You can improve the quality of your coffee considerably by simply using fresh beans. It's easy to roast your own and I do so by using the drum/grill/rotisserie method.
The second way of improving your coffee is to ensure that the temperature of the water is at or near 200 degrees F. After that, simply go with which ever method you find the most convenient or "cool".
A low cost method to a great cup is the "Melita method" where you put the coffee in a filter in a holder over a cup and simply pour near boiling water over the top. Bring the water to a boil, then shut off the heat, wait until water stops boiling and then pour over the grounds in the filter. Doing it this way (like drip machines) prevents over extraction.
A real cool way of making coffee is using a vacuum brewer like a Yama or Bodum Santos. It's wicked fun and makes a great cup of coffee but requires a lot of clean up. Just like the Melita method, it makes coffee at the perfect temperature.
If you have a drip machine and you don't get great coffee from it, check the temperature. Find an instant read thermometer and check the water as it trickles into the basket. If your water temperature is low, then try cleaning the scale from the heating element using acetic acid or a coffee maker cleaner. If you can't get the temperature up to 190-200 degrees F, then you might want to buy a new coffee maker.
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You can improve the quality of your coffee considerably by simply using fresh beans. It's easy to roast your own and I do so by using the drum/grill/rotisserie method.
The second way of improving your coffee is to ensure that the temperature of the water is at or near 200 degrees F. After that, simply go with which ever method you find the most convenient or "cool".
A low cost method to a great cup is the "Melita method" where you put the coffee in a filter in a holder over a cup and simply pour near boiling water over the top. Bring the water to a boil, then shut off the heat, wait until water stops boiling and then pour over the grounds in the filter. Doing it this way (like drip machines) prevents over extraction.
A real cool way of making coffee is using a vacuum brewer like a Yama or Bodum Santos. It's wicked fun and makes a great cup of coffee but requires a lot of clean up. Just like the Melita method, it makes coffee at the perfect temperature.
If you have a drip machine and you don't get great coffee from it, check the temperature. Find an instant read thermometer and check the water as it trickles into the basket. If your water temperature is low, then try cleaning the scale from the heating element using acetic acid or a coffee maker cleaner. If you can't get the temperature up to 190-200 degrees F, then you might want to buy a new coffee maker.