The beans are naturally the most important part of the process. You can buy roasted gourmet beans at the grocery store, or you can buy unroasted beans and roast them yourself according to your own preferences. If you buy them unroasted, you will usually need a specialty roaster. You can add flavoring beforehand, and then slowly roast them. 70% of the delicious coffee flavor comes from the roasting techniques that you use, so you should always follow the instructions very closely. Either way, you'll end up with a roasted bean.

At this point, you need to grind them up. It is always best to grind them directly before brewing them, since grinding them releases the flavor. Ground the coffee into small chunks, but not into a fine powder, as this will cause the coffee maker to clog. Hand-crank grinders usually produce the perfect consistency. Many modern coffee makers have grinders built in that chop exactly to the ideal consistency needed by the coffee maker.

Put the coffee grounds in a filter. The amount you use will depend on how strong you like your coffee. Usually about half a cup of coffee grounds is enough for 10 cups (1 pot). Fill your coffee pot with cold water, to the line that should be indicated on the side. Cold water is usually preferable. Also, if your regular tap water tastes strange or has impurities, then you should consider using filtered water instead. Now turn on your coffee maker, and the rest of the work will be done for you!

Give it a few minutes, and your pot should be full of hot, fresh coffee. Usually it's best to let it fill up all the way before touching it. Different tastes and chemicals are released at different points in the brewing process. Therefore, it is best to give them all a chance to mix together. Now you should have the ideal straight coffee! Mix it with whatever ingredients you usually add to your coffee. Sweetener and creamer are acceptable, but they tend to drown out the natural taste of the coffee, and instead create an artificial sweet drink.