Good coffee brewing makes everyone happy. But I must admit when at home, I do not always follow the rules and yet I am still happy with my brewed cup. But first, the coffee beans must be properly roasted and of excellent quality. Bad coffee is just bad coffee. With that said, here are few brewing tips to consider.
1. USE FRESH BEANS: Not necessarily freshly roasted beans, as the coffee beans need time to degas and rest. The best coffee roaster I ever saw like to rest his roasts 4 to 7 days.
2. PROPERLY STORE YOUR COFFEE: Coffee beans should be stored in an airtight or vacuum sealed container. Light, heat and moisture should all be avoided to help prevent stale beans.
3. GRIND YOUR COFFEE JUST BEFORE BREWING: If possible, use a good burr grinder to give yourself a consistent particle size and avoid heating your ground coffee, eliminating the chance of developing burnt flavors in your cup.
4. USE FILTERED WATER: Cold, fresh filtered water gives the coffee a cleaner taste and a chance to shine.
5. BREWING RATIO: The golden ratio of coffee to water. A general guideline is one to two level tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. This can be adjusted to suit your own tastes.
6. KEEP YOUR EQUIPMENT CLEAN: Dirty equipment can impart unwanted flavors during the brewing process. It can also affect the brew time. In a drip system, the brew time should be approximately 5 minutes.
These are a few very general guidelines and the video by George Howell should also be helpful in your coffee making.