Making a good cup of coffee at home is an art. Get your fundamental rules right and you are able to make good coffee. Remember and follow them in spirit, you are sure get your magical brew.

Remember :Ground coffee goes stale at a faster rate than whole coffee beans.

Coffee tastes best when freshly ground. However investing in a good grinder is not a solution for many. Ground Coffee goes stale if it's not kept airtight. It deteriorates at a different rate than whole coffee beans. Ground coffee in vacuum-packed packaging or a tin container lasts longer.

Remember :Air is the enemy of coffee.

Coffee is perishable, and anything perishable goes stale as much as it's in contact with air. Think about investing in containers designed to be airtight, most commonly ceramic containers with latch-lids and a rubber band squeezed between the lid and container. "Tupperware" containers and sandwich bags are better than leaving coffee in open air, but don't do the same job of keeping air out and keeping coffee from going stale as a container designed to be airtight.

Remember :Coffee is mostly water.

Coffee is mostly water, about 99% water. If you don't get the water right, you might still make a decent cup of coffee, but why take chances with such an important ingredient? If you take precautions with drinking water, remember those same precautions with coffee water. Purified water makes good coffee.

Remember:Heat is the enemy of brewed coffee.

Coffee is a drink served hot. But, unwanted heat burns prepared coffee. After 20 minutes of your coffee sitting on the coffee machine's heat plate, consider that coffee to be beginning to burn. After 40 minutes, the difference in taste should be noticeable. Burnt coffee is not good coffee.