I follow the guidelines quoted below. I use an old electric kettle: not very fancy, you just plug it in and it boils the water. There's no temperature control

I follow the guidelines quoted below. I use an old electric kettle: not very fancy, you just plug it in and it boils the water. There's no temperature control settings, but there's no need: the water comes out about 92C, which is just right. Note that 175F=80C is not hot enough, it's "supposed" to be over 90C. But try it for yourself a couple of times and see if you can tell the difference. I use a plastic pour-over filter and a manual burr grinder by Kyocera, which costs around U$25. I use coffee ground in the same day or in the previous day. In my experience this is what makes the biggest difference. I usually buy beans at an import shop that has good turnout, so I know the beans are fresh. But last time I ended up buying at Starbucks and it was... awesome. Really. If you follow these three guidelines and do nothing more, you will enjoy coffee better than you can find in most specialty coffee shops: 1. Buy only whole-bean coffee roasted within the last few days. 2. Grind it fresh, just before brewing. 3. Brew it in a French press or a pour-over filter using fresh water, off the boil. http://blog.moertel.com/pages/coders-guide-to-coffee http://blog.moertel.com/pages/coders-guide-to-coffee