Bodum Insulated Travel French Press Coffee Mug [Review]

If you work in an office that offers burnt and bitter coffee, you’re tired of drinking hotel coffee, or you hate adding the extra expense of buying coffee every morning, it’s time to look into getting a travel French press coffee mug.

The name Bodum is synonymous with French presses. The Bodum Insulated Travel French Press Coffee Mug works the same way as a traditional French press does, but with one extra and important feature: it is a mug and a coffee maker. No need to purchase an expensive coffee maker and a separate commuter mug to brew a to-go cup of coffee.

In case you are wondering what is a French press, basically, it is a coffee pot with a plunger made of fine mesh. This is how you use a travel French press coffee mug in 4 simple steps:

1. Add 1 and 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of freshly ground (coarse to medium ground) coffee to the mug.
2. Pour in hot water leaving about 1-inch from the rim, preferably water temperature between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal extraction, according to the National Coffee Association USA. Rule of thumb: let boiling water sit for one minute before pouring.
3. Stir it with a spoon and it let sit for 3-4 minutes. Then add sugar and or milk to taste.
4. Carefully depress the plunger until it is fully depressed. Screw in the tight-fitting lid.

Your coffee is hot and ready!

Here’s what we like about it:

1. Keeps coffee hot for over 2 hours (very well insulated)
2. Easy to use
3. Perfect size at 15-oz
4. Very well made and sturdy
5. The plunger fits snugly inside the mug, preventing spills when drinking the coffee
6. It functions as a French press and a travel mug – so we get a coffee maker and a mug – 2 in 1
7. Portable and great for local road trips and overseas trips
8. Affordable price at $28 for a coffee maker and an insulated travel mug

The Bodum Insulated Travel French press coffee mug has the best insulation compared to all the other travel French press coffee mugs we have tested. However, the very thing that is a plus also become quite a pain. Why? We couldn’t drink the coffee once brewed because it was too hot. We had to wait for several minutes before attempting to drink the coffee. The fact that the lid stayed close when the plunger was depressed made it difficult to cool down the coffee to a drinkable temperature. It is not a huge problem because it’s better to have hot coffee then a lukewarm coffee.

To solve the small problem, we usually let the coffee sit for at least 8 minutes before depressing the plunger.

We tested this travel French press coffee mug in a few locations. We even were able to use it during a road trip from New York City to Boston. It fits well in a Honda CRV cup holder. The coffee was still hot after two hours on the road when the temperature outside was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

This travel mug is recommended for those who are traveling to remote places or to countries with undesirable coffee. This coffee maker/travel mug is also suitable for camping, RVing and on road trips.

The Bodum Insulated Travel French press coffee mug is available at Bodum’s official website and Amazon.com.

It is made of stainless steel and the rubberized band around the mug comes in four colors: black, white, red and green.

Let us know your favorite ways to brew coffee while on the road. Leave a comment below!

Note: The Bodum Insulated French Press Coffee Mug was provided for this review. Opinions are our own.