please advise.

in the days since i have become a real "working gal," i have contemporaneously stopped brewing coffee at my own house. seems like i've gotten it backwards, right? well, john doesn't drink coffee (gasp!) and it seems wasteful to take the time/ingredients to brew a pot when my office boasts the best cup(s) of joe west of the mississippi (or something). anyway, this never seems to present a problem until the arrival of either guests or the weekend. and then the epic dilemma presents itself: how can i brew that elusive perfect-pot-o-coffee?

i have a confession:

the coffee i brew tastes like shit.

no, really. i'm not exaggerating. it's rather pitiful.

why is this happening to me? i have several theories:

(1) could be my coffeemaker. but i doubt this. afterall, i own a nice cuisinart version that we received for our wedding, and i have to believe that a $100ish coffeemaker is fully capable of brewing an acceptable cup of coffee.

(2) could be the brand of coffee. for a few years now, i've been a gevalia coffee club member. i don't quite remember how i got started with that business, but i also don't remember why i really thought the coffee was that great. it's probably better than the instant stuff that you find in mini coffeemakers at hotels, but i've realized it's nothing special.

(3) could be the fact that i don't grind my coffeebeans. if i was a betting woman, and this were vegas or a dogtrack or something, i'd probably put my money on this theory. (we grind our beans at the office, and the coffee always tastes fresh & delicious). is this the key? i own a coffeebean grinder. true, i use it mostly for grinding nuts and spices, but if this is the problem, we're one step closer to the solution.

(4) coffeemaker cleanliness. maybe my coffeemaker is dirty? mine has a cleaning option, but i've never experimented with it.

(5) precise measurements. ok, i changed my mind. THIS gets my vote for most likely theory. how many standard measuring cups fit in one coffeemaker cup? i can't do the math and figure it all out. it seems like i know that there are 8 oz. in a cup, but my coffeemaker cup is only 6 oz. this problem is further compounded by the fact that i have several varying scoops for the coffee: a cuisinart one, a gevalia one and another unmarked option. which to use? and how to measure? i don't think i've ever known about the proper measurements required to make a perfect cup of coffee with my coffeemaker.

but i need to know! it's getting down to crunch time before the illinois bar, so the next few weekends are going to be spent in a cramming, caffeinated haze. thus, i am begging for you to share your secrets with me; please help me achieve my goal of brewing the perfect cup of joe!

(there may be something in it for you. maybe some new, creative creation could find its way to your doorstep as a token of my appreciation!)