I believe a good cup of joe has to do how the coffee is made, rather
than the kind of maker (or its value). I used to make coffee at a
restaurant, and everyone told ME that I made the best coffee! My
"secret," as strange as it is in this case, was that I watered the
coffee down a little (maybe 15%) with plain hot tap water which was
enough to remove some bitter taste. It helps to have a clean maker,
clean pot, and freshly ground French-roast beans too.

As any connoisseur knows, the secret is the temperature of the water. If
too hot, it leaches out the oil where the bitterness lies. Water from 180
to 190 is right. Percolated coffee above that temperature is bitter. Drip
coffee brewed with too hot of water is also bitter, no matter the grounds.

YW

Steve