1. It's quicker, taking the time it takes to boil a mug's worth of water plus 30 seconds stirring and plunging. It can make four espressos in one batch. It's really not a faff if you know how easy it is to make coffee using this thing.
2. You can make espressos, lattes, mochas etc. with it, unlike a filter machine.
3. Some people prefer Americanos to filter coffee.
4. A £28 filter machine is likely to be a poor one.
Are the main reasons.
I have tried them all, or almost them all
A French press (cafeteria)
A stove top kettle
An Aeropress
A plastic filter over mug thing
A espresso machine
A hand burr grinder
A electric blade grinder
A electric burr grinder
I even contemplated doing a cold brew one time an done of those things that looks like a chemistry set.
I think the coffee from the Aeropress comes out is okay, but I don't think its as nice tasting as a stove top. Actually, if anyone who wants a free Aeropress with 100 spare filters (unopened in a bag) feel free to drop me a trust message. I have not used it in 4 years. I have it somewhere in the kitchen still.
Things I dislike about the Aeropress:
1 – It starts dripping the moment the water goes in, that part isn't espresso, that's just filter coffee. If you turn it upside down first and putting the filter on last then there is a risk of it becoming loose and coffee everywhere when you flip it over and press. It happened to me a couple of times. And risk of the filter not sit in perfect which means coffee grind in your drink.
2 – It can only make 1 cup at a time. (it's not really 4 espressos as you are not doing to put it between 4 espresso cups and move it along a quarter press each time) Nor are you going to take a sip from a mug and pass it to a friend. Plus, its too big to fit over an espresso cup. Not to mention the coffee is not compacted to begin with.
3 - What it makes sits between espresso and filter coffee, its neither. The "espresso" that the Aeropress makes are not like a real one I can make.
4 – The press doesn't fit under the grinder which means unlike the portafilter where I can put it under the grinder for the dispense of coffee grind, I need another thing to catch the grind and pour into the Aeropress. That's faff.
At the end of the day, if you want real espresso, you need an espresso machine, that's what it really comes down to. Yes, a decent machine costs 10 times more and I wouldn't necerricaly say it tastes 10 times better but I would say that if you want real espresso and think you can get it with an Aeropress, you are going to be disappointed.