Dear Heloise: Recently, you ran a letter from a reader who was wondering how to get rid of the bitterness that was creeping into her coffee. Your suggestion of thoroughly cleaning the pot was a great first step. If this didn’t do the trick for her, I’d like to suggest adding salt to her next pot! This tip was popularized by food science expert Alton Brown, even though the trick has been used for much longer.

A quick internet search will bring up any number of suggestions, ranging from adding salt to your cup to using it when brewing the whole pot. Brown suggests a 1/2 teaspoon of salt for every cup of water and 2 teaspoons of ground coffee. It really works! But start with less salt than Brown recommends, then increase it each morning until you find your sweet spot. — Karel, in Kalamazoo, Michigan

PREHEATING THE OVEN

Dear Heloise: I have something to add to S. from Virginia’s letter regarding recipes and telling one to preheat the oven first thing. I had one recipe that first said to preheat the oven to 350 F, then continued to give directions for a marinade. They said to marinate the meat for 4-6 hours. Huh?

Needless to say, I made some revision to the order of things to do in that recipe. — D., from Tucson, Arizona

D., it looks like someone forgot to proofread the instructions! — Heloise

DISH STERILIZERS

Dear Heloise: Dishwashers should actually be termed “dish sterilizers.” The idea that you shouldn’t rinse the dried stuff before putting it in dishwasher is wrong. It all ends up in the filter, and who checks that? Consider your dishwasher as a final step in getting your dishes really clean. You can tell I’m very passionate about this. — Pat D., Irvine, California

Pat, this is correct. Never put food-encrusted plates or other dishes directly in the dishwasher. It’s there to clean your dishes, not as a garbage disposal to wash away leftover food. — Heloise

OVERWHELMED BY ­POLITICS

Dear Heloise: I get so confused by politics that I no longer vote. I don’t know what the issues are because I just hate all the bickering that goes on. No one will sit down with me and explain things, and when they do on occasion, I have questions. But I don’t want to sound ignorant by asking them. Any hints to make it all easier? — Lynnette K., Blacksburg, Virginia

Lynnette, no one will spoonfeed you the answers to your questions. You’ll have to register to vote, read, watch debates, and make an effort to learn the about the many problems facing America. The media is very active with debates, news interviews and more. You can also attend town hall meetings in your community and ask questions there.

The right to vote was hard-won over the course of 200 years in this country. People even died in a fight for women to receive the vote. The best way to honor those who fought for us in each state and those who continue to fight for us is to vote. This right is more valuable and important than you know. — Heloise

PROLONGING RIPENESS

Dear Heloise: Store avocados in the refrigerator inside of a container of water that is filled halfway up. It will help them ripen and last for so much longer! — Jo Marie Hejna, via email

— — —

Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.