Gold Star recommends you DO:

• Keep coffee stored in a clean, dry place away from heat registers and vents or extreme cold for maximum freshness.
• Use enough coffee (one tablespoon per cup or about 1 1/2 inches of coffee in a flat-bottom filter)
• Make sure you use good-tasting water. Check your water source for softened or hard water. If necessary, run your water through a water treatment filter.
• Use the correct coffee brewing equipment for maximum performance. We recommend a quick brew time, using a brewer that keeps water at 200° Fahrenheit (the ideal temperature) and mixes the grounds for full flavor extraction.
• Use a thermal carafe if you plan to hold coffee more than 20-30 minutes. Coffee can be held in a thermal carafe for up to 60 minutes without losing flavor.
• Make sure to clean your glass decanter every day.
• Use only quality controlled paper filters designed to fit your brewing equipment.
• Dispose of filter and grounds immediately after brewing to prevent drip-through of unwanted flavors trapped in used coffee grounds.
• Clean your brewing equipment at least once a week (especially the sprayhead area).
  
  

Gold Star recommends you DON'T:

• Mix fresh brewed coffee with previously brewed coffee as this will dilute the taste and affect the flavor of the whole pot.
• Brew over previously used coffee grounds because all of the flavor has already been completely extracted.
• Re-heat for serving any coffee with a temperature below 175° F
• Serve coffee brewed with beans or ground coffee past the freshness date.
• Let coffee "bake" on a brewer. Twenty to 30 minutes is the maximum time allowable for an open pot to deliver a perfect cup of coffee.
• Serve coffee in pots or decanters that haven't been properly cleaned, since acids and other organic materials can taint even the best brewed coffee.