It's our camping coffee maker, and it's perfect for that. Tried to use it otherwise and you're right, there are much better devices these days.
Why it’s great for camping: 1. Indestructible 2. Cheaply found at a garage sale (no worries if it gets lost in a pile of camping gear) 3. Takes up less volume than a French press 4. When camping, everything tastes better. Even “ok” coffee is a luxury
All this to say: a $500 device is a tough sell for camping