Bodum’s Bistro Automatic Pourover Coffeemaker, loved for its coffee and hated for its failure rate, innovative, and questionably slighted by reviewers, is on its way out the door.
I bought the Bodum Bistro back in October 2013, along with a Baratza Encore Grinder- my first two big coffee-related purchases. The plastic above where the thermal carafe sits is cracked in multiple places, but otherwise it’s still going strong.
Like offerings from Bonavita and Technivorm at the time, Bodum earned The Specialty Coffee Association of America’s seal of approval, and maintained proper temperature for brewing while evenly distributing water over the grounds using a “shower head” style method.
Two things set the Bodum apart from the competition: the fact that it wasn’t hideously ugly, and the permanent, washable filter.
The paper collects much of the fines and oils that you taste when brewed through a metal disk or cone, so your cup will be less nuanced. If you prefer a cleaner cup, stick with the paper. - Stumptown
Clearly some personal preferences come into play with the question of permanent vs. paper filters, but I strongly prefer the taste of permanent, and hate products that come with recurring costs.
In 2012, the Bodum bested the Bonavita in Gizmodo’s Battlemodo series, though the same authors would later go on to completely dismiss the Bistro in coffeemaker comparisons for other publications.
The Bodum Bistro has been gone from the Bodum website for quite some time, and is only available from third parties or used on Amazon, where rarer colors can spike to crazy prices. You can still snag one at Target for $130, occasionally $99 when there’s a deal.