The temp thing is a small piece of the puzzle. French press works fine at 92°C too, it's not fussy about heat like pour over is. But the real difference is the metal mesh filter. It lets fines and oils through, that's where the muddy texture comes from. Your $12 Bodum probably has a coarse mesh, so you're getting more sludge than a pricier one with a finer screen. That can make it taste bitter and heavy, not smooth. Pour over with paper filters strips almost everything out, so you taste the coffee's clean notes. If you want French press body without the grit, try a paper filter hack or a finer mesh upgrade before you give up on it entirely.

Your grandma tossing taco seasoning into spam actually sounds kinda genius though.

My 4 year old built a castle out of boxes last month and we skipped tape for the "authentic" look too. It collapsed before I even finished making lunch. The kid cried for an hour and I had to rebuild the whole thing with packing tape just to salvage the day. Pure friction only works if your cardboard is perfectly flat and dry, which never happens with a 6 year old. Tape every single corner and the middle seams too. The authenticity police can go build their own fort.