That 30 second wait is a good start, but the ideal water temp for French press is actually around 200 degrees. A full boil is 212. I use a cheap kitchen thermometer and wait for it to hit 200, which is usually more like 45 seconds to a minute off the boil. That extra 15 seconds makes a real difference in cutting the bitter edge without losing flavor.
You're right about the temp, but a thermometer is overkill. Just wait a full minute off boil and you're golden. Works every time without the extra gear.
Oh man, I was totally in the "just wait a minute" camp before. But I tried the thermometer thing last week and you're right, that small temp drop really does smooth things out. My last batch had zero bitterness, just clean flavor. Guess I'm buying a cheap thermometer.