Coffee Brewers Come in all Shapes and Sizes!
If you are into the best possible taste, and have a little more time to spend, then do this: first, fresh-grind your beans; second, brew using a french press. This gives a very earthy, authentic cup of coffee.
If you drink several cups of coffee each moring, or if you serve coffee to others, then a more traditional drip brewer will work well for you; and they are almost unlimited choices. There are many espresso machines to choose from if you like espresso; you can make a great cup of espresso right at home!
What you go to coffee shops, ask if they have a 'pour over' brewer. Because you don't know how long their drip coffee has been sitting; if they will do a pour-over for you, then you get a very fresh cup of coffee. I personally prefer 'half caff' coffee so I get a pour-over with half decaf and half regular beans. If they will grind it right then, the pour-over can rival a french press.
Another consideration is cholesterol. For most people this will not matter but if you have elevated cholesterol, and if you drink a lot of coffee, then you should drink only filtered coffee. Paper filters remove certain oils, called Terpenes that are found in coffee. It is believed that Terpenes can cause a rise in cholesterol in susceptible individuals. If you go to a coffee shop and ask for decaf, and if they offer to do it on the espresso machine, ask instead for a filtered cup. Only paper filters remove Terpenes; gold filters do not. We will soon be launching a website on coffee science to explore all the aspects of coffee and health.
Finally, the type of grinder you use makes a big difference. The best grinder is called a Burr Grinder.
Now make yourself a nice big cup of fresh hot coffee, sit down at the computer and go find the optimal brewer for you!