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Okay, so you've got your beans and grinder, and you're ready to make yourself a great cup of coffee. What's next? Well, you before you start grinding up those beans, you better know which way you are going to be brewing that cuppa coffee. There are several methods. Some are better than others, but all are valid ways of brewing coffee.
Before we get to those methods, here is a quick list of coffee brewing basics that apply to ALL methods of coffee brewing:
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Use fresh ground beans. Beans, when ground, go stale quickly, in less than a half-hour.
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Make sure your coffee maker is clean.
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Use fresh, filtered water. A cup of coffee is more water than anything else, and bad water will affect the taste.
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Make sure the grind you are using matches the brewing method. For example, using an espresso grind in a drip pot will only clog the filter. It will not result in drip-pot espresso. Take it from one who has tried. Conversely, a coarse grind in an espresso maker will only result in weak espresso.
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Measure the coffee. Once you find the right amount for your brewing method, it is nice to remember exactly how much you used. Amounts will vary from method-to-method.
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Coffee likes to be brewed at near-boiling temperatures.
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Coffee likes to be drank shortly after being brewed. As soon as your tongue can tolerate the heat, that's the best time to drink coffee.
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If possible, don't keep coffee on a hot plate or heating element. It will go flat (stale) and lose flavor. Keep freshly brewed coffee in a thermos or insulated container.
Brewing Methods:
 Drip - Drip is probably the most common method of making coffee, at least here in the U.S. Simply, drip brewing is running hot water through coarse ground coffee, allowing the coffee to collect (drip) into a container below. It makes for a good, but usually not great, cuppa coffee. There are two types of drip coffee making, electric and manual. Electric drip machines, like Mr. Coffee, are one of the most common U.S. household appliances. Manual drip, like Melitta and Chemex, are rarer, but very nice ways of brewing a cuppa.
 French Press (Press Pot) - HT Brown's preferred method for enjoying a cuppa. Coffee grounds are placed in a carafe, then hot water is poured inside the carafe up to the top (note: for best results, pour enough water into the carafe only to cover the grounds, let them expand for a few seconds, then fill the water to the top.). A cover/plunger is placed over the top of the carafe. After letting the coffee steep for a few minutes, the plunger is pushed down through the ground until it comes to rest. Pour the coffee into a cup or insulated container to preserve flavor and temperature.
 Espresso - Espresso might be the purest way to enjoy the taste of a particular coffee. A shot of espresso, for all practical purposes, is the essence of that bean. An espresso machine will extract every bit of flavor that the grounds have to offer. As to how to make espresso, it is best to refer to your machine's instructions. That goes for professional machines as well as the home machines that are now available. When making espresso, you are working with boiling hot water under pressure. Know how your machine works before using it.
 Moka Pot (stove-top espresso) - A method that is becoming more popular amongst coffee enthusiasts for home brewing. Simply, a moka pot is a small device that you use to brew a small amount of espresso-like coffee on your stove. You fill the bottom up will water (most models have a fill line), place a metal filter on top of that, put the coffee grounds in the filter, and screw on the top. Place on the stove at medium - medium/high heat. In about ten minutes or so, you will have coffee that is somewhere between espresso and Turkish coffee. There are several different makes and models on the market, but they all work in much the same way. Refer to any instructions you receive with your moka pot in order to ensure you are using it properly. One more thing, never use a true espresso grind for moka pots. It just doesn't work. You need a coarser grind, somewhere between French press grind and espresso. If the grind is too fine, it will make it too difficult for the water to push up through the grinds. Using a slightly coarser grind will still give you a nice cuppa.
Turkish Coffee (ibrik) - One of the oldest methods for brewing coffee. The Turkish Ibrik is a small, long-handled device that makes a rich, heavy cuppa. It is a very simple way to make coffee, though it is rarely used outside of Asia and the Middle East. Basically, fill the Ibrik with water (2/3's - 3/4's full, check for a fill line), add the coffee but don't stir (the coffee will form a cover and the water will boil up through the grounds), place on heat, once the coffee begins to heavily boil immediately remove from heat, let cool down then repeat the boiling process two more times (three times total). After the third time, remove from heat, let the grounds settle for a minute or so, then pour. This coffee will have some sediment in the bottom of the cuppa, but that's how it's supposed to be. The grind for this type of coffee is almost powder. It's the only grind finer than espresso.
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