I wanted to like the Presse, but there’s too much to dislike. In fact, the thing jammed on me and became useless. There’s also the lid’s rubber taste. The AeroPress is a far better coffee-making contraption.
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Bobble Presse
Model: PRESSE
GTIN: 00814547032789
I’m not a fan of the PRESSE. There are better options for making coffee on the go, some of which I’ve reviewed on this site.
TL;DR
I would have loved to recommend the Bobble Presse, but I can’t.
Requires medium-coarse ground coffee.
Other coffee makers aren’t as stringent. For instance, the AeroPress works fine with an off-the-shelf filter grind.
The lid has a strong rubbery taste.
Jammed, rendering it useless.
I jammed it. It was my fault. However, if the same thing should happen while using the AeroPress, it would pose no problem. Jamming the Presse turned out to be a nightmare.
In the Box
The Bobble Presse arrived in bubble wrap. Here’s what was inside.
A tumbler.
A plunger (inner press).
A rubber lid.
Why Did I Buy It?
When I bought the AeroPress I looked for something to compare it to. I had two options: the Staresso espresso maker and the Bobble Presse. The Staresso is a true espresso maker. I used it once and realized it didn’t fall into the same category as the AeroPress.
The Bobble Presse did fall into the same category as the AeroPress, so I thought I’d give it a go. When I tested the Presse, I didn’t know how to write about it. I wanted to like it. It made a good coffee. That should have been enough. But it wasn’t.
The rubber lid’s taste is a thing. The fact that it jammed was also no small matter.
I was torn.
Should I launch an attack on the Bobble Presse? Should I eke out a tepid article to justify buying it? Should I not write about it at all? I even asked advice on a copywriting forum. People said to tell the truth. I planned on doing that in any case. Wasn’t sure how, though.
Here’s my verdict: it’s a lukewarm product (at best). Not bad; not great.
Then I broke it.
Likes
For the sake of not being a complete chop head, I thought I’d highlight the things I like about it.
Looks Great
The Bobble Presse gets full marks for appearance. The stainless steel tumbler has a modern look straight from a fashion magazine.
Makes Great Coffee
The Bobble Presse produces a good filter coffee. I can’t fault it on taste. It gets full marks for flavor. It doesn’t stand back to the AeroPress.
Easy to Use
That is, if you use medium-coarse ground coffee. Use a standard filter grind and you’ll not get it to work. If you do have medium-coarse ground coffee, making coffee with the Bobble Presse is easy. Then it’s even easier to use than the AeroPress.
Easy to Clean
It’s easier to clean than it is to use. Pull the plunger from the tumbler, rinse and leave on a rack to dry.
Dislikes
There are many things I hate about the Bobble Presse. Let me rephrase. If the AeroPress didn’t exist, the Bobble Presse would be fine. While the AeroPress does exist, the Presse is a failure.
Too Specific About the Grind
My number one reason for choosing the AeroPress over the Bobble Presse. Bobble makes it clear that you can only use medium-coarse ground coffee in the Presse. Their words: Use Presse with medium-coarse freshly ground coffee. Do NOT use with finely ground coffee.
It’s not a suggestion, it’s a rule. They mash you into this mold and there’s no way to get out. Now, it wouldn’t be fair to knock the Bobble Presse if other portable coffee makers were as stringent.
They’re not.
The AeroPress is far more forgiving. Although it suggests a specific grind level, it does not impose a rule. I can use a wider selection of coffee grounds than I can with the Bobble Presse.
Tasty Rubber Lid
The Bobble Presse’s rubber lid oozes flavor. It’s revolting. The taste climbs into your head and clings like Velcro. At first I found it bearable. But halfway through a cup it becomes too much, even for a guy with iron taste buds.
Made From Metal
They make the Bobble Presse from 304 stainless steel. It’s a good steel. I had some 304 stainless steel grids manufactured for my grill. Works great. I’m a fan. I worked with the stuff for years. But don’t drop the Bobble Presse. The plunger is made of 0.027in (0.7mm) stainless steel. If you drop it, it’ll bend. For the same reason, don’t pack it too tight if you plan on taking it on a trip. If you handle it with care, the Presse should last years. But don’t drop it or stand on it. It’ll dent, bend or get stuck.
How to Use It
I managed to make a few coffees before breaking it.
How to Make Coffee
Can It Make Espresso?
The Bobble Presse can’t make espresso. An espresso requires six to ten grams of finely ground coffee, tamped into a portafilter basket through which 30ml to 45ml of water with a temperature of 194 Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius) is forced at nine bars of pressure for 30 seconds. With that in mind, it’s pointless to try.
How Many Coffees Does It Make?
According to Bobble, the Presse makes up to 13fl oz (384,456ml) of coffee. I could not test this claim.
Taste?
The Bobble Presse makes a good coffee. Don’t use the rubber cap if you don’t need to. It tastes horrible. But the coffee itself is palatable.
Cost of a Cup of Coffee
Unlike the AeroPress, the Bobble Presse doesn’t come with paper filters. The Presse’s plunger contains a built-in metal filter. The Bobble Presse uses no consumables. You use it until it dies and throw it away. I use the same calculations I used for costing AeroPress coffee.
Let’s say the Bobble Presse gives you 365 days of service. You make two filter coffees with the Bobble Presse every day. You don’t take sugar or milk (to simplify the calculation). That’s an annual quantity of 730 cups of black coffee without sugar.
We’ll cost water and electricity at $0.40 per cup.
You buy Death Wish coffee. It costs $1.25 per ounce ($0.04 per gram). Each filter coffee needs two scoops of ground coffee. At the proper grind level this amounts to 1.05822 oz (30 grams) (15 grams per scoop) of grounds per cup; 2.11644 oz (60 grams) per day.
Death Wish Coffee grounds cost $1.20 per cup.
The Bobble Presse device, broken up into 730 cups, costs $0.04 per cup.
Cost of a Bobble Presse coffee:
Water & Electricity (per cup): $0.40.
2.12 oz (30 grams) of Death Wish coffee: $1.20.
Bobble Presse device (per cup): $0.04.
Total: $1.64.
It costs $1.64 for a DIY Bobble Presse coffee. Remember, it’s Death Wish coffee grounds. It’s far more expensive than a Well Known Coffee Brand. But, per cup it’s cheaper. Besides, your DIY Bobble Presse coffee is better. You’re the master of your taste buds.
730 cups of Well Known Coffee Brand coffees put you back $1,277.50.
730 cups of Bobble Presse brewed Death Wish coffees put you back $1,197.20.
That’s a saving of $80.30 per year.
The Bobble Presse saves you $29.20 more than the AeroPress. It’s cheaper than the AeroPress, provided it lasts as long.
Will it? I’m not convinced.