Hi guys, On the salt thing. I remember an old bartenders trick was to add salt to tonic water, resulting in the tonic actually tasting sweeter. Bizarre, but as already stated, it has something to do with diverting your taste away from bitterness - quinine in the case of tonic. Whether it works universally with bitter drinks is another question, but i've got the espresso machine warming up, so will give it a go in coffee myself. paulraphael, seperation in the vessel is quite common, simply because lighter solubles will tend to float, and heavier ones sink. Best thing to do is use a smaller pot, or pour out two or three cups a little bit at a time, so that the contents of the pot are evenly distributed , top to bottom.