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Great coffee is a lot like great wine. There's a process that takes place after the harvest that brings out the sweetness, the acidity and other components of flavor.

There are a number of terms associated with coffee roasting. Among them are the following:

Roaster: the person who roasts coffee or the machine in which coffee is roasted. Commercial roasters are often large drums that circulate heated air and the coffee beans.

Home roaster: someone who roasts their own coffee of the machine in which one can roast coffee to their own liking. Home roasters can be revolving drums or heated air units - similar to air poppers for popcorn.

Greens: green coffee beans that are added to the roaster.

Drying stage: the period of the roasting cycle in which moisture within the greens is removed.

Cinnamon Stage: this is the time period in which the greens begin to turn a yellow-tan color and the carmelization of the sugars begins.

First Pop: this is the time in which the cell structure of the green coffee beans begins to break down, evidenced by a popping or cracking sound.

Second Pop: this is the stage at which oils are released from within the coffee bean; dark roasted coffees are brought to this stage.

Cooling: Because coffee reaches temperatures of nearly 500 degrees during the roasting process, it is important as it allows the roasting process to complete. Sometimes this is accomplished through circulated air, others, "water quenching" is used.

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