Aerobie Coffee MakerI grew up Methodist which means that I really have no vices that anyone admires. To overcompensate so I can fit in with those that have interesting vices, I tend to be elitist about coffee and hope no one really notices. One thing that has really helped me with this is the Aerobie Coffee Maker. Yes, the same Aerobie that makes those flying disks that when you miss them go for another hundred yards. They also make an amazing coffee maker.
I am not a coffeetologist but even I know, you want the flavor from the coffee but none of the bitterness (although at work, the people I work with seem to feel the opposite is true). I am told that in your average pot of coffee, there are compounds such as chlorogenic acids, trigonelline, furfuryl alcohol, and even caffeine itself which lend bitter flavors to a pot of fresh coffee. Aerobie set out to solve this. Rumors are that the first coffee maker they made just went a really long distance and make a mess of the house and yard. Later incarnations made better coffee and less mess (but don't travel as far when you throw it).
According to several coffee/nerd sites, the coffee is better because of the lower temperature and short brew time which means that the the acid level of the brew is much lower than conventional brewers. According to coffee nerds who have actually tested it, lab pH testing measured the Aeropress' brew acid as less than one fifth that of regular drip brew.
As for French Press, people see some similarities as both use total immersion and pressure. But the similarities end there. The filter in the French Press is at the top of the mixture. Because coffee floats, the floating grounds clog the filter and makes pressing and cleaning very difficult. Users are instructed to use only coarse ground coffee. But this reduces the amount of flavor that can be extracted from the coffee and necessitates long steeping times which extract bitterness.
Here is the Aeropress in action
You can find them for around $25 all over the interweb. While you are it, get yourself some Luwak coffee to have along with it.