Saveur

Scientists have identified over 800 compounds in roasted coffee that contribute to taste, more than can be found in a fine red wine. An understanding of the roast requirements and the nuances of beans makes the difference between a bitter, burnt brew and sweet ambrosia. Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters is widely regarded as a leader in the specialty coffee industry for its attention to quality, sustainability, and freshness. It has been roasting coffee in Olympia, Washington, since 1986, and Atlanta, Georgia, since 1994, and its coffee buyers and roasters are known to be among the nation's finest. Its Web site, www.DancingGoats.com, is an invaluable resource for information about coffees.

While caffeine provides an incentive for most coffee lovers, others prefer their stimulation to come from taste without caffeine, making the decaffeination process a crucial element. No discussion of coffee can be complete without a mention of SWISS WATER® decaffeinated coffee. Roasters rely on SWISS WATER® to ensure that the greatest of care and attention to detail are applied to the decaffeination process. You do not have to sacrifice taste quality to enjoy decaf coffee. The SWISS WATER® process is certified for the decaffeination of organically grown coffees and is a pure water, 100 percent chemical-free method. It is a wholesome, taste-driven, and precise decaffeination process used by premium roasters and retailers and demanded by discerning decaf drinkers around the world.

For the ultimate coffee connoisseur, the ability to try one's hand at home roasting is the next step. Until now, good sources for unroasted coffee and reasonably priced equipment were hard to find. The Internet has brought the art of specialty coffee collecting, roasting, and savoring direct to the home.

Green (unroasted) coffee can be roasted to perfection more than a year after being harvested. You can create your own "house blend," from the classic lighter city roast to the darkest French roast. Generally considered the best home roaster available, the Gene Café Roaster puts you in total control. With this superior machine you and your guests will enjoy the best and freshest cup of coffee you have ever tasted. For more information on the Gene Café Roaster, visit www.freshbeansinc.com.

Absolutely crucial in making the "perfect cup" is a high-quality brewer. Now you can have the full artisanal coffeehouse experience and test your "inner barista" right in your own kitchen with a DçLonghi espresso machine. These brewers are beautifully designed to produce perfect espresso, latte, and cappuccino, cup after cup, every time. In the tradition of the finest machines with a modern twist, DçLonghi captures the art of espresso.

Recognizing that coffee is essential to a full culinary experience, specialty coffee producers have found an excited audience in gourmet specialty food suppliers such as Sun-Rich. An international purveyor of gourmet foods, Sun-Rich travels the globe to secure the finest foods the world has to offer, while promoting the well-being of the people working to create these delicacies. Sun-Rich offers some of the finest and rarest coffees from around the world—Sumatra, Kenya, New Guinea, Nicaragua, Nepal, and Hawaii. Grown on the foothills of the Himalayan Mountain range, its Nepalese Grande Himalayan coffee is one of the rarest coffees in the world. Find out more at www.sunrichgourmet.com.

Coffee is the new wine. Discover the delights of an artisanal roaster, whose expertise will guide you through a world of subtle flavor, or pick up a pound of green (unroasted) estate-grown beans and begin a self-guided journey to the ultimate coffee taste by roasting in your own home.

The diversity and nuance, the history and skill, the sublime experience, and the startling new tastes are waiting for you to explore. Just like wine, a great cup of coffee with the right atmosphere and food pairing can be a transcendental experience.