Hate the hassle, condescending barista and cost of those Starbucks lattes! You can make delicious joe to jump start your day with the beat-up old Mr. Coffee in the break room or your kitchen. Off course the big rule is use good coffee and water to start with. Here are the three key elements for brewing your own tasty cuppa...

• Beans: Buy freshly roasted whole beans and grind before each use. If you must make do with subpar grounds, add an extra tablespoon per cup (this will cut down on over-extraction of flavor throughout the grind, thus avoiding MOST of the bitter, acidy taste). Store coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dark place (not the fridge).
• Water: Coffee oil residue produces that familiar rancid tang, so rinse the machine thoroughly with hot water after each use. Also, wet the paper filter under the tap before you add the grounds, and Brew with cold, purified water for better flavor. (I have also been told that a 2% salt water solution, added at one drop per cup will cut the bitter taste, but I haven't tried it myself)
• Vinegar: Eliminate hard-water deposits: Once a month, add 8 ounces of white vinegar to the water reservoir and run the coffee-maker (sans filter) until half the liquid is in the pot. Switch off and let stand for an hour. Dump the vinegar, then run the machine twice with water only.

Enjoy!