I love the smell of coffee, but I seldom drink it. I drink TEA.....love that.
Anyway, I make coffee for company all the time and they always rave about it. And I always ask, are you sure, b/c I only follow the directions....
I use the coffee measure/scoop that comes with the coffee. I use a 12 cup programmable coffee pot, it's black, forgot the name. I use one less scoop per amount of water....so for 12 cups, I would add 11 scoops of ground coffee. And then the secret...I add a few sprinkles of salt. Not even a dash....just a few grains. I put out half and half, milk, a variety of sugars and artificial sweeteners, cinnamon and cocoa and peppermint candy canes....got to use those up somewhere.
For evening guests, I will blend decaf with regular or make 2 separate pots, one regular, one decaf.
Your coffee doesn't sound all that strong.