1. Bring 6 cups (1440 ml) of water to a full boil.
2. Place the finely ground coffee in the strainer basket of a drip or percolator-style coffee pot. Set the strainer in the pot and place the pot on the stove over low heat to keep warm.
3. Pour the boiling water over the grounds gradually — in two or three additions — allowing the water to filter completely through the grounds before each subsequent addition. Cover the pot between additions to retain heat. This process is drip extraction: hot water passes by gravity through the coffee grounds, dissolving soluble compounds without agitation.
4. If a stronger cup is desired, pass the brewed coffee back through the grounds a second time (re-filter). The brew is ready when all water has passed through and the liquid runs clear amber with no visible grounds, 8-15 minutes total depending on grind fineness and pot design.
5. Serve immediately. Place cut sugar and cream in the cup first, then pour the hot coffee over them. If cream is unavailable, substitute scalded milk (milk heated to just below a simmer, 180-185°F / 82-85°C, until a skin begins to form) or a mixture of milk and cream. Note that adding cream after the coffee produces a perceptibly different, less integrated result.
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