The Aeropress is one of the best methods I know, and I concede that it makes a slightly better tasting cup than what I describe, because the coffee is boiled for a short while. (Same goes for Turkish method.)

The downside for me is that it requires hardware I don't have already and is difficult to travel with. Metal pots and glass/ceramic bowls are available in most kitchens.

I've traveled all over the world with the Aeropress - Boston, NY, Iceland, Shanghai, Japan, Melbourne. My Porlex mini fits perfectly inside the plunger and all told it takes up less space then a rolled up shirt. I'm not entirely sure how it could be any easier to travel with.

I brew without equipment: leave the grounds in the mug. This is the easiest possible method to travel with :-)

I like your method better because the Aeropress is plastic. Plastic+boiling water is an absolute no-go for me. "BPA free" is marketing bullshit from the plastic industry, it absolutely will leech into the water.

I wonder if an equivalent to the AeroPress could be made out of metal or glass or ceramic. I'd pay for that. I'd pay a lot for that.

It seems crazy that the best coffee maker in the world is only available in plastic.

Same here, the concept is great, ease of use and results are great, but the plastic construction - at least for home and office use - not so much.

I agree. Over the years I have tried most methods and acquired equipment, currently settling on V60 when I have time and instant coffee when in hurry, but have always hesitated to get Aeropress due to the plastic.

As you said, boiling water in plastic just doesn't work for me.

On a more snobby note, the thing that surprised me was how easy it is to roast coffee using a popcorn maker. I got the coffee sampler and popcorn maker and it was off the charts good. Absolutely fresh coffee, with the added advantage of sometimes just eating a few coffee beans after roasting :)

how much BPA can leech from constant usage of aeropress? are we talking about miniscule amounts here?

They don't have BPA, that's the marketing and it is true. But that doesn't mean that other estrogenic chemicals are not leaching, or that the non-estrogenic chemicals that leach are safe to ingest everyday for a lifetime.

Right, the rubber gasket worries me with the boiling water. I also had to stop using sous vide machine because silicone bags leech chemicals above a certain temp. I was mortified when my friends mentioned they use ziploc bags in the Sous vide baths.

"Miniscule amounts" is a very confusing term in situations where even one part per million or billion matters and has a negative effect.

Correction: I misunderstood what was meant by "Aeropress", I thought it was another term for a "Moka pot".

I don't like the Aeropress because it's plastic, requires cleaning of separate parts, and requires purchasing a new product, which as much negative karmic weight.

I find the aeropress to be especially good for traveling, since i cant take my V60 with me on planes.

Wait, what? Which model V60?

Sorry, i meant in combination wuth a kettle etc. Of course.

Correction: I misunderstood what was meant by "Aeropress", I thought it was another term for a "Moka pot".

I don't like the Aeropress because it's plastic, requires cleaning of separate parts, and requires purchasing a new product, which as much negative karmic weight.

For those using Aeropress, are you using boiling water? I use 165 degree water...just curious.

They recommend 80°C / 175°F: https://aeropress.com/use-it-now/getting-started/#steps

I believe the water should be just below boiling. I tested it with a thermometer and it seems to settle at the right temperature in a few seconds after boiling, if I open the electric kettle and let it vent.

Almost boiling, up to the point where the kettle really starts to make noise and bubbles are forming.

I just eyeball it honestly. You'll know when you poured the water too hot from the bitter taste :)

I think it depends on beans (dark roast is fine with lower temperatures), but I go with ~99ºC water.