I am more pleased with my new French Press than I thought I would be. After reading several reviews about how hard it is to push the plunger down I was apprehensive, but have had no trouble at all. It is stiffer than other presses, but then there are two filtering screens. One mesh is tighter than the other giving better filtering so there is no sediment in my cup whatsoever. If you leave it to steep long enough and press the plunger evenly and patiently, it's plenty easy to press without liquid spewing from the spout. I love the construction and the fact that it's easy to clean, keeps the coffee hot and I can't break it. Most definitely worth the cost.