"Tom Littleton" wrote in message
news:K_whj.18718$Xo1.15470@trnddc06...


never have bothered to roast the stuff myself(and, yet, I have frequently
roasted peanuts and other beans, so I figure it isn't beyond
comprehension).

Peanuts, sure. What other beans does one roast?

However, I do, whenever possible grind my own blends and try a lot of
different roasted beans. The real Blue Mountain is nice, several African
beans I have had are unique tasting, sort of winey in flavor. I do often
mix the latter with some sort of Central American arabica into a blend
that suits my none-too-sophisticated palate. At any rate, simply going
fresh-ground beats the crap in cans, so I would imagine that roasting
would add something as well, along with the usual do it yourself sort of
satisfaction with the process.

Aside from the self-evident freshness (and granting that fresh is
better.....which no one here has contested) factor, roasting also adds one
degree or another of ritual, a consideration easily dismissed by some, but
important to many others.

Wolfgang