GSI Glacier Stainless JavaPress Review
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The JavaPress is now officially the ‘tank’ in my coffee arsenal. It is solid, indestructible, stealth-like, and will do serious damage to those early morning cobwebs in the woods or at home.
The Coffee making options just got a little better…
The GSI Glacier Stainless JavaPress is an impressive looking piece of coffee brewing equipment. My stable of French Presses and Espresso bubblers welcomed this new addition with open arms. I consider the act of making a cup of coffee somewhat of an art form. I enjoy grinding my coffee to the correct ground size in my Burr Grinder, seeing or hearing it interact with the steaming water, and finally enjoying that perfect cup o’ Joe.
This is usually a moment of peace and tranquility before my wife and kids wake up to start a day of meetings, deadlines, commitments, and ballet classes.
I’ve had my issues with the glass French Presses in the past. As you may have guessed, I usually find a way to break them. Having been blessed with the buttery hands or clumsy gene, causes causes me to drop a lot of things including my beloved French Press. Introducing: the all-mighty GSI Glacier Stainless JavaPress!
Lid Details
Technical Features
Let’s get to the real reason why this GSI Glacier Stainless JavaPress has been designed, created, and manufactured. It belongs out in the wild; the great outdoors. This is the perfect companion for the car camper to take out into the woods, mountains, or National Parks. Heavy duty and bombproof is what I would call it.
Unfortunately, I received this JavaPress in November, and my camping days are behind me for the season. I am currently doing a little snow dance getting my skis ready in search of powder. I did manage to break out the Javapress in a more mobile setting. Volunteering at a local Turkey Gobbler 5k, we were setting up and getting ready. The Race director and several other volunteers greatly appreciated a finely crafted high quality coffee bean and water mixture made in the GSI Stainless JavaPress. A little effort, but a great (and cheaper) alternative than visiting one of those national coffee chains everyone seems to be addicted to…..just saying :-)
The Stainless steel body is very durable with a thermally-insulated, double-wall carafe. Constructed with a high-grade 18/8 stainless steel. The hard and high impact plastic base also appears to be durable and able to withstand the rigors of camping. Just don’t put it directly on the camp stove or fire. The pour-through lid has 3 settings (Open, Close, and Pour) to keep your coffee hotter for much longer.
Technical Specifications
- Major Dimension 33 fl. oz.
- Weight 27 oz.
- dimensions 6.70″ x 5.00″ x 10.00″
- Material Stainless Steel
The Battle of the Presses: Java vs. French
The Taste Test
The durability factor is super high on my list of things I love about this French the JavaPress. That all becomes null and void if the end result is just not up to par with my taste buds. Hence, I decided to have a head to head taste test. The participants: myself, and my coffee drinking novice wife. Both presses contained the same amount of water and coffee as well as prep and brew time. It became clear quite quickly that neither one of us could detect any taste difference. I had anticipated a slight taste difference due to the fact that the Stainless steel would probably taste more metallic. Whatever that may be? I’m not messing around here, but the taste was exactly the same throughout the taste test. The big bonus became evident quite quickly. As I poured myself a second cup half an hour later, the GSI Glacier Stainless Steel JavaPress was still nice and hot!
Final Thoughts on the Glacier Stainless Steel JavaPress
In my humble coffee snob opinion, using a French Press is one of the more pure and delicious ways to create that perfect cup of coffee. The not-quite boiling water (Boiling temperature is 211.9 degrees while the French Press wants to be @ 195-200 degrees) is in direct contact with the coffee grinds, and there are no filters, percolators, or added distractions. This creates the perfect smooth and pure caffeinated cup O’ Joy. The GSI Glacier Stainless JavaPress delivers on multiple fronts with a strong and durable build, an insulating double wall carafe, and a taste that is equal to its glass counterpart. Unless I run over this thing, I will be using the JavaPress for many years to come. For more info on this and other GSI products, visit www.rei.com/gsioutdoors or www.amazon.com/gsi.
