By: Susan Sperling

  Coffee connoisseurs claim that they make the best cup of coffee, but plunge-pot coffeemakers should be used with caution. Some time ago, I was attempting to make myself a nice, hot cup of coffee in a standard plunge-pot. After letting the grinds stew for a few minutes, I plunged. Hard. Too hard, it turns out.
  The boiling hot coffee came rushing out of the pot and spilled onto my face and hands, causing second degree burns. I drove myself to the hospital, although I remain unsure to this day how I got there, as my glasses were completely covered in coffee grinds when they were returned to me by the nurse on duty.
  Now, my friends and family will rush to tell you that I'm not always the most, how shall I put this, graceful person in the world, but I maintain that this was not simply a case of the usual Sperling clumsiness. It is important to use caution when making coffee in a plunge-pot, and follow the directions provided by the manufacturer. Bodum, one of the best-known plunge-pot manufacturers, warns of the dangers on its website www.bodum.com: Excessive plunging force can cause scalding liquid to shoot out of the pot. Do not plunge with force.
  As I learned the hard way, this is a warning worth heeding.