This is kind of embarrassing...I have no idea how to make coffee. Well, I didn't, I bought a really cheapo coffee maker at Walmart, and have officially produced my first cup.

I'm not a coffee expert, by any means, but it was kind of bitter and, well, intense. Maybe it was just the kind I used (Foldgers Classic Roast), or maybe I used too much? Or maybe that's how it's supposed to taste and I'm just coffee-ignorant? I've had exactly 5 cups of coffee in my entire life, and they have all come from Burger King within the last month. So, my experiences are fairly limited, haha.

I don't want to become a caffeine fiend, but I've discovered that 1) I like the coffee-drinking experience, taking a few min to sit with a hot cup and the smell/taste 2) it gives me a great boost for the day and for workouts 3) it suppresses my appetite almost completely, for once in my life, I have no munchies. Now I realize that I drink it everyday, these effects will be minimized, so I'm going to keep it as a once or twice weekly treat. Also, I'd love to add a bit of coffee to smoothies for flavor for breakfast smoothies.

So any tips on making coffee? I know it's a pretty straightforward process, but I'm seriously clueless, haha.

I'm no help! I've only ever made coffee at work, and it always seemed to taste bad to me. That's what half-and-half and Splenda were invented for!

I think if you buy fancier brand name coffee, it tastes a little better, but I still won't drink it black.

It's all trial and error when figuring it out. And also depends on whether you put anything in it. Try adding a little more/less coffee grinds. Try different brands.

As a start out rule I tend to go 2:1 for water:coffee (i.e. 10 cups water with 5 scoops of coffee)

Honestly, I am not awesome at making coffee. But I find Foldgers coffee DISGUSTING! For a cheap coffee I much prefer Nabob. I am far from a coffee snob, but I do not like coffee with an after taste.

I bought a huge thing of Foldgers at Costco and every time I tried to make it, my boyfriend would go this coffee is gross and dump his cup out.

We now have one of those disk coffee makers and I love it - coffee tastes great every time! haha

EDIT - Nabob might be a Canadian coffee, sorry! But Foldgers is still gross.

Dang, coffee is like cocaine to me. I just finished my first cup and I am literally buzzed feeling. Maybe I just made it super strong? I am going to be going a million miles an hour at work!

...Like I said, this will not be a daily thing, haha.

I quit drinks with caffeine a few years ago, then started drinking coffee last year. WOW...the reaction to the caffeine was SO strong. I switched to 1/2 regular, 1/2 decaf (Maxwell House normally) and I like it a lot. It's got a much milder flavor, and I can drink more of it without having that "caffeine reaction."

You need to experiment a little to see how much coffee grounds you need to get a cup that you like, same goes for flavor. I prefer French Roast but there are many others on the market, experiment until you find one that you like. By the way, it took me a while to get to where I could make a decent cup of coffee.

Good coffee, trial and error, and following the instructions on the bag. It really boils down to personal taste. I've figured a full tbs per cup (as noted on the coffee pot itself, if able).

But yeah, I can go to barista school to learn how to make a cup of coffee and cheap coffee will always taste like cheap coffee to me.

Edit: that said, you don't need to spend a fortune on good coffee. Starbucks has some grounds that I like, I also like Dunkin' Donuts and Peets is my very favorite (but at $12 a bad not on sale it's not always possible).

I use a basic little Mr Braun that is 4 cup size. I used to have 12 cup but for just me, it was better to downsize. I use paper filters.

I buy the best dark roast fair trade coffee beans I can afford and grind them myself. I store the grounds in an air tight lock & lock container.

Fill to the 4 line with filtered water.

Then I put 1/4 cup grounds in the filter area to go with 4 cups line on the coffee maker. Each cup is 6 oz, BTW.

If I were making 8 cups, it would be 1/2 cup grounds.

Then I let it run, and we're good to go.

I do not like Folgers. It tastes... eh.

A.

I adoooooore coffee. I was actually becoming a problem but I've scaled way back to one cup a day. I use a French Press and amazing beans from starbucks that I love. I am currently using the Verona, which is almost as good as Chaiypas. I think that the beans make almost all of the difference. I like the French Press because its quick and the coffee is way more flavorful, IMO. Plus, its a lot easier to make and there's virtually no way to burn the coffee.

Yeah my parents always made me make their coffee, we always did a 2:1 ratio for the coffee to grounds. It also depends on what size scoop you use, ours is like a tablespoon or so. But you gotta see what you like. I like it moderately strong, but that's just me.

And invest in some good coffee... especially if it'll be a treat. Maybe Starbucks, Pete's, or Dunkin Donuts. It's a little pricey for that bag, but it's WORTH IT! Sooo good. Or if you have any little mom and pop cafes nearby (check yelp.com!) a lot of them roast their own coffee beans and sell them. That's where the gold is at.

lol, I think we're soulmates!

Mmmm, I love coffee and agree that it is trial and error. I invested in a single-serve Keurig single serve coffee maker to make me stop and think about the amount I take in. Keurig Hazelnut coffee is my new favorite but a few Starbucks brands are really tasty too.

I think everything relies on the quality of the beans. There are some really good brands out there and they don't need to be ridiculously expensive. I use a french press (takes only a few minutes to brew as I also have a hot water pot, otherwise you just boil some water in a kettle) and I really enjoy peet's coffee beans (a little on the steep side of price, but sooo good). I bought the french press and a grinder all at marshalls for under 20$.

I've just always added a few shakes on cinnamon in my coffee at home . . . which I hardly ever make since I work so close to a Tim Hortons ha ha