by Nigel Ong
French press is a popular way of brewing coffee since it is easy and simple. However, the issue is to get the French press that suits your style and needs – there are tons of French press makers out there to choose from.
I enjoy brewing with French presses and have tried many over the years. In the end, I settled with two, the Bodum Caffettiera and the IKEA Upphetta. I think they offer the best balance between value and performance.
However, how do you choose from one? In this post, I will try to compare the two. I list their characteristics and differences before sharing who should own which French press.
About The Bodum Caffettiera
Bodum is a Danish company focusing on making coffee and water carriers such as tumblers. Bodum is a brand synonymous with French presses, as they are one of the first companies that made French presses popular with coffee lovers.
Bodum offers a wide range of French presses, with the Caffettiera as the entry-level product. The Caffettiera is also labeled as the ‘World’s First French Press,’ and it was the French press that made Bodum popular.
The Caffettiera performs well and yet is not sold too expensively. To me, it represents a good balance between performance and value. Bodum also offers a 12-month warranty on the Caffettiera.
If you want to discover more about the French press, please check out my detailed review of the Bodum Caffettiera here.
About The IKEA Upphetta
IKEA needs no introduction. A Swedish furniture company, it also features a surprisingly complete range of coffee gadgets. It even offers its own coffee roasts too.
The IKEA Upphetta is similar to the Bodum Caffettiera in that it is probably the most affordable French press IKEA offers. IKEA kept the price low by mass-production and cutting some corners to save on material costs.
IKEA Upphetta may be an affordable French press, but it performs well. It still needs to live up to the IKEA brand it carries, and to me, the Upphetta does that very convincingly.
I have also shared my experience with the IKEA Upphetta in detail recently. Check out my detailed review of the IKEA Upphetta if you want to look at it.
Bodum Caffettiera vs IKEA Upphetta
| Aspects | Bodum Caffettiera | IKEA Upphetta |
| Brand Recognition | Known to many coffee lovers, less known outside | Known to many more people than Bodum |
| Choices | Customizable by three sizes, and wide range of colors | Customizable by size only. |
| Material | Borosilicate class, plastic, stainless steel with chrome plating | Heat-resistant glass, plastic, stainless steel |
| Aesthetics | Looks premium, with excellent functionality | Utilitarian, simplistic. Less premium finishing. |
| Performance | Filters very well after long use | Performance drops after long use |
| Brewing Experience | More premium | Less premium |
| Cleaning & Maintenance | Dishwasher safe, easy to clean, parts are easy to get. | Dishwasher safe, less easy to clean, parts may not be available. |
| Price | More expensive | More affordable |
Brand Recognition
You cannot lump Bodum and IKEA together on this front, just like you try to put Porsche and Toyota together.
Bodum can be considered the Porsche for French presses. The brand may not be known to everyone, but those who know it are deep into cars. You can say the same about Bodum. Not everyone knows about it, but those who know appreciate coffee.
IKEA is the other way around. I see them as the Toyota equivalent. Everybody knows who IKEA is and may buy their French press because they see its logo.
Customizations
| French Press | Sizes | Colors |
| Bodum Caffettiera | 3-cup (12 oz / 350ml)4-cup (17 oz / 500ml)8-cup (34 oz / 1 liter) | BlackDark RoastBelliniMattiseApple GreenBubble gumYolkAnd more |
| IKEA Upphetta | 400ml (13.5 oz)1 liter (34 oz) | Black |
Bodum Caffettiera wins here. It comes in more sizes and colors compared to the IKEA Upphetta. The Bodum Caffettiera comes in three sizes, while the Upphetta only comes in two size options.
If you are the type that gets excited by the release of new colorways, you will love Bodum more than IKEA. This is because Bodum Caffettiera comes in many colors.
The color changes appear on the lid and the handle. Some colors include dark brown, blue, purple, and more. The IKEA Upphetta only comes in one single color, black.
Materials
Both IKEA Upphetta and Bodum Caffettiera are made with high-quality materials. However, I would be inclined to say the Bodum Caffettiera uses more premium materials.
On the glass jar, Bodum clearly claims that it uses Borosilicate glass. Borosilicate glass is excellent at handling a lot of heat, which should make the Caffettiera safe.
IKEA, however, only claims to use heat-resistant glass. This could mean that IKEA uses lower quality but still heat-resistant glass, although I cannot be sure.
On the metals, both use stainless steel. However, with the Bodum, you can see that they use more steel in the French press, especially on the cradle.
With the IKEA Upphetta, the only steel parts are in the plunging mechanism and the thin steel ring around the glass jar for the handle.
Both French presses use plastics. The good thing is that both use high-quality plastics that do not feel like your cheap Chinese trinkets.
I notice that the IKEA press uses more plastics, especially on the cradle. The Caffettiera uses plastics too, but only on the lid and parts of the handle. The rest, including the cradle, are made of steel.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics looks at the design of the French presses. You may have very stark opinions about both French presses on this front.
The Bodum Caffettiera has a more premium design. The cradle is made with chrome-plated steel, giving it a premium look. The cradle is also designed to be functional; it protects the glass jar while at the same time serving as the feet for the entire French press.
The lid is designed to be rounded, which reduces sharp lines. This gives the entire French press an inviting effect. It also makes the French press easier to clean.
With the IKEA Upphetta, the word would be utilitarian. There are some designs in the press, but I cannot help but get the vibe that it is designed to be durable and long-lasting. The feet and cradle are plastic, while the lid and handle are also plastic.
As a result, if you like premium, well-designed things, you’ll like Bodum. If you like things simple and utilitarian, the Upphetta will be your choice.
Brewing Experience
I have used both French presses for some time and enjoy brewing coffee with both of them. However, I slightly prefer brewing with the Bodum Caffettiera for several reasons.
I found it easier to plunge with the Caffettiera than the Uppetta. The reason? The plunger knob. The Caffettiera plunger knob is rounded, which allows me to grab it better.
The Upphetta are round but flat like a coin. This makes it a little harder to plunge since you cannot get a good grip with your fingers. I found myself using my palm to push the plunger instead, which felt a bit overkill.
On top of that, there is something about brewing with the Bodum Caffettiera. Perhaps it’s the premium experience as if I am treating the high-quality coffee beans like good justice by using a premium French press.
I might be nitpicking, but I enjoy brewing with the Caffettiera more. I turn to the Upphetta when I need to brew a large batch of coffee since my Upphetta is the large, 1-liter press.
Performance
Early on, you may not notice much difference between the French presses. They both perform superbly, separating the coffee grounds from the coffee well.
However, after some time, I notice that the Upphetta starts to drop in performance. I see more coffee grinds on the edges of the wire mesh, which means the spring plate may not be doing its job as well as it used to.
This means finer coffee friends may have escaped into the coffee itself, resulting in residue. I test brewed coffee from the same batches together and end up with different sediment levels at the bottom of the cups.
This leakage issue is less noticeable in my Caffettiera, maybe because the spring plate has additional spring rounds. This ensures better long-term performance.
Cleaning & Maintenance
I would say Bodum Caffettiera edges out the IKEA Upphetta convincingly regarding cleaning and maintenance.
Both are dishwasher safe as a start. However, from this point onwards, Bodum simply delivers more.
The Caffettiera has a rounded design on many of its parts. This helps in cleaning, as the rounded edges do not trap much coffee oils and stains. The Upphetta has more, and I do find myself needing to use a brush to clean my Upphetta, especially under the lid.
However, the pain on the IKEA Upphetta is to clean the glass jar. This is because the handle is secured to the glass jar using a thin metal belt that wraps around the glass jar. To really clean the glass jar, you need to disassemble the handle using a screwdriver.
The glass jar of the Caffettiera also does not yellow much, despite long, frequent use. However, I do notice some yellowing on the glass jar of my IKEA Upphetta.
These could be coffee oil or stains on the glass surface. The good thing is that I easily cleaned them with some baking soda.
With the Bodum Caffettiera, you can also shop for parts. Suppose you dropped your French press and broke the jar. You can just order a replacement jar from Bodum’s website. With the Upphetta, however, if you break it, you have to buy the whole press again.
Price
Looking at the characteristics above, you can tell which French Press will be more expensive. The Bodum Caffettiera is slightly more expensive than the IKEA Upphetta.
However, you do get more for the additional spending. You get a more premium French press that delivers a better brewing and ownership experience.
Which French Press Should You Get?
If you are to ask me which French press to get, my answer will be that it depends on your preference. People value different things, so your decision will likely fall on this.
Suppose you are the type that appreciates fine workmanship and appreciates doing things properly with good tools. In this case, you should be better off with the Bodum Caffettiera.
You may pay more but get the best balance of value, aesthetics, and performance. You will also have less headache, and your French press will last longer.
However, if you couldn’t care less about aesthetics and just want a French press that works. In this case, the IKEA Upphetta is your best bet. It is affordable and works well, and the plastic parts make it durable.
You can even treat the Upphetta like a banger. Use it, abuse it, and if it breaks, you can always grab a new one at your nearby IKEA store.
I started with the IKEA Upphetta before wanting a more premium French press. Then I went ahead and picked up the Caffettiera. You can also approach things this way. Start with the Upphetta, and upgrade to the Caffettiera later.