For the AeroPress, water at 80 to 90 degrees Celsius (175 to 195 Fahrenheit) gives the cleanest, most balanced cup. This is significantly cooler than what works for pour-over or French press.
Why cooler works
The AeroPress extracts efficiently because of its short brew time and the pressure applied during plunging. Hotter water in this setup pulls out bitterness and astringency before the sweet compounds have time to balance them. A lower temperature lets the brew time stretch without crossing into harsh territory.
Temperature by roast level
Lighter roasts: 88 to 92 degrees Celsius. They are denser and benefit from a touch more heat to extract well.
Medium roasts: 84 to 88 degrees Celsius. The middle of the road.
Darker roasts: 78 to 84 degrees Celsius. The roast already brings out heavy compounds; cooler water keeps the cup smooth.
How to hit your target
If your kettle is a basic boil-only model, boil the water and let it sit off heat for 60 to 90 seconds before pouring. That brings the temperature down from 100 to roughly 90 degrees. For finer control, a variable temperature kettle is one of the better small upgrades for an AeroPress drinker.
Inverted vs standard method
Both work with these temperatures. The inverted method (where you flip the AeroPress upside down to brew, then flip and plunge) gives you more control over steep time, which makes lower temperatures even more forgiving. Many AeroPress drinkers settle on inverted for that reason.