The recommended coffee to water ratio is two heaping tablespoons of coffee for each six ounces of water. Or to make it even simpler, I use the "coffee scoop" that is so common rather than an actual tablespoon, and put one of those full of coffee for each mug of coffee that I'm making. If the coffee is ground, a level tablespoon will do. If measuring the coffee in whole bean form, make it a heaping tablespoon.

Boiled coffee is spoiled coffee. Never let boiling water come into contact with coffee. This is how the drip brewer was an improvement on the percolator, which boiled the water before exposing it to the coffee. If you're preparing your coffee by French Press or Pourover, give the boiling water a moment to cool down before pouring or dripping it onto the coffee.

Make sure that everything in the system is clean, using soap and water. Coffee is oily, so the residue is sticky and will go stale like anything that's perishable. To clean your coffee maker, run a cycle of one part vinegar and two parts water, then a couple water cycles to rinse out the vinegar. Vinegar has mild cleaning properties, and isn't chemical.

Coffee is more than 98% water. There is a big difference in coffee flavor depending on the water that you use. Apply your same standard of drinking water to the water that you use to make coffee.

The ideal temperature of water during the brewing cycle is 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit. The manufacturer of a good coffee maker will know this and make sure to point it out in their manual. If you can't find this information or the manual, make an effort to find out online. The quality of your coffee will drop the further from this optimal temperature range.

The time that the hot water is in contact with the coffee is another very important determinant of flavor. If you are using a French Press, make sure you set the timer to 3-4 minutes. If you are using a drip brewer, the ideal time is roughly five minutes. If your drip brewer is preparing coffee in a shorter period than this, your coffee will be weak. If it's taking longer than this, your coffee will have a thicker consistency from overextraction.

I have all the gear in my own kitchen to make coffee in all the ways covered below, including the Cuisinart Brew Central coffee maker that you see to the left, a quality machine for under $80.

Check out the most common methods of brewing great coffee:

• Drip Brewing (North American)
• French Press (or Bodum Press or Coffee Plunger)
• Pourover (Chemex or Melitta)
• Espresso Coffee (Italian)
• Turkish (or Greek) Coffee

Drip Brew

Most popular in North America the Drip Brew method, quite simply, heats the water to an optimal temperature, and then drips it onto a filter holding ground coffee. Must-read: MakeGoodCoffee.com's Coffee Maker Report Card, and objective and unbiased review of today's coffee makers. Get the most value for your money.

French Press

While a little more work than flipping a switch and drip brewing, the French Press is considered by many as the best brewing method that extracts the optimal amount of flavor from coffee.

Pourover

Viewed by many as the single best way to brew coffee, some cafes will only serve coffee by pourover technique. Bring it into your home!

Espresso

Known as the "Italian" method of brewing coffee, espresso is a great shot of coffee on its own and the essense of cappuccinos and lattes. The coffee barista is a graduate in how to properly work an espresso machine.

Turkish

Perhaps the oldest, and for many, the strongest method of brewing coffee, this method steeps the coffee like tea for a strength you taste in the cup.

Click here to check out Marc's blog posts on Brewing Coffee