Bodum recalls 5.9 million French presses after 48 burn reports

Bodum USA is recalling about 5.9 million French press coffee makers after identifying 70 reports of glass carafes breaking during use, including 48 reports of burns. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission posted recall 27-055 on Thursday, October 29.

The affected products are 8-cup and 12-cup presses with replaceable glass carafes in the Bistro, Brazil, Caffettiera, Chambord, Crema, Java, Jesper and Kenya lines. CPSC says most have the Bodum name on the frame and inner lid, with the name and product warnings engraved on the glass. Owners should use the recall site for the additional model-identification photographs rather than assuming every Bodum coffee product is included.

The remedy is a spoon and warning label, not a refund

CPSC tells owners to stop using metal spoons or utensils to stir coffee in the glass carafe immediately. The agency says a metal utensil can damage the glass, and a damaged or cracked carafe can then break unexpectedly during use. Owners should also stop using any carafe that is cracked or damaged.

Bodum is offering a free plastic stirring spoon and warning label. The label repeats the directions not to use a cracked or damaged carafe and not to stir with metal. The remedy is classified as a repair; CPSC does not list a refund or replacement press. CBS News separately reported that a Bodum customer-service representative said refunds were not being offered.

The agency's instruction is narrower than a stop-use order for every intact press: stop using metal utensils immediately, retire damaged glass and obtain the kit. Owners who cannot confidently judge the carafe's condition can pause use while checking the official model photographs and instructions.

How to check a press and request the fix

The recall reaches far back because the covered presses were sold from 1974 through October 2026. CPSC lists Target, Walmart, Amazon, Bodum's website and coffee and home-goods stores among the sales channels. The agency says the products cost about $15 to $65 and were manufactured in Portugal and Thailand.

Consumers can request the kit at Bodum's recall site, call 888-879-8213 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday, or email Bodum3302@sedgwick.com. Because the product span is 52 years, a receipt is less useful than matching the size, model line and identifying marks shown by the recall administrator.

What the incident count does and does not show

The 70 reported breakages are a small share of 5.9 million recalled units, roughly 0.0012% when divided directly. The 48 burn reports equal about 69% of the reported breakages. Those calculations describe reports known to Bodum and CPSC; they are not an estimate of the true failure or injury rate because unreported incidents and differences in product age or condition are not measured.

Bodum said it issued the voluntary recall to reinforce warnings about cracked glass and metal spoons, and said future products will include the plastic spoon and extra warning label. The strongest consumer response is practical: identify the model, inspect the glass, stop using metal utensils and request the kit. Any new CPSC update changing the remedy, adding model details or reporting more injuries would be the next material evidence.

Sources: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall 27-055, Bodum's recall statement, and CBS News. Percentages are Chronicle arithmetic from CPSC's counts.