Two little things done right will make your coffee taste better.

1. Use fresh beans.

2. Use enough coffee: For every six ounces of water, use two tablespoons of grounds, a larger amount than most machine-issued scoops hold.

Follow Corby Kummer's additional advice for an even better brew:

Invest in a grinder. Beans release their aroma and flavor when ground, so grind right before you brew. (Try the KitchenAid Blade Coffee Grinder, $30 at www.amazon.com. The powerful 200-watt machine holds four ounces of beans, and both parts that touch the beans are dishwasher-safe. Clean the grinder after each use.)

When buying beans, avoid the giant Lucite bins in the grocery store. Exposure to light is bad for the beans, and the containers are probably rarely cleaned, which leads to rancid-oil buildup. In the supermarket, buy beans sold in foil bags that have a valve lock.

"Air and moisture are enemies of freshness — they make beans taste rancid," says Kummer. If you can't use beans within two weeks, store them sealed in the freezer. If you plan to use them immediately, keep them at room temperature. Roll the bag up, secure it with a rubber band, and store it in an airtight container. (Try Crate&Barrel's Square Canister, $20, www.crateandbarrel.com or 800-967-6696.) Refrigeration can cause beans to collect moisture and absorb refrigerator odors. Hazelnut egg-salad decaf, anyone?

For about $15 to $20, a gold-plated filter helps save flavor-and the environment. You'll never be tempted to use a paper towel for a filter because you'll never run out of filters. If your machine doesn't come with one, buy one at a local kitchen-supply store (so you can exchange it if you need a different size). It can go in the dishwasher and needs replacing only every few years.

Grind in 10-second bursts if you use a blade grinder. Shake the appliance like a cocktail shaker to get an even grind. How fine should you go? The longer the brewing time, the coarser your grind should be. The French-press method typically takes the longest to brew; a pump espresso machine tends to be the quickest. With a coarser grind, you'll avoid overextracting the beans, which results in bitterness.

Hate the taste of your tap water? Use filtered water. Coffee will retain any off tastes in the water that's used to brew it. If you choose to go straight from the tap, use cold water.

The microwave is the best choice for reheating. However, a true enthusiast will toss coffee more than 40 minutes old.