Bodum USA is recalling about 5.9 million French press coffee makers, nearly 6 million units sold since 1974, because the glass carafe can break unexpectedly during use. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall on Oct. 29, 2026, and it covers eight models with replaceable 8-cup and 12-cup glass carafes.
The fix is not a refund. Owners are being told to stop stirring coffee in the carafe with metal spoons and to request a free plastic stirring spoon and a warning label from Bodum. For a kitchen staple that has sat on counters for decades, the check takes a minute and the remedy costs nothing.
Which French Presses Are Included
According to the CPSC recall notice, the recall covers 8-cup and 12-cup French press coffee makers with replaceable glass carafes in the Bistro, Brazil, Caffettiera, Chambord, Crema, Java, Jesper and Kenya models. The recall number is 27-055.
The Bodum name appears on the frame and inner lid of most models, and it is engraved on the glass carafes along with product warnings, the CPSC says. The agency points owners to Bodum’s recall website for photos and model details.
Those eight names cover the presses most coffee drinkers picture when they hear the word. The Chambord, with its domed lid and metal frame, is one of the most recognizable French press designs, and it belongs on any list of kitchen appliances that changed how American families cooked at home.
How Long They Were Sold, and Where
The presses were sold at Target, Walmart, and coffee and home goods stores nationwide, and online at Bodum.com, Amazon.com, Target.com, Walmart.com and other retailers, from 1974 through October 2026, according to the CPSC. Prices ran from about $15 to $65.
TODAY reported on the recall Oct. 29, noting that the affected models had been on the market since 1974. That long sales window means the recall reaches presses bought last month and presses that have been in the cupboard for decades, including thrift-store and hand-me-down finds. French presses tend to stay put for years, tucked next to the flour canister and the other kitchen staples grandmothers kept within arm’s reach.
Small appliances with glass parts are a category where buying secondhand has trade-offs, a point made in this rundown of home appliances that are worth buying new. A secondhand Bodum press is still covered by this recall’s remedy, since the instructions apply to the product rather than the original buyer.
According to Wikipedia’s entry on Bodum, the company was founded in Copenhagen in 1944 by Peter Bodum and is now based in Triengen, Switzerland. Its Chambord design traces to the Melior coffee pot, and Bodum bought the rights to it in 1983.
What Went Wrong With the Carafes
The CPSC says the carafe can unexpectedly break during use if the glass is damaged or cracked, and that using a metal spoon to stir coffee in the carafe can cause breakage. Bodum has received 70 reports of carafes breaking during use, including 48 reports of burns, the notice says.
A French press works by steeping coarse coffee grounds in hot water and then pushing a mesh filter down through the carafe, according to the Wikipedia entry on the French press. Stirring the grounds after pouring the water is a common step, and a metal spoon knocking against hot glass is the habit the recall targets. On a crowded counter, the small kitchen ideas that keep glassware back from the edge also make a knocked or chipped carafe less likely.
Owners weighing other ways to brew for a crowd this season can compare the single-serve and drip approach in this look at single-cup versus full-pot coffee makers, though nothing in the recall requires anyone to stop using a press that is in good condition.
What Owners Should Do Now
The CPSC lists the remedy as a repair. Owners should immediately stop using metal spoons or utensils to stir coffee in the carafe and contact Bodum to receive a plastic Bodum stirring spoon and a warning label. The label advises against using cracked or damaged carafes and against using metal spoons in the carafe.
Bodum USA can be reached at 888-879-8213 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, or by email at [email protected]. The company also takes requests online at its French press recall website and at Bodum.com under “Recall Information,” the CPSC says.
The notice also says not to use a carafe that is cracked or damaged. Glass with a chip or a hairline crack falls under that warning.
A Quick Counter Check
The check is simple. Owners can look for the Bodum name on the frame, the lid or the glass, confirm the size is 8 cups or 12 cups, and inspect the carafe under good light. If it matches one of the eight models, the next step is the free spoon and label from Bodum.
Households with more than one press, or a spare carafe in the cupboard, can check each piece of glass the same way. The CPSC notice ties the problem to damaged or cracked glass and to metal utensils, so the inspection matters more than the age of the press. Anyone unsure whether a model is covered can compare it with the photos on the recall website or call the company line.
The presses were manufactured in Portugal and Thailand and imported by Bodum USA, Inc., of New York, according to the CPSC. With nearly 6 million units covered and sales stretching back to 1974, the remedy keeps the presses in service: a plastic spoon, a warning label, and no use of a carafe that is cracked or damaged.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Corn cheese – CC0/Wikimedia Commons
