This is helpful. I agree that you don't want to burn the coffee so let the water calm down before pouring. I use a kitchen scale to weigh my coffee and water and use a 1:13 ratio of coffee to water. So, 23 grams of coffee to 300 grams of water makes me two mugs of cafe au lait or one large mug of black coffee. As you say, brew time is important. 4 minutes tends to be a good starting point. Where I differ is once your done with the initial 4 minute brew. I stir the crust on top and remove the foam and any floating grinds. I then let it sit for another 7 minutes or so. This actually mellows the coffee. Not sure why. And I do not plunge at all. I just keep the plunger at the top of the liquid and use the screen as a filter. Plunging can result in bitter coffee because you can stir up all that stuff on the bottom. There is no need to plunge. This approach has worked for me now for years and makes me some delicious coffee.