the carafe. One side has an opening with inserts that act as a filter, so that's good, but it does leave things open. Conveniently, however, the opposite side has a large plastic insert that mimics the size and shape of the filter. When you spin the lid around, this plastic insert will cover the spout opening. It's not perfect, but it does help with some of the escaping heat. * ASSEMBLY: there's 5 parts, can it get any easier? Plastic outer lining, plastic inner carafe, plastic/metal press, metal bar, plastic lid. I keep the outer lining and carafe together, and keep the press/bar/lid together... that brings it down to only 2 parts to wash or throw in the dishwasher.
