Bodum ASSAM Tea Press, Permanent Filter, Glass Handle, 1.5 L/51 oz) - Shiny, Stainless Steel

I was reasonably pleased with this when it first arrived but it soon became apparent that it needed to be filled sufficiently high to cover the diffuser or the tea would be too weak for my taste. I like to have two cups from one teabag but for it to work with this I’d need to use two bags and put too much water in.We sometimes do a brew for two with a Ringtons bag and an Earl Grey bag and on these occasions it’s ok.Care is needed when washing it as the diffuser has a really sharp rim as I found to my cost recently. Whilst running the sponge round the inside of the diffuser I gashed my index finger on the sharp edge.I was beginning to lose patience with this teapot when the plunger (which from the day we’d got it was very flimsy and never very effective) dropped to the floor and snapped - see photo. I tried superglue but that was ineffective so I’m pretty much left with a glass goldfish bowl to drink my tea out of. Steer clear. Promised much but delivered little, sadly. Will be going back to a normal old style pot ASAP.

admittedly I have not used it as yet but was instantly surprised on opening the box how flimsy and poorly finished it is.The design seems flawed too. They have designed a rather ugly and smelly black rubber seal that seals around the top but I'm not sure why, it looks disgusting and I don't really want it near my tea. It seems as though it would prevent boiling water from hitting the glass directly if anything which makes me nervous. They do mention repeatedly to be careful of hot fluids at every opportunity.The steel parts are very thin and have rough unfinished edges. The metal diffuser filter is thin stainless steel but the badly chromed top looks really cheap and will probably do rusty. The glass does not state it has any special qualities to stop it breaking with boiling water and is very thin. The black top parts are cheap looking plastic. The mesh looks too big for a black tea too.So no, I have not used it but I'm not excited to either. Last thing I want is not to be able to trust a glass container full of freshly boiled water in my hand.

My main complaint about this pot is simply the shape and the little opening tip. Because of the shape and that tiny tip almost all of the time, the first few drops of tea always hit the pot and not the mug first. You can't go further down - closer to the mug - because of the shape of the pot. So naturally you fill the mugs from further up but the tea hits the pot's massive belly first before the tea gets momentum and actually goes into the mug. That's a bit a silly design.Secondly, the glass feels flimsy. Our kitchen is granite-style. So if you put the tea pot down, we're afraid it will break when put down and we now try to put some cork or any other softer material under it first. Same with the handle. It seems stable but feels flimsy. Shame, has potential but the flaws are in the (rather important) detail.

I thought this would be good quality considering the price, but it really is cheapo Chinese rubbish. The plastic plunger rolled off the side of the worktop onto Lino and plunger head broke off, it was brand new! Such cheap thin plastic, you don’t expect from something so light to break on its first know - £17 to replace, really??!? Filter basket extremely hard to insert to jug, it feels like glass is about to break, lots of messing around to get it in. The diffusion cradle is too small for proper brew. Hard to clean, heightened anxiety when handling it, it feels so fragile in every way. Another kitchen item consigned to the ‘use once in a blue moon’ shelf.

This only works if you make minimum 16oz of tea because of the way the sieve is designed. One cup isn’t enough to cover the tea so it doesn’t brew. It’s a small pot with a delicate glass handle. I fear if I fill it up that handle won’t support the weight of the pot. The other super irritating thing is that the lid only works with the sieve in place. So unless you pull it out, dump the tea then replace you can’t put the lid on the teapot. So dumb! Really awful design. I wouldn’t recommend.

This could be a great product however the silicone seal has split on both of my teapots (I bought two sizes). It seems the edge on the stainless steel filters is quite sharp and after a few months of handling starts splitting before eventually coming away completely.This happened before 1 year had elapsed so I contacted Bodum customer services. They explained that they see this as a "consumable part" and provided links to where I can purchase them on their website. Sounds OK except it costs £12 with delivery which is half the cost of a new teapot.I find it ironic that the stainless steel filter is marketed as permanent yet it erodes the silicone ring.

This was my third Bodum teapot. It stands out as being stronger and more durable than the smaller pots I previously had.Heat-resistant glass suffers from thermal stress when filled with boiling water. Although the glass is designed to withstand this, nevertheless it does warp a fraction when rapidly heated. My two smaller Bodum pots broke spontaneously after about 18 months' of daily use. They just suddenly fell apart while being filled.The 1.5L version, this one, is made of noticeably thicker glass which is better able to withstand repeated thermal stress. I have used mine for two years' now - say 2,000-odd brews - and am confident it will keep going indefinitely.All that said, the design is excellent and it makes lovely, fresh, tea. The large size isn't an inconvenience - filling it less than a third full?: then give it a swish around while brewing and after pressing the plunger. The press separates the tea from the brew very well and keeps the tea from becoming bitter.Tip: to help prevent accidental damage to the glass, e.g. chipping from a knock when not in use, I keep mine in a wooden bowl. I have also stuck transparent strips of protective laminate around the pot. This further reduces the chance of accidental chipping if it is knocked against something hard.Lastly, the pot's low mass means that pre-warming is unnecessary. A minor detail, but helpful for a tea addict like me.