Updating The Coffee Blogging
As usual I perused my latest issue of "Cook's Illustrated" to find another coffee making nugget. I put this one to the test this morning and I can report that it worked wondrously well.
Without further ado:

"Heating Up a Better Brew"
If you're dissatisfied with the quality of brew from your drip coffee maker, two factors may be contributing: The brew time may be too long (studies have shown that six minutes is optimal in a drip coffee maker) or the machine may not be heating the water to the ideal temperature range necessary to produce a really good cup. You can't adjust the brew time but here's something that may help with the water temperature: Try adding warm, versus cold, water to the coffee maker.
(snip)
When we brewed coffee in these three machines (mentioned in the snipped section -Ed.) starting with water that had been preheated on the stove to 100 degrees, we found the flavor of the coffee improved significantly – even with a too-long brew time. For best results, make sure you start with cold tap water, as hot tap water contains fewer dissolved minerals than cold and can impart a flat taste to your brew. (Note: Our advice contradicts manufacturer's instructions to add regular cold water to coffee makers.)

I used water that had been Brita filtered rather than "tap water" so I'm a little confused that dissolved minerals would be better for the brew. I think the filtered water makes superior coffee. But the heating of the water worked wizard well. I had my best cup this morning in a long time. Maybe since I've using that drip maker.
I can't recommend this technique strongly enough.