Coffee ground for an espresso machine should be very fine, in part because the brew cycle is only 19 to 22 seconds long. But for a coffee press, the coffee should be coarse ground, because the water and coffee are in direct contact for about four minutes.

How much do I use? - This is the most important question when making a cup of coffee. For the most flavorful cup, we recommend two tablespoons of ground coffee for each six fluid ounces of water. If coffee brewed this way is too strong for your taste, you can add a little hot water to your cup of brewed coffee.

The Best Water - A cup of coffee is 98 percent water. Therefore, the water you use to make a pot or cup of coffee should taste clean, fresh, and free of impurities. Avoid using straight tap water. At a minimum, tap water should be filtered through a household charcoal filter system. A charcoal filter that attaches to the end of a faucet is quite convenient and makes a dramatic difference in the water quality that passes through. The brew water should be at least 190 degrees F (88 degrees C) or just below the boiling point. Water at this temperature will drive the most flavorful solids out of the ground coffee and provide the shortest brew times.

Keeping your coffee fresh - Think of coffee as fresh produce. The enemies of coffee are oxygen, light, heat, and moisture. To keep coffee fresh, store it in an opaque, airtight container at room temperature. Storing coffee in the refrigerator or freezer for daily use can damage the coffee as warm, moist air condenses on the beans and can cause cracking or breaking. For the best results, coffee should be ground just before brewing.

Depending on the kind of coffee beverage you'll be making, you will use different extraction methods and adjust the grind and water flow to your taste. Next, we'll discuss the different types of basic coffee beverages followed by how to make the coffee that goes into them. Following that is a section on recipes for coffee drinks.