But they just bought the filter cup and filled it with whatever coffee grounds.

Coffee is a pretty personal choice. It comes in about a million different variations. If you're new to coffee, I'd suggest taste testing different regional varieties in each of the strengths (blonde to bold, ect) and narrowing down what you like to a certain range, and then trying to decide between companies.

Or, if you're a lover of all types of coffee, then you could work your way through them all, alphabetically, randomly, whatever method suits you.

When I started loving coffee, I did some research. The different kinds of beans (Arabica, Robusta) each have a different taste. Divided further, each region where the coffee is grown (Ethiopia, Columbia) and the darkness of the roast, all effect flavor. An Arabica from Ecuador with a medium roast is going to be different than a Robusta from Kona with a medium roast, and different still from an Arabica from Ecuador with a light roast.

And, if you aren't careful how you brew the coffe, it can burn while brewing.

Universal Truth: Burned coffee tastes BAD.