When I make breakfast in bed for my girlfriend, I make a cafetiere of coffee for two. I give her the scum off the top, then pour myself a perfect cup of middle coffee, then top hers up with the sludge at the bottom.
@fesshole on the coffee, if you make it right, the coffee should be good all the way down, i bet that poster hasn't descaled their kettle in ages, puts boiling water on the ground coffee, and may even burn the coffee while grinding it by using a metal burr grinder or a chopchop bladed grinder that destroys the bean. I make many cafetieres of coffee, and there is no scum at the top, or sludge at the bottom. if there is sludge, the grind is too fine. i'm in a hard water area.