Okay, here's my response to xXBatmanXx's homework assignment from the forum
yesterday. A perfect cup of coffee is easy to accomplish. Start with clean,
filtered water and fresh (whole) beans roasted to taste. Grind the beans in
a burr grinder (not one of those cheapie blade choppers). The generally accepted
formula is a tablespoon of grounds per cup, but this is a matter of taste, as is
how coarsely you grind the coffee (I make incredibly strong coffee myself, so I
use a lot of French roast beans and a fine grind). Boil the water, and make
the coffee in a simple Melitta cone (give the water a couple of seconds to come
off the boil before pouring), which has all the functionality of a coffee maker
with none of the dirt, calcium, and bacteria traps. Transfer the outcome to a
thermal carafe, and it will be hot and fresh for several hours. Enjoy your
coffee.