Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Several years ago I bought this--the copolyester, BPA-free version--as a travel espresso maker. Despite the name and claims, it does not make real espresso. Period. Bit that is not the reason for this review. I have since started drinking coffee in the winter, and I enjoy using this to make "filtered French press" coffee. The resulting coffee is milder and mellowed, but I have enjoyed using lighter roasted, brighter coffee beans. So why my poor rating? The other day I took a closer look at the coffee-stained brewing chamber and realized that it was as rough as 30-grit sandpaper. Under a magnifying glass, I could see large crevices in the plastic brewing chamber. The plastic has been slowly disintegrating. Into my coffee. So what is this "copolyster" that I have been drinking in my coffee? A quick online education reveals that "by introducing diacids or other diols to the polyester polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the material becomes a copolyester." The manufacturer of the AeroPress doesn't say much about the material other than claiming it won't leach phthalates. But polyesters ARE phthalates. Further, a literature review in 2009 published in Environmental Health Perspectives by Leonard Sax ("Polyethylene Terephthalate May Yield Endocrine Disruptors") revealed massive leaching of phthalates from PETs in hot environments (above 70 degrees C), particularly with acidic substances. Well, my coffee is well above 70C, and everyone's coffee is acidic. So I am left to conclude that I have likely been mega-dosing myself with endocrine-disrupting phthalates every morning for the past couple years! Do yourself a favor and brew in glass, stainless steel, porcelain, or similar material known to be inert at high temperatures!