We've been using a pod based coffee system for a while, but these are expensive. So, we've gone back to a regular drip coffee system. The problem is, with our 10 cup size, the pot sits and cooks while the two of us are drinking our first cups. Sometime, we don't get to doing a refill for a couple hours. By then, the coffee is bitter/overcooked. What we've started doing is turning the coffee maker off once it's finished brewing. The coffee stays hot for a while and, if we come back for a refill soon enough, we still get a warm cup. If we get busy and come back when the coffee has cooled off, well...we just warm it up in the microwave. The coffee tastes much better this way.