"l, not -l" wrote:
>
> Many times, people skimp on the grounds because they don't like "strong
> coffee". The right amount of grounds, in contact with good water for the
> right amount of time make really good coffee. The brewing method (press,
> cone or vacuum are best IMHO) is key to controlling the amount of time the
> water is in contact with the grounds, which is how you extract good flavor
> without also extracting the harsh notes.

You didn't mention temperature. For many years,
I used boiling-hot water to make coffee.
I thought hot was always better. However,
a few years ago I became aware that the
recommended brewing temperature is 195-205F.

A few months ago, I tried using a lower temperature
(205F, as measured with a digital thermometer),
and this greatly improved my coffee. It avoids
the bitterness of coffee brewed at boiling
temperature (212F). You might think that 7F
could not possibly make any difference, and
that's what I thought. I was wrong.