Bodum vs Coffee Bear Side-by-Side Comparison
Bodum cold brew coffee maker vs Coffee Bear. Brew freestyle with a top French press design for superior 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.
There’s nothing to fault about the quality of the glass carafe and the lid design. The silicone base pad, on the other hand, is not the best quality and the handle is a little small.
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.
Using the Coffee Bear is quite simple and straightforward. The most practical aspect is the lid, but besides that, the product doesn’t offer any added value. It’s easy to miss spots when cleaning the black-framed filter, but the detachable filter base does make a difference.
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 brew quality of the Coffee Bear corresponded with its brew ratio and the functionality of its filter. The brew was decidedly average and lacked complexity with a watery aftertaste.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- Light and durable
- Open/close spout
- Perfectly airtight
- Comfortable handle
- Freestyle brewing
- Made in Portugal
- Glass decanter
- Lid design
- Twist to pour
- Decanting can be tricky
- No measuring guides
- Silicone base not top quality
- Handle not so comfortable
- Appears to be a generic copy
Conclusion
The Bodum is an adaptation of a French press coffee maker. Its affordable all-plastic design and stainless steel plunge filter are especially durable. The freestyle brewing technique it uses makes a full-strength cold brew coffee concentrate. It’s one of our top-recommended brewers.
The Coffee Bear is a very average immersion filter brewer. Its jug-type design uses a plastic and nylon filter. With a fixed brew ratio and a nylon filter, the Coffee Bear doesn’t produce much more than an average brew. Its only advantage is that it can brew in the door bin of most refrigerators.
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.
