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Coffee: the get-up-and-go juice of men and women around the world; the elixir every insomniac worships; and the drinkable oil that greases the cogs of our restless mind. Whatever coffee means to you, no one will argue that coffee has deep roots in the culture of our society. Coffee can bring two distinctively opposite individuals together in a ranting, super-charged explosion of camaraderie only describable as totally remarkable and inspiring. No one would dare deny that a good cup of gourmet coffee is one rung higher on that latter of inspired preeminence than an average blend of coffee.

What makes an average coffee better than average or gourmet coffee? This simple question is not so simple to answer. The process starts with a single, little, dark bean. However, that bean has an awe-inspiring story itself. The quality of a coffee bean depends vastly on where and how that particular coffee bean is grown. The cultivation process is as important as the elevation, temperature, and weather of the surrounding area of the coffee bean. Of course, the temperature and weather of the surrounding area is subject to continuous change; therefore, the quality of a coffee bean is going to change from year to year.

Not surprisingly, coffee beans are handpicked and handled with extreme care to produce the highest quality possible. After the coffee bean has reached the processor's plant, the coffee bean is separated, then is prepared for immediate roasting. The roasting process heats the coffee bean to an extremely high temperature. The longer the coffee bean is kept in the extreme heat, the darker the roast of the coffee beans. The darker the coffee bean, the less caffeine the coffee bean generates in that everyday cup of java. In addition, the darker the coffee bean is in the end, the less weight that coffee bean actually weighs. Surprisingly, Europeans enjoy a darker coffee blend than the American consumers.

Immediately after being removed from the extreme temperature of the roasting process, coffee beans are exceptionally absorbent. This is the most popular time to add additional flavorings and additives that make a good gourmet coffee. Of course, there are enormous optional factors to any gourmet coffee. Now we are going to explore these options and discuss in detail the enormous possibilities associated with gourmet coffees. Grab yourself a cup of java, relax, and let's walk, hop, or skip down this explorative path of truth as we explore the phenomenon of gourmet coffee!