In this day and age of everything instant, it's no surprise that coffee also fell victim to the fast food style industry. Sadly, that's when it stopped being coffee. Anyone who drinks this elixir as a matter of daily survival understands that a real coffee drinker will not accept three things. One is weak coffee. Otherwise known as dishwater, this slew is made by people who either don't appreciate the full body of coffee flavor, or are too cheap to brew it correctly. The second faux pas made by many is serving decaffeinated coffee. While that may be acceptable to people who have trouble with caffeine, the rest of us want and thrive on the substance.

The third and possibly the biggest mistake a host or hostess can make after inviting friends over for coffee is to serve instant. To all you folks out there who drink tea and don't know any better, instant is not a substitute for a good cup of coffee, and I don't care who the manufacturer is. Brand names are irrelevant.

Coffee is meant to be served hot, strong and full bodies, and with caffeine. To make a perfect cup of coffee, start by using a good grind like Tim Hortons. Use a coffee scoop to measure and for every two cups of water use one heaping spoon of coffee. A dash of salt on top of the grounds helps to keep any bitter flavor down.

For those of you still serving the other swill, have a heart. Us coffee drinkers are too polite to tell you outright, but it is not a replacement for the real thing. Do it right, or serve tea.

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