I have decided to do another product review fro CSN Stores. CSN stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything you need from office desks to gardening tools and bakeware! I only mention bakeware because this is what my review will be about! I have been baking bread quite a bit and am not fully equipped for it. So if you are into baking definitely stay tuned!!!
Showing posts with label Product. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Product. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
CSN Product Review: French Press
It has been almost 2 months since I posted that I would be doing a product review for CSN stores and I am just getting around to posting my review. As you know from the title I got a french press. Not just any french press...the Bodum Columbia 12 cup Double Wall Stainless Steel French Press!
Isn't it gorgeous!?!
We used to have an insulated coffee pot for our drip coffee maker BUT it died (as well as a few other before it!) after only 2 years! So in the interest of producing less garbage and drinking better coffee we switched to a more permanent solution. We bit the bullet and invested in a large insulated french press because we both LOVE coffee in the morning but I always get up quite a bit earlier than Diego so in a normal glass press the coffee is cold by the time he gets to it or he needs to make a fresh batch because I drank the 500 ml!
I love that it is stainless steel. The shape is classy but can go with any decor. The handle is solid and ergonomic making it a pleasure to pour. Most presses have the metal coil on the plunger so to avoid the metal on metal, Bodum replaced it with a silicone ring. Silicone is inert so it doesn't leach any toxins into your coffee nor does it leave a flavour. The only part of the press that is plastic is the part of the lid that has the pouring screen. I would have preferred stainless but unfortunately all presses that I have seen are like this and I did look at many before choosing this one! Luckily, your coffee only comes into contact with it very briefly when you pour.
I love the spout. Our old french press had this tiny triangular indent (like most) that almost always ended up pouring out the sides and onto the counter. It always made a mess. This spout is large and rounded allowing it to pour so smoothly and I have yet to spill a drop!
It does keep the coffee warm for 2-3 hours if you filled it to the top to start with and about half the time if you fill it half way. I am sure if you warmed up the carafe before you put the coffee in, it would stay warm longer but I don't want to use more water and electricity than necessary. However, there are some pros and cons with the lid. The good thing about the lid the strainer for any stray grinds but also when you turn the lid it blocks the opening preventing the steam from escaping, helping to keep it warm. Not all presses have this feature. In my books this was essential for keeping the coffee warm. However, the lid itself is not at all insulated! So the rising heat is lost via conduction through the metal cooling rather than keeping the coffee warm. That also means that the lid gets very hot to the touch making it difficult to turn the lid to the strainer position to be able to pour your cuppa joe. You won't burn yourself but you can't always turn the lid in one swoop because it is quite hot. That being said, I love having had steaming coffee pour out of the press 2 hours after I made it, which is more than I can say the old insulated drip coffee carafe could do!
Holiday Coffee!
Overall, I am very happy with my new press and would recommend it to anyone in the market for one. Like most things there is room for improvement but the issues themselves are in my opinion very minor. The hot lid is easily overcome by using a tea towel and I am very satisfied with the amount of time it keeps our coffee warm. Also, all the parts are dishwasher safe, which was an important deciding factor now that we have a new dishwasher! We have been using our new press everyday since we got it and I would not go back to any other method of making coffee...except maybe the occasional espresso. This a great daily workhorse and looks great on the table for a dinner party.
The last thing I wanted to comment on was the service I received from CSN stores. I ordered my press in mid-November and I expected ~2 weeks delivery since it was coming from the USA via ground shipping. After 2.5 weeks and no press, I was contemplating calling CSN when I received an email and a phone call from them informing me that UPS had lost the package and asking if I wanted a replacement or a refund. I immediately responded that I would like another one sent but that I needed it to get to me before I left for holidays on Dec 22. The press was sent out the same day and a week later, 5 days before the 22nd, I received my press. The customer service was amazing! I was astonished that they contacted me before I contacted them and they did everything to accommodate my deadline. They were prompt, pleasant and polite. I would definitely buy again from CSN stores and recommend them to anyone looking for something they cannot find locally.
If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will get back to you!
Isn't it gorgeous!?!
I love that it is stainless steel. The shape is classy but can go with any decor. The handle is solid and ergonomic making it a pleasure to pour. Most presses have the metal coil on the plunger so to avoid the metal on metal, Bodum replaced it with a silicone ring. Silicone is inert so it doesn't leach any toxins into your coffee nor does it leave a flavour. The only part of the press that is plastic is the part of the lid that has the pouring screen. I would have preferred stainless but unfortunately all presses that I have seen are like this and I did look at many before choosing this one! Luckily, your coffee only comes into contact with it very briefly when you pour.
I love the spout. Our old french press had this tiny triangular indent (like most) that almost always ended up pouring out the sides and onto the counter. It always made a mess. This spout is large and rounded allowing it to pour so smoothly and I have yet to spill a drop!
It does keep the coffee warm for 2-3 hours if you filled it to the top to start with and about half the time if you fill it half way. I am sure if you warmed up the carafe before you put the coffee in, it would stay warm longer but I don't want to use more water and electricity than necessary. However, there are some pros and cons with the lid. The good thing about the lid the strainer for any stray grinds but also when you turn the lid it blocks the opening preventing the steam from escaping, helping to keep it warm. Not all presses have this feature. In my books this was essential for keeping the coffee warm. However, the lid itself is not at all insulated! So the rising heat is lost via conduction through the metal cooling rather than keeping the coffee warm. That also means that the lid gets very hot to the touch making it difficult to turn the lid to the strainer position to be able to pour your cuppa joe. You won't burn yourself but you can't always turn the lid in one swoop because it is quite hot. That being said, I love having had steaming coffee pour out of the press 2 hours after I made it, which is more than I can say the old insulated drip coffee carafe could do!
Holiday Coffee!The last thing I wanted to comment on was the service I received from CSN stores. I ordered my press in mid-November and I expected ~2 weeks delivery since it was coming from the USA via ground shipping. After 2.5 weeks and no press, I was contemplating calling CSN when I received an email and a phone call from them informing me that UPS had lost the package and asking if I wanted a replacement or a refund. I immediately responded that I would like another one sent but that I needed it to get to me before I left for holidays on Dec 22. The press was sent out the same day and a week later, 5 days before the 22nd, I received my press. The customer service was amazing! I was astonished that they contacted me before I contacted them and they did everything to accommodate my deadline. They were prompt, pleasant and polite. I would definitely buy again from CSN stores and recommend them to anyone looking for something they cannot find locally.
If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will get back to you!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
CSN Product Review and a confession
Vickie at Frenchy Addict inspired me to take part in doing product reviews for CSN Stores. They have everything under the sun from pet and gardening supplies, shoes, kitchen accessories and even children's luggage! They even have some eco-friendly options, which may need some research before buying but at least they have potential alternatives.
I always prefer to buy locally but no matter what some things just have to come from away so I thought why not got to a one stop online shopping place! I have to confess that I LOVE shopping AND I have to seriously restrain myself.
Why do I restrain myself? First and foremost the environment. Everything we buy has a footprint and I want to minimize my footprint to keep our home (aka Planet Earth) livable for future generations. Secondly, we have a tiny place so we have no room for just stuff...so we are always careful considering what we buy...do we need it and where can we put it. This is also something we try to convey to family and friends with respect to gifts... However, once a year to satisfy my shopping urge, I will blitz Value Village or the Salvation Army for used clothing and kitchen items...I also always go there (or Kijiji) first before buying anything new.
So why shopping online? Well, I sometimes find it very hard to find exactly what I want here in Halifax. It is the largest city in the Maritimes BUT finding some specialty items can be very time consuming and you are almost always faced with well...they just don't have that this side of Montreal.
I know many of you are thinking, what about the impacts of transportation?? Almost every single product you can buy in the stores comes from somewhere else, so technically the impact of transportation will be the same BUT you get exactly what you want...not something close enough that may end up in the trash because it wasn't perfect!
For you coffee/tea lovers...stay tuned for my review!
I always prefer to buy locally but no matter what some things just have to come from away so I thought why not got to a one stop online shopping place! I have to confess that I LOVE shopping AND I have to seriously restrain myself.
Why do I restrain myself? First and foremost the environment. Everything we buy has a footprint and I want to minimize my footprint to keep our home (aka Planet Earth) livable for future generations. Secondly, we have a tiny place so we have no room for just stuff...so we are always careful considering what we buy...do we need it and where can we put it. This is also something we try to convey to family and friends with respect to gifts... However, once a year to satisfy my shopping urge, I will blitz Value Village or the Salvation Army for used clothing and kitchen items...I also always go there (or Kijiji) first before buying anything new.
So why shopping online? Well, I sometimes find it very hard to find exactly what I want here in Halifax. It is the largest city in the Maritimes BUT finding some specialty items can be very time consuming and you are almost always faced with well...they just don't have that this side of Montreal.
I know many of you are thinking, what about the impacts of transportation?? Almost every single product you can buy in the stores comes from somewhere else, so technically the impact of transportation will be the same BUT you get exactly what you want...not something close enough that may end up in the trash because it wasn't perfect!
For you coffee/tea lovers...stay tuned for my review!
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