What could I do to make my coffee taste a bit better?

[DylanAsdale]

My current coffee maker is the Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-cup "Brew Station".
My current coffee is Starbucks 100% Columbian ground coffee.

I am aware that ground coffee gets stale fast, etc. etc. I am still working on that lol.

What could I do (like add to, etc.) to my coffee to make it taste more nutty and rich? I absolutely hate ANY hint of sourness in coffee, and any amount of salt to my coffee makes me feel nauseous (just the fact that there's table salt in my coffee, I guess), so please no "salt" suggestions.

I guess my main complaint is that when I make coffee, it lacks that special "something", like it doesn't taste nutty enough, and that it's a tiny tiny bit sour.

Any suggestions on how much coffee I should use per cup (1tbsp/cup vs. 2tbsp/cup), if there's anything I should add, etc.

I've also found that adding Splenda kind of ruins the taste of the coffee.

Would I be better off with regular sugar?

I'm sort of a noob at coffee, but I'm not the kind of person who just drinks it for caffeine and ignores it, I actually take pride in my coffee and want to make it the best I possibly can!

Thanks in advance!

 

[caffe biscotto]

Some recommendations:

1.) Adding nothing to your coffee will make it taste better.
2.) Try coffees from a local coffee shop or roaster. Buy it by the pound there.
3.) French press. Can be found just about anywhere for $20 - $30. Bodum is a good brand.
4.) Grind fresh, either at home or have it ground by the coffee shop or roaster.
5.) Letting them know your brew method will help them to determine grind size.

Happy hunting and Welcome to Coffeeforums...

 

[DylanAsdale]

thanks for the advice, but i can't just up and buy a french press lol

i really do appreciate the advice, but i'd like tips on like what to add in it

 

[Crazy4Coffee]

For starters, if your coffee is sour, than your Cuisinart is probably not heating the water to a high enough temperature for proper extraction (a problem that is not uncommon for most automatic drip coffee brewers).

I am aware that ground coffee gets stale fast, etc. etc. I am still working on that lol.

Work a little harder. lol.
Take caffe biscotto's advice on sourcing and grinding coffee to heart. It is the most important advice anyone can give you.

thanks for the advice, but i can't just up and buy a french press lol

i really do appreciate the advice, but i'd like tips on like what to add in it

Are you that attached to your Cuisinart or are you saying you can't afford $20 for a french press?

You could pick up a Melitta Ready Set Joe https://shop.melitta.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=64+007&Cat= for just $3. Pour water fresh off boil and, presto!, no more sour coffee.

Any suggestions on how much coffee I should use per cup (1tbsp/cup vs. 2tbsp/cup), if there's anything I should add, etc.

The general rule is 1 tablespoon to 6oz water.
Add more or less to taste.

Finally,

I've also found that adding Splenda kind of ruins the taste of the coffee.

Would I be better off with regular sugar?

Yes, you would be better off using regular sugar over Splenda. If using sugar is a problem, than use Stevia instead of any artificial sweeteners.

 

[DylanAsdale]

It's not that I can't afford these things, and truth be told, I am sure I will get these things in the future, but that will require research on what the best quality equipment is. For now, however, I'd like to exploit my current coffee without having to get this equipment for the time being.

Unless you guys can recommend what the best, quality equipment would be (function over form, of course. I'm sure the diamond-studded coffee makers make crap coffee)

Thanks for all the advice so far. It may seem like I'm not taking it in, but I am.