Frieling French Press Ultimo 33-42oz ~ Insulated Stainless Steel Mirror Finish Coffee Press

A real 5 star item

Been using it for at least few months now… Know that I’m really fussy about how things work or don’t work as it often is these days. This coffee maker is solid, sturdy, easy to use, insulated-keeps the coffee hot, and makes GREAT coffee (all probably because its NOT from China).

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Don’t listen to the person who said it sprays burning hot coffee out the spout when you push to press the coffee. The instructions that come with it are very clear. It warns you to NEVER fill it above the spout. Remedial reading courses can be found on the Internet but common sense can’t. This coffee maker is a real keeper (worth every penny)!

MY SIX YEARS WITH A FRIELING: Over 3,500 Brews Later… How to Buy a French Press, and a Frieling Review

“One chews coffee beans while gargling 200 F water for four minutes; pressing with the tongue, coffee is filtered through the teeth: is this the French press you refer to?” — M. Python

AN INTRODUCTION TO COFFEE AMBROSIA.

It’s a quest for flavor. It’s all about flavor. You are here searching for the best quality French Press, one that delivers the most flavorful coffee possible. You might be new to French Press and are rightly skeptical about the vulnerability and safety of a glass model. Or, you might be experienced, a Bodum or BonJour refugee exasperated by having to replace your second, or third, or even your seventh broken glass beaker. No cuts? Lucky you. Been there.

Below: First is a look at buying a French Press, followed by a Review of the Frieling French Press, then info on grinders, accessories, buying coffee, and brewing the best French Press…

Great product

My husband loves coffee made with a French press. We have had three with the glass body. The first one wasn’t insulated and did not keep the coffee warm enough to drink a second cup a little later. So we bought an insulated glass pot. It worked great but then my young adult daughter broke it making herself coffee one morning. I purchased a replacement and within two weeks, my young adult son had dropped it. I bought this stainless steel coffee press for my husband for Christmas. He is in 7th Heaven! He has hot coffee and we no longer have to worrry about someone breaking it in the process of cleaning it.

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Alfi Juwel Chrome Plated Brass Thermal Carafe, 33-Ounce

Best thermos I have ever purchased

I stayed at a friend’s home and first used this thermos there. It keeps my tea hot much longer than any thermos I have ever used. It’s great — hot to the last drop!

Great carafe

It’s beautiful and lights up every morning. Well worth the cost. The product has a 5-year warranty but the last one we had before lasted over 18 years.

Great, I wish it is bigger. Updated (glass liner broken within 7 months)

Keep hot water over night. The quality is good. I would like to buy a bigger one than 50 oz.

Update (Nov. 2013): Glass liner exploded within 7 months. Left voice message and no response so far. Also left an message on the company’s website. No response either.

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Lavazza Pienaroma Espresso Beans 2.2#

Lavazza Beans

Great coffee bean for the coffee enthusiast. Very aromatic with a smooth finish. The layers are nutty with chocolate hints that are great for cappuccino.

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Nespresso C110-US-RE-NE CitiZ Automatic Single-Serve Espresso Maker, Fire-Engine Red

As much art as function – Nespresso Citiz White Espresso Maker D 110 CW

I have experienced a holiday 2009 embarrassment of riches. I purchased a DeLonghi EC155 espresso machine as a gift for my wife after much research and we have used it for for 2 days with much pleasure. As a total surprise, we received a Nespresso D110 as a family gift during a party, and we could not refuse it. It will be interesting to compare the $83 DeLonghi (with another $20 rebate in the mail) to, if I have the price right on Amazon, a $279.00 Nespresso D110.

First of all, the Nespresso D110 is really beautiful–as much a work of art as a functional machine. The “winter white” is more of a cream color and the machine itself reminds me of an art deco juke box from the 1950s, if that makes any sense. It is very slim and looks beautiful on the counter top. The DeLonghi is much more utilitarian, with obviously less expensive materials (again, the price difference makes sense). If I use a PC analogy, the D110 is a Mac (elegant, incredibly simple to use, and…

Unbelievably Fantastic!

I would not have thought I would be alive long enough to see a “Jetsons” reality. (I guess Raymond Kurzweil was right when he said technology will grow exponentially) This is truly a futuristic dream come true. The Nespresso produced coffee is the best. Perfectly intense without bitterness. I cannot imagine how someone could invent something so easy to use without compromising even a fraction of quality.

I purchased the bundle, Citiz and Aeroccino Frother and together they make an incredible latte.

Perfect for the coffee making newbie and those afraid of traditional espresso machines

I bought this machine as an x’mas present for my mother who loves her coffee but is afraid of the steam from traditional espresso machines, hates the hassle of French Press, and dislikes drip coffee.

This product was an instant hit. Just switch the machine on, run it through once to rinse the machine & heat up the cup, then insert the capsule and press for a tasty cuppa. Repeat for a second cup. So simple a four year old did it too.

Added benefit is that this particular machine has a slim footprint and the water tank holds enough water for quite a few cups so the machine itself can be placed wherever you would like your coffee. So far the machine has been 1. in the kitchen, 2. upstairs in her bedroom on Sundays for a luxurious breakfast in bed 3. out tailgating plugged into the car inverter 4. in various hotel rooms during her spring roadtrips.

The folding cup tray, enables you to use either a cup or mug directly under the spout.

The…

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DeLonghi Stainless Steel Burr Coffee Grinder with Grind Selector and Quantity Control

Quiet and perfect grinds

I had a Cuisinart conical burr grinder. MISTAKE. Like others’ experiences, mine just quit after a short while. I was hesitant to buy an electric burr grinder after my Cuisinart experience. For a while I ground using a mini food chopper, then got a Mr. Coffee blade grinder. Mr. Coffee had a number of cups and fineness control both of which were essentially useless. Manually grinding and monitoring were more effective. I thought I’d try my luck and look for an electric burr grinder again. I saw the DeLonghi KG89 and decided to take a chance. It is much quieter than the Cuisinart. In fact, quieter than the Mr. Coffee blade grinder. I filled the upper container, set the number of cups and fineness, and started it. It ground the beans perfectly. I measured the output. It was exactly what I would have measured out from ground coffee. Hoping that it lasts longer than the Cuisinart. But, so far, two thumbs up.

Works great, no problems.

After returning the Capresso 560 Infinity that I had purchased from Amazon (didn’t like the controls, or lack of same) I ordered this DeLonghi instead. Not knowing much about these grinders, I didn’t know what I was missing until I got the DeLonghi. There are two settings – one for number of cups and one for fineness of the grind. You set those two controls, put your beans in, and press the on button. That’s it. It’s not terribly noisy (any electric grinder will be loud), it’s not messy as some reviews said, and as an extra bonus, it’s a nice looking little machine. I make filter-cone-type drip coffee and I set the grind on exactly halfway between course and fine the first time I used it. I found it was not quite what I wanted so the second time I used it, I set it two notches toward fine and the coffee was perfect. This machine is not a conical burr grinder, but maybe I’m not a purist enough to notice that as a problem. It’s easy to use, looks nice and makes good ground coffee. What…

It’s OK, but it has some major flaws

When new this thing works pretty good. The only criticism is that the receptacle for the grounds is very static-y and hard to get all the grounds out of. I finally just gave up and leave a layer of dust in there, and so most of the coffee grounds come out easier. When you pull the receptacle out of the grinder it “poops” some grounds on the counter, EVERY time, so I have got in the habit of picking the whole dang thing up and holding it over the sink when I pull out the grounds.

The grind size selector is very flimsy and often jams. I have to struggle with my large hands to get the little grinder attachment out, clean it, reinstall it (not easy) and then manually adjust it so I don’t break the knob (I can feel the linkage inside bending as if it’s going to break if I don’t). With the delicious, oily French roast I use this thing requires frequent cleaning or it just jams up.

I would rate it 2 start but the good thing is with those simple work-arounds and…

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58 mm Aluminum Reg Barber Tamper – Espresso Supply 21420-58

An awesome tamper for the home barista!!

What can I say??

I really LOVE this tamper!! I love the build quality and heft for the price, (I ended up getting the stainless steel base for mine). I like that I don’t have to work nearly as hard to tamp my espresso puck anymore and I can get a superior tamp EVERY TIME!!

This, (along with my new grinder), has made my espresso making much more of a joy. I can get awesome crema and a reliable puck every time. I also like the build quality and reliability of this tamper. I had a tamper before that was so light and not very well made, and, WOW, what a difference build quality makes!!!

The only downside was that I paid almost $75 for this seemingly simple piece of equipment. That sounds like a lot, until you consider that these are handmade by a small workshop, and they do very high quality craftsmanship. I think I am more than willing to pay for that. I don’t know what you think, but I think it’s worth $75 for the amount of work that…

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Art of Appreciation Gift Baskets A Worlds of Thanks Gourmet Food and Snacks

Nice Choice of Gifts

I bought this as a thank-you gift for a small business that is doing some work for me. They were happily surprised when they received this basket of goodies. The thank-you E-mail to me stated, “I couldn’t think of a better way to spoil my lunch today.”

This was a nice basket

I used it as an auction item at a conference – it looked nice. I was hoping for more snacks, but I’m sure I couldn’t do it better for the price.

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