Bodum French Press vs Willow & Everett Side-by-Side Comparison
Bodum French Press cold brew coffee maker vs Willow & Everett mason jar. Two top brew quality players, but different techniques and results.
Specifications
Design
The Bodum cold brew coffee maker is an adaptation of a French press. It uses a similar fast and convenient plunge filter. Since it’s only meant for cold brewing, the entire body is made from plastic. This makes it light, convenient, and affordable. There’s a lid with a plunger attached for decanting and filtering, and a simple lid for brewing.
Although the Willow & Everett looks neat and handy, the build quality and design didn’t quite match our expectations. The lid and filter, in particular, are poorly made and the tap mechanism is not well thought out. Cleaning is straightforward, and as long as you handle the jar carefully, you may be perfectly happy with this product.
Usability Comparison
The Bodum doesn’t come with any ‘easy-to-use’ instructions. This means you have to decide your own brew ratio. We chose a 1:5 ratio of grounds to water, and everything else was straightforward. Decanting, however, can be a bit involved.
Brewing with the Willow & Everett is very straightforward, as is cleaning and storage. Unfortunately, the design makes decanting somewhat cumbersome. The tap does not work so well and leaves about 20% of the liquid behind. That means you must decant it into a smaller vessel, largely negating the value of a tap in the first place.
Brew Quality
Taking the brew method into account, the Bodum produces a high-quality, strong cold brew coffee concentrate. It’s beautifully smooth to drink and full-bodied, however, it didn’t capture the complexity that our leading brewer was capable of. The filtration method, however, was one of the best.
The Willow & Everett produced a relatively strong and delicious brew. In fact, it was one of the best brews we got out of any immersion-filter cold brew coffee maker. Overall, the taste was defined by a deep roasted flavor and an almost bitter aftertaste. If you enjoy a strong coffee, or are looking for a quality cold brew concentrate to mix into something else, this is one of the better choices.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Light and durable
- Open/close spout
- Perfectly airtight
- Comfortable handle
- Freestyle brewing
- Made in Portugal
- Funky design
- Brew ratio
- Brew quality
- Tap dispenser
- Decanting can be tricky
- No measuring guides
- Lid design
- Weak glass around tap
- Tap is temperamental
- No literature
Conclusion
Bodum French Press and the Willow & Everett are two formidable cold brew coffee makers for their respective categories. The Bodum achieved our second highest brew score in the category of free-style brewers while Willow & Everett was rated as the best immersion filter brewer.
With the Bodum, you can adjust the brew ratio and yield quantity. Furthermore, the plunge filter produced excellent results. The Bodum, however, doesn’t provide a separate carafe if you want to completely decant the brew from the grounds.
With the Willow & Everett, you have to decant at least the remaining 20% of the liquid via the top. Other design oversights include the spigot and the poor quality of the lid. The Bodum, however, is far more durable, practical, and easier to care for.
Behind the Comparison
Roger Shitaki is a writer, author, and editor. His niches are household appliances, health & wellness, and travel. He’s a freelance contributor to a Tokyo lifestyle website and a leading ophthalmology magazine in Asia.
