Wanna have some fun? Roast some decent, mellow beans to a nice, dark, shiny color. Something like a Mandheling, Colombian, Mocha blend or something like that. In particular look fo some beans with a natural sweetness like the Mandheling and the Mocha and some dark, smoothness like the Colombian.

      After roasting, wait about 24 hours and then grind it coarse and take it to the home of an acquaintance whom you are visiting- this works best with someone that you just met that doesn't know about the depths of your coffee knowledge and whom you know likes coffee.

      Greet them and tell them that you brought them something. Hand them the container of coffee, and as they smell it and utter the ubiquitous, "Geee.. That smells good," ask them to make up a pot. When they agree, and are in the midst of scooping, THEN is the time to tell them that you roasted it yourself.. at home. The look on their faces is one of shock as they realize that they just agreed to brew some of this stuff (It's a look of, "urrr.. Uhh.. You roasted this.. It's coffee, and YOU roasted it..? I'm going to drink this home coffee stuff?" and like that). It's hard not to laugh, but control yourself!

      Be sure to tell them to use a little less than they normally do with their store-bought coffee. This is particularly true if they are accustomed to Folgers, MJB, or other such commercial coffees. As it is brewing you can depend on some sort of comment about how good it smells, so be prepared with a half-hearted, "Uh huh."

      Of course, when they first take a sip their attitude changes. Their faces invariably light up, and the next thing out of their mouths is, "Geee! This really IS good!" as if they expected it to be something else. At that point you realize that, in most cases, it's the best coffee they ever tasted! Now the education starts, because they will ask, "What kind of coffee is this again?" and they are quite ready to find out about the hows and whys of making this stuff. At this point, if you are careful to include how economical home roasting coffee is, how easy it is to get green coffee, how long green lasts, and how fresh-roasted coffee is so much better, you will have converted yet another.

      They say that "the proof is in the pudding" and it is so true. You can talk all you want about the taste of coffee, varieties of beans, the sins of over-roasting, the taste of the over-age, oily. supermarket beans till you are blue in the face, but it means nothing until you can get someone to taste the difference.

      Who thought you could have so much fun with coffee?