Well built.  The brushed look might be more scratch-resistant than the polished one.  That's why I bought this.  No need to handle it "carefully" like the glass presses.  The reason for reducing 1-star is that when the plunger unit is pressed down, when the coffee pot is empty, it makes a "scratching" noise against the sides of the wall.  At first, I thought it was a defect.  I called Frieling customer care and they said it should not be that bothersome but asked me to let them know if it continues even when "full".  It is quite bearable for now. And the plunger pressing mechanism is quite tight (that explains the noise).  And be sure you only have it half to 3/4 full.  Otherwise, you might end up with hot geyser of coffee.  I just wish there was little to no noise and the plunger pressing operation is quite smooth.  Otherwise, it does what is supposed to do perfectly.