by Ken Locke

Created on: January 29, 2009   Last Updated: January 30, 2009

I want coffee that reminds me of crisp mountain air, or a terry cloth hotel robe, or the bistro table on the beach-side patio. It takes a small amount of extra work to achieve that, but holding that steaming mug of java is priceless.

Honestly, here is how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Although you don't need a top of the line coffee maker, it does help the quality of the brew. I use a Cuisinart that grinds the beans, blows the newly-ground coffee into a gold metal basket, heats the water, and drips it over the grounds into a thermal carafe. The directions say to pour roasted beans into the grinder until they are level with the bottom half of the grinder. IGNORE this advice! Fill the grinder as full as possible without spilling beans into the water reservoir. Choose a roast wisely, for that is the second part of the equation that determines the strength of the brew. The last part of the equation is how much water you put in the reservoir to drip through. Use the full 10 cups of water if there is more than one coffee drinker. If it is just me, I use around 7 cups which makes the coffee even stronger.

Most coffee bean companies roast a broad range of colors, from a light roast down to an extra dark roast, both flavored, unflavored, caffeinated and decaffeinated. Our favorite roast is a mix of the Breakfast Blend and French Roast. Simply alternate filling the coffee bag with each of your chosen roasts, and the result will be what you use in your grinder at home. Should you not have a grinder, the business normally will provide a commercial grinder on site for you to complete the grinding. Select the coarseness of the grind that will work best for you. My perfect cup of coffee needs beans ground finer than the standard 'auto-drip' grind setting on the store's commercial grinder.

Allow your machine to completely finish the brewing cycle. I know; difficult, but the rewards will astound you! Swirl the coffee around in the carafe before pouring, because the coffee that dripped through last isn't as strong as the first few cups that came through the ground coffee. Once swirled to an even blend, find the perfect mug and pour. I don't disgrace my pure coffee with any cream, sugar, milk or flavoring, but go ahead if you must. We are all individuals and have the right to drink coffee the way we like it.

My perfect cup of coffee saves many an onerous task (like paying the bills), and makes most already fun things something to write home about. Enjoy your morning tomorrow, and see ya around the office.

Learn more about this author, Ken Locke.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.