To brew a proper cup of coffee, make sure your equipment is extremely clean. This is vital, to avoid bitterness. The water should be heated to 95-98 degrees centigrade. Lower temperatures will result in flavorless coffee, and higher will increase the acidity and bitterness. If you are really a connosieur, you should either roast your own, or buy freshly roasted and grind it just before brewing. Interestingly, the quality of the bean itself is a distinctly subordinate concern to the factors mentioned above. Lastly, use filtered water. Don't screw up a good cup with bad tap water.

Most people don't really appreciate a good cup, though. I must confess, I am much more discerning with tea than I am with coffee.


Addendum November 15, 2005. I have now developed something of a coffee fixation. I got a Turkish mill to grind the coffee and an inexpensive pump espresso machine. I'm getting an inexpensive cast iron pot to do my own roasting. My wife is going to hate me. If I weren't a family man, I'd probably plunk a grand or two into a good burr grinder and an imported, levered espresso machine which has better temperature control than the one I have. That may be in my future, at least the machine. I think the grinder I have will be sufficient for one person. I finally have something which can legitimately be called a hobby, I guess.