Bought this in 2008 and am still using it in 2023. It’s compact, durable and has produced great coffee for me, nearly everyday, for the last 15 years. All you need is a kettle and good coffee beans. Add coffee, pour hot water, wait 1 minute then press the plunger to get your morning brew.
Not to mention you get fine particulate with a French press compared to aeropress. There are better ways to make coffee out there, but I don’t think there’s better value for money/time than an aeropress.
Call me weird, but I’ve done somewhat ok attempting to avoid the oils/fines with a French press by basically putting a paper towel over the glass before putting the plunger thing back into it. So the paper towel wraps around the metal mesh, not only adding its filtering to the mesh but also improving the seal it makes against the side of the glass. It does mean that I have to press it down more slowly before pouring, but that’s just because it’s doing its job so I don’t mind. It also means that the mesh/plunger bit requires less cleaning afterward.