Did some trials this morning with my new coffee dripper and the electric kettle.

At my altitude for 5300 feet, water boils at 202 degrees F (calculated, not measured). Right at the perfect temperature for making coffee. I did a test with the manual dripper, poured for speed - to give the hottest temperature after brewing, not necessarily the best coffee extraction. Just to see what the maximum coffee temperature I could expect would be. I also pre-heated everything with boiling water and used a cover over the dripper to retain heat during the test.

Result: 168 degrees F.

Summary (at my altitude of 5300 feet):
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Standard drip coffeemaker (Mr. Coffee, etc.) - 158 degrees
Manual coffee dripper (best case: preheating everything, using a cover, pouring for speed) - 168 degrees
Kuerig coffee maker set to hottest temperature - 178 degrees

Even when using the hottest method, the Kuerig, I still require a microwave to get the final temp up to my liking after adding refridgerated liquid creamer. The Kuerig temp would be OK if using powdered creamer (yeuch) or pre-heated liquid creamer (preheating the creamer would require a microwave in and of itself).

Conclusion: I need to use a microwave in some capacity to reach my desired drinking temperature, no matter what the brewing method. No way around it.

I did not try my French press during this test. I already know from previous experience that the resulting coffee temperature is lowest of all other brewing methods.

Additional notes: You need to use more coffee grounds for a manual dripper than for a standard drip coffeemaker. Of all the brewing methods, the Kuerig is the most convenient, the fastest, the easiest to cleanup, and the hottest. It is also the most expensive and the most wasteful (the little K-Cups it uses are not currently biodegradeable, I don't think).

I cannot really comment much on what tastes the best. That depends on the brand/type of ground used. But ignoring that extremely important point, since I did not have the same coffee grounds in the Kuerig as in the other methods, I do prefer the coffee made by the Kuerig (given my preferred choice of "Extra Bold Dark Roasts"). Second place is the manual dripper, but it is close to the Kuerig. Last place is the standard Mr. Coffee type coffeemaker, which is far behind the others. It is valid to compare the manual dripper taste results to the Mr. Coffee taste results, because I used the same coffee for each (albeit a higher volume of coffee grounds in the manual dripper). The manual dripper tastes better. But also takes more attention and work. The Mr. Coffee type makers usually have a warming plate to keep coffee warm for a longer time, whereas the manual dripper does not, if that is important to you. I tend to drink what I brew quickly, I mostly brew only one mug at a time, so a warming plate is not something I care about.

Thanks everybody for all the suggestions!