Originally Posted by Mister Moo

That's just like the one Mrs. Moo put in the microwave and dissolved the plastic handle. That metal ring was the perfect "fill to here" thingie for me. Loved that 4-cup... had it longer than I've had Mrs. Moo. I would never put HER in the microwave. I am still trying to get over that melted pot...

Darbs - the general rule for a starting point with presses is a tablespoon med/coarse grounds per four ounces of water in the pot. I have found that really good coffee works at 1T per four ounces and less-good coffee seems to work better with more water, around 1T to five-six ounces. An "8-cup" Bodum, assumed to be six-ounces per cup, has a 48 ounce capacity. That means 12 gently rounded tablespoons of coffee for me. A press does not have to be filled to capacity to perform correctly, therefore, a larger press is often a good idea - you can buy an eight-cup pot but only fill it halfway if you want. For the mathematically challenged this means you cannot buy a four-cup pot and brew eight cups in a single pour. Well, you can, but the countertop is going to be very wet.

Water temp is the critical thing 'cause the brew range that makes it all worthwhile if 195* - 205*f. I take a thin-walled stainless steel kettleful of water to just boiling (212*f) and then remove the heat; the thermocouple sez it reduces to 205* in 15 seconds and is nearing 195* in 30-seconds. So, I quick-count to "15-ethiopian yirgacheffe", pour, stir, pour to the top and set the timer for four minutes; beepbeepbeep; press. Every pot perfect. YMMV.