The Approach to Brewing a very good cup of coffee involves the following three simple steps.

Grind your beans immediately before use.

You need a different grind for different brewing methods. A drip brewer needs coffee ground to about the consistency of granulated sugar. A French Press needs a much coarser grind; espresso makers require a powder fine grind. Shake the grinder while grinding to get a uniform grind.

• Use good-tasting water!

If your local water has a pronounced taste, then that will be in your coffee too. In this case, use bottled or filtered water. Do NOT use distilled or softened water. Water with obvious chlorine odor will also affect the taste.

• How much coffee to use?

  
  

This depends on personal preference, but start with 1 heaping tablespoon of ground coffee to each 6 ounces of water, and then adjust for your taste.

• Separate your coffee from the grounds as soon as it is brewed (four minutes optimum, six minutes maximum). If using a French Press, serve immediately it is brewed or it may become bitter. If using a drip system, pour the coffee into a thermos serving jug; don't let it sit on a warming plate for long or it will start to lose flavor.