Drip System: Any coffee brewing method that works by introducing hot water to ground coffee from above the filter, allowing the infusion to drip out the bottom. Manual drip systems include the Melitta filter or Chemex. Examples of automatic drips machines include Krups, Braun and Mr. Coffee.

French press: Also known as the plunger pot, the French press works by putting water and coffee in direct contact, steeping to extract flavor, then separating grounds from brew by pushing a filter through the solution.

Watch that water temperature! Boiling makes a bitter brew; that's why percolators are out of favor. Not heating enough produces a thin-bodied, weak decoction. In general, European-made automatics are calibrated better than their American counterparts.

Manual methods allow you to manage the amount of time the coffee grounds and water stay in contact, essential to extracting full flavor. Automatics with V-shaped filters are next best; last is the flat-bottomed drip.

2torial #0604: Learn2 Make a Great Pot of Coffee (Continued) Add the coffee to the maker For any drip system, automatic or manual: simply add the ground coffee to the filter (be it paper, nylon, cloth, gold-plated or some other metal). Do not pack down. For a French press: add the coffee directly to the glass carafe. Step 3