I can understand how people can read an article like this and think it's too much work or money to get a good cup of coffee. And many folks, including lots of programmers, view coffee as a utility beverage and are okay drinking anything that's drinkable. It's for these people that I wrote "The Coder's Guide to Coffee," [1] aiming for the sweep spot of cheap, easy, and pretty damn good.

Although I wrote it in 2002, the recommendation hasn't changed:

1. Buy only whole-bean coffee roasted within the last few days.

2. Grind it fresh, just before brewing. (Yes, a cheap "whirly blade" grinder is fine.)

3. Brew it in a French press or a pour-over filter using fresh water, off the boil.

That's it, in a nutshell.

I've gotten criticism for claiming that a cheap blade grinder is fine, but it's true. You can make better coffee using a better grinder, but just using any grinder lets you ditch pre-ground coffee, which is almost always stale, and switch to brewing with fresh coffee, ground on the spot. That one change produces a huge jump in quality. And I'd rather you experience that jump, even if you can't justify more than $10 on your grinder.

The other thing I'd add is that if I had written the Guide today, I probably would have included the AeroPress. It makes really good coffee, but there's a bit of a learning curve before it becomes an easy, reliable brewing method.

[1] http://blog.moertel.com/posts/2002-04-25-coders-guide-to-cof...