How does one make real coffee?

[Vimto]

Could someone please give me some advice about how one can make real coffee at home without breaking the bank on expensive contraptions. I only want to make odd cups of coffee when the mood takes me. Most coffee makers seem to assume that one drinks coffee by the bucketful. I've tried these cafetiers; I've boiled fresh ground coffee with milk and many other methods but can never seem to produce the sort of coffee one sometimes experiences at some cafes and restaurants. Mind you. there's also a lot of dross out there too. Advice on what sort of coffee to buy would also be most welcome as I'm sure that this is half the battle. The right coffee with the right method is what I'm looking for. Please advise.

[redman41]

If you don't like cafetieres you should buy a Perculator. There are so many Ground Coffee's to choose from at the Supermarkets, you need to pick a Coffee that suits your taste strength wise. If you live near a Delicatessen then they will have some nice Coffee and you could speak to the shop assistant and get advice about what to buy.
The Coffee you make in the Perculator will not go to waste as you can re-heat in Microwave by the Cup full.

[coccinelle]

When I first came to France, I made coffee how the French did then. It was a case of putting the ground coffee into a paper filter which sat in a plastic filter over a jug and then just poured the hot water over the coffee. You made as much as you needed as it was never dreamt of to re-heat it. There are lots of different coffees all depends on your taste (arabica, robusta ...)

[Miss-taken]

You need an Aeropress - it uses filter coffee to make one cup of coffee - really easy to use and not that expensive. Alledgedly (I don't do coffee but my partner does) makes the most amazing coffee - better than perculators or cafetiere
http://www.aerobie.co...s/aeropress_story.htm

Google it and you can but them on loads of websites including Firebox