You might be wondering why coffee beans need to be roasted and what the advantages of buying them green and roasting them at home are. Unroasted beans contain the same protein, caffeine, and acids that roasted coffee has, but far less flavor. Roasting the beans in an organic coffee roaster is what gives you the flavor and smell that makes coffee the most popular beverage in the world.

The reason for buying them green and roasting them at home is simple. The green beans are more stable, which gives them a much longer shelf life. By roasting them yourself, at home, you are assured of always having the freshest tasting coffee, roasted to your particular tastes.

There are many different ways that coffee can be roasted. If you have a hot air popcorn popper, you can use it to "air roast" your coffee. Air roasting is a fairly quick process that will evenly roast your beans in ten minutes or less, without scorching them. This is done by cooking them in the hot air stream, the same way it would pop the corn. You can also buy organic coffee roasters, which are called fluid bed roasters, that will air roast your beans.

But that is only one of the various ways of roasting a coffee bean. You can try roasting it simply in a pan. This is done much the same way popcorn was made before the automatic popcorn poppers came into being. This method would be called "conduction roasting," because the burner heats the pan and conducts that heat to the coffee beans.

It requires a lot of attention, and you have to keep shaking the pan, or you will be scorching your beans. It isn't easy at first, but with practice you should soon be able to roast the coffee evenly, which will keep you from having that burnt taste when you grind and brew your coffee. It will make an acceptable cup, but you may choose to bite the bullet and purchase an organic coffee roaster.

"Radiant drum roasting" is yet another way to roast your organic coffee beans. You can roast more coffee beans at a time, but here is a disadvantage to a drum roaster. You are not able to observe the beans while they are heating and tumbling in the drum, so you have to depend on the smell to know when they have been roasted to your desired tastes. They also smoke a bit more, so you make want to do the roasting in this organic coffee roaster outside or in the garage.

Coffee direct from the roaster, or coffee grower, is really the way to enjoy your next cup of coffee. It is impossible to really know what coffee's true taste is if you are constantly buying the already ground coffee which has been sitting in cans, on shelves, for weeks or even months.

The joy of coffee is not just the rush from the caffeine, but in the partaking of the aroma, the rich color, the taste of the first sip, and the pleasure from it. Drinking coffee is an experience much like drinking fine wine or smoking a truly good cigar.

Getting coffee direct from the roaster ensures the maximum of flavor and freshness. Coffee is at the ultimate of flavor immediately after it is roasted. When coffee is roasted they are then in a race against time as they slowly, but surely, begin to lose its fresh taste. If you really enjoy your coffee then this is the time when you want to buy it.

Coffee is an art. There is a right, and a wrong, way to brew the perfect cup of coffee. If you're willing to go out and buy good coffee, then you should prepare it the right way. First off, don't buy already ground coffee.

Coffee direct from the roasters should always be in bean form. The freshness and flavor are still there. Once the air hits them, it begins to diminish the quality, and over a short period of time coffee loses it's boldness.

When grinding your coffee beans make sure that you are grinding the exact amount you will be using. Any extra is really useless as it will lose the aroma and flavor quickly. Sure, it will still taste like coffee, but not the way coffee should be. Spoon the coffee into your brewer of choice and let it brew.

Brewing coffee is also something you want to take into consideration with your coffee direct beans. Some machines get too hot and burn your coffee making it a waste.

One of the simplest, and cheapest, ways to brew fresh ground coffee beans is with a coffee press. A coffee press is simple a jar with a screen on the top, a plunger and a tube.

You simply place the coffee on the bottom of the jar, add hot water, let it brew for 4 minutes, and plunge the great tasting coffee right into your cup.

Since time is of the essence, then spending some time researching for a direct seller near you will reap tremendous rewards. Most online coffee direct sellers are located in places where UPS can deliver your coffee the next day ensuring you of great coffee every time you order it. Buying coffee direct from roasters or growers is a great way to truly enjoy coffee the way it should be.

Drinking quality coffee should be an experience. Whether you are at home or at the nearest Starbucks it should be enjoyable.

I am an avid coffee lover. What better way to enjoy coffee than by getting a coffee espresso machine? There are so many to choose from, the choice is bewildering. We can separate the various espresso machines into three categories.

The first category is what I like to call fully automatic. The fully automatic machine does everything for you. You load it with coffee, water, etc. and just push the button. The second category is partly automatic. This requires your intervention and some of the process is automated. The benefit to these type of machines is that they allow you to have more control over how you want the coffee extraction to go.

Last, but not least is the manual machine. This is my favorite. I don't need any automation, just give me a machine with a handle press and I'm ready to go!

Who makes a good coffee espresso machine? There are many specialty manufacturers and the price can go into the thousands of dollars. Even the mainstream coffee machine manufacturers have offerings that are reasonable.

Krups, Bosch, Capresso and others make great coffee machines. What are the features to look for? If we are talking fully automatic, it should have an integrated burr grinder, high-capacity bean hopper, high-wattage heater, high-pressure pump and automated cleaning cycles. It should also have an integrated frother for lattes.

If we are looking at the semi-automatic models, then look for high-quality components, large boilers, stainless steel components, high-quality portafilters, etc. The manual models are my favorite for many reasons. I like simplicity and quality.

Choose a model with stainless steel or chrome plated parts for maximum durability and minimal interaction with the coffee and water. I simply do not like any plastic components coming in contact with very hot water and/or the coffee. Plastic parts should be avoided if you are an avid espresso coffee fan.

If you are an avid coffee consumer and only the very best will do, then do yourself a favor and get the best coffee espresso machine that you can afford. The investment will be well worth it as you'll enjoy the very best espresso coffee for years to come.

Bulk coffee is available online at a large discount. Keep in mind that shipping costs are a factor since the coffee beans are shipped in 5-25 pound bags. Make sure that the coffee distributor you choose to order your coffee from is located near you.

This will help cut down on delivery costs and delivery times. I usually like to get my coffee order the next day. That cuts down my available choices, but I would not want to pay overnight shipping fees on 25 pound bags of coffee.

There are many bulk coffee programs out there. You can usually save if you join a plan where a certain amount of coffee is shipped to you each month. How much coffee you have to order varies by company so be sure to check the terms of each plan. Most house blend coffees that are up for sale come from various vendors.

Expect to see a blend of coffee from Kenya, Sumatra, South America and Central America. You should test the quality of the coffee by buying the lowest quantity you can. Personally, I like to buy coffee in small amounts and I only buy the best.

If you have a coffee house, diner or restaurant, then you will probably have need of lots of coffee. As I said before, you probably own a restaurant or large office if you are buying bulk coffee. It is a good idea to get a commercial grade coffee machine if you are going to make large amounts of coffee.

Regular home coffee makers are very slow at making coffee and they don't make the water hot enough to extract the optimum flavor from the coffee bean. If you are wondering why your home brewed coffee does not taste the same as it does in the store, this is one of the reasons why. Water temperature during brewing matters a lot. If you don't need lots of coffee, don't buy large bags.

Yes, you can save money if you buy a 25 pound bag, but if it takes a year to use up so much coffee then don't do it. The last cup will be totally devoid of any flavor. Only buy as much coffee as you'll be using in the next month maximum.

Kona coffee is one of my favorite coffees. I could go on and on, but you really have to taste it to understand why people love it so much. This coffee comes from the Big Island of Hawaii. The coffee plant was brought to the island in the nineteenth century and was Brazilian in origin. Today, there are many small farms on Hawaii that grow this wonderful type of coffee. My favorite is the peaberry version, the one with the small coffee beans.

If you are going to go through the expense of having Kona coffee delivered to you, you might as well do it right. First off, buy the beans, don't buy the coffee already ground. Grind only as much coffee as you will consume in a day.

I have measured how much it takes to fill my coffee press and I only grind one press full at a time. Oh, by the way, I don't use a coffee maker. I use a coffee press. Basically, a coffee press is a glass jar with a top piece that is attached to a plunger with a screen attached to it. You put the coffee in the bottom, pour hot water into the jar, let it brew for at least 4 minutes and then push down on the plunger which strains the coffee and keeps the coffee grounds on the bottom.

This method of making coffee blows away my $200 Capresso coffee maker. Really, this $30 device makes the best coffee I've ever tasted.

Enough with the coffee brewing lesson already. If you buy Kona coffee, make sure it is 100% Kona coffee. Do not buy a blend. Usually blends will have as much as 90% cheap coffee mixed in and you should not pay a premium for that. I would recommend you try the smallest size available, usually an 8oz. bag of coffee to start. If you like it, by all means, save money by ordering several pounds of coffee beans at a time. Personally, I like to buy my coffee beans fresh every month despite the higher cost. For me, freshness is the top consideration.