BonJour Lucie Unbreakable French Press
The Lucie Unbreakable French Press may have an unbreakable carafe but the filter disc that filters out the grounds when you press the plunger is not made of good materials.
Ease of Use/Performance: 5/25
Convenience/Storage 24/25
Appearance/Design 5/25
How much I enjoy 10/25
Total: 44/100
BonJour needs to rethink their material choice for the filter disc that filters out the grounds of the Lucie French Press. The Lucie French Press would be a great French press for delicious coffee but the filter on my review unit broke about three weeks after receiving it.
The filter did not so much break but came apart much like a material that corrodes or breaks down from high heat or corrosives. The Lucie may be a great design but the company needs to find some other plastic to use in their Lucie and other similar models.
Looking on the internet I found several complaints about this and other Bonjour French Press coffee makers that the black plastic used in the filter disc breaks down and actually disintegrates from regular use. The black plastic material is much like a phenolic or Bakelite that does not take the heat or submersion of constantly brewing coffee day after day.
The Lucie French Press is an 8 cup French Press of the usual design with an unbreakable carafe container inside a plastic handle and base. The plunger and filter disc are part of the lid and the filter disc is not made strong enough even for regular brewing.
Brewing coffee in the French Press is easy, simply pour the desired amount of grounds into the carafe and then pour hot, almost boiling water in. Fill the carafe to the top of red band and wait four minutes or so, more for stronger coffee and less for weaker.
Once you have the brew time done you simply set the plunger and filter disc into the French press settling the lid on the carafe and slowly but steadily press the plunger down. Once the filter disc is at the bottom you simply pour your coffee using the lids filter to catch the rest of the grounds.
I like to use fresh ground coffee beans and a darker French roast or espresso roast but the type of beans is up to your individual tastes. I also poured my first cup and then poured the rest into an insulated carafe for enjoyment later of my hot and fresh brewed coffee.
The Lucie French Press is the second French Press I have reviewed and it worked well for a quick and easy cup of fresh coffee but the filter disc broke on me. I was having no problems with the French Press and was using the Lucie once or twice a day for the three weeks when the filter disc came apart.
The filter disc is a two part material that has a screen in the middle to filter out grounds when you press down the plunger. On my Lucie French Press the black material on the very bottom came apart like it was degrading form the heat of the coffee.
The stress of having the nut inside this piece of material as well as the heat probably were the downfall of this piece. Whatever caused the material to break apart is not something unique or unusual as I searched the internet and found other complaints.
Customers at Amazon who purchased the same and similar French Press coffee makers had the same problem but many said the French Press worked well until the part broke. I would like to recommend this product but would not be able to with the common complaint that I have seen on the internet.
The Lucie French Press was good while it lasted and did make great coffee but the materials used need a rework to make a better product. I do like the unbreakable carafe and filter in the lid that helps filter out the rest of the grounds that inevitably make it through the first filter.
The Lucie French Press would be good and only costs about $30 from several internet sites like Amazon as well as stores like Target. I do not recommend the Lucie French Press with problems like the filter disc material breaking on so many coffee makers according to customer complaints.