34 ms·

Call me paranoid but I refuse to drink hot liquids out of plastic containers of any kind. A glass french press is the way to go.

by guelo 12y ago

14113 12y ago
As someone who owns (and regularly uses) an aeropress, may I ask why? Simply out of of curiosity, not out of disagreement.
- misframer 12y ago
  I think it's because it is possible for materials in certain plastics to break down in the presence of heat.
- guelo 12y ago
  Leaching chemicals. Here's an article I found after a quick google search, http://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/04/bpa-free-does-not-mean-safe-most-plastics-leach-hormone-disrupting-chemicals/ http://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/04/bpa-free-does-not-mean-... It doesn't mention heat, but I presume leaching increases with heat.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
- nyolfen 12y ago
  long story short, transparent plastic containers tend to imbue their contents with a chemical called bisphenol-a (aka bpa), which is a compound similar to estrogen which may impact human physiology in a wide array of ways[0], or chemicals that are structurally related that aren't well studied but could be similarly damaging[1]. this applies to all transparent plastics and isn't specific to aeropresses [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A#Health_effects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A#Health_effects [1] http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/tritan-certichem-eastman-bpa-free-plastic-safe http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/tritan-certic...
  - cdingo 12y ago
    The Aeropress has been BPA free for years now. http://www.aeropress.ca/faq/ http://www.aeropress.ca/faq/
    - perrylaj 12y ago
      That may be true, but unfortunately research is showing plasticizers of many varieties (including those used in "BPA Free" plastics), are endocrine disruptors. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016648014004225 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016648014...
      - Someone1234 12y ago
        Here's another article about it (same content, but easier to digest): http://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/04/bpa-free-does-not-mean-safe-most-plastics-leach-hormone-disrupting-chemicals/ http://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/04/bpa-free-does-not-mean-... TL;DR: Just because plastic is BPA free, doesn't mean it is safe or even better.
esaym 12y ago
Strangely, I heard somewhere recently that french press coffee has toxins in it that would normally be filtered out by the paper filter...
- BrainInAJar 12y ago
  that'd be the cholesterol, and there's not a good link between it and blood cholesterol
  - jmhain 12y ago
    No, it's Cafestol, which unlike dietary cholesterol does substantially increase serum cholesterol. Whether it's the harmful kind (LDL pattern B), I've been unable to figure out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafestol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafestol
- michaelbuddy 12y ago
  seems like responses here were assuming you meant the french press somehow had chemicals, but you're saying that the coffee beans have substances that maybe a filtration system removing from the coffee makes it better? Can you source that, because people have been drinking coffee a long time and I don't think that's a concern. After all, coffee is a plant material harvested then burned grinded up and suspended in water. Like most plants it probably contains substances, which in great quantities could kill humans, but if it were toxic we'd know by now. Plus the fact that you can buy chocolate covered espresso beans, where you consume the bean entirely. That would surely be the most toxic no? Never seen a warning on those.
ams6110 12y ago
I think it's a losing battle. The water in your kitchen tap has likely traveled through miles of PVC piping.
- Someone1234 12y ago
  Cold PVC pipe, not hot (slower leakage). Plus the leakage has diminishing returns (it cannot leak the same amount forever, it is physically impossible).

Call me paranoid but I refuse to drink hot liquids out of plastic containers of any kind. A glass french press is the way to go.

by guelo 12y ago

Call me paranoid but I refuse to drink hot liquids out of plastic containers of any kind. A glass french press is the way to go.

14113 12y ago

As someone who owns (and regularly uses) an aeropress, may I ask why? Simply out of of curiosity, not out of disagreement.

misframer 12y ago
I think it's because it is possible for materials in certain plastics to break down in the presence of heat.
guelo 12y ago
Leaching chemicals. Here's an article I found after a quick google search, http://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/04/bpa-free-does-not-mean-safe-most-plastics-leach-hormone-disrupting-chemicals/ http://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/04/bpa-free-does-not-mean-... It doesn't mention heat, but I presume leaching increases with heat.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
nyolfen 12y ago
long story short, transparent plastic containers tend to imbue their contents with a chemical called bisphenol-a (aka bpa), which is a compound similar to estrogen which may impact human physiology in a wide array of ways[0], or chemicals that are structurally related that aren't well studied but could be similarly damaging[1]. this applies to all transparent plastics and isn't specific to aeropresses [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A#Health_effects https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A#Health_effects [1] http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/tritan-certichem-eastman-bpa-free-plastic-safe http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/tritan-certic...
- cdingo 12y ago
  The Aeropress has been BPA free for years now. http://www.aeropress.ca/faq/ http://www.aeropress.ca/faq/
  - perrylaj 12y ago
    That may be true, but unfortunately research is showing plasticizers of many varieties (including those used in "BPA Free" plastics), are endocrine disruptors. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016648014004225 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016648014...
    - Someone1234 12y ago
      Here's another article about it (same content, but easier to digest): http://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/04/bpa-free-does-not-mean-safe-most-plastics-leach-hormone-disrupting-chemicals/ http://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/04/bpa-free-does-not-mean-... TL;DR: Just because plastic is BPA free, doesn't mean it is safe or even better.

esaym 12y ago

Strangely, I heard somewhere recently that french press coffee has toxins in it that would normally be filtered out by the paper filter...

BrainInAJar 12y ago
that'd be the cholesterol, and there's not a good link between it and blood cholesterol
- jmhain 12y ago
  No, it's Cafestol, which unlike dietary cholesterol does substantially increase serum cholesterol. Whether it's the harmful kind (LDL pattern B), I've been unable to figure out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafestol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cafestol
michaelbuddy 12y ago
seems like responses here were assuming you meant the french press somehow had chemicals, but you're saying that the coffee beans have substances that maybe a filtration system removing from the coffee makes it better? Can you source that, because people have been drinking coffee a long time and I don't think that's a concern. After all, coffee is a plant material harvested then burned grinded up and suspended in water. Like most plants it probably contains substances, which in great quantities could kill humans, but if it were toxic we'd know by now. Plus the fact that you can buy chocolate covered espresso beans, where you consume the bean entirely. That would surely be the most toxic no? Never seen a warning on those.

ams6110 12y ago

I think it's a losing battle. The water in your kitchen tap has likely traveled through miles of PVC piping.

Someone1234 12y ago
Cold PVC pipe, not hot (slower leakage). Plus the leakage has diminishing returns (it cannot leak the same amount forever, it is physically impossible).