If you guys really want to take your coffee game to the upper stratosphere, there's only one place left to go....
Freshly roasted beans. There's a restaurant in Tampa known as Bern's steakhouse; one of the top steak joints in the USA.
After you are done eating, you go to an entirely separate restaurant upstairs which specializes in gourmet desserts.
The founder of the restaurant being so anal over details demanded that fresh green beans were to be roasted, ground, and brewed all in the same kitchen.
Holy fuck. Best cup of joe I've ever had bar none. I had 3.
The aromas, the freshness, the flavor profile. The fresh roasting of beans ensures that you are getting the best cup of coffee imaginable. I'd imagine it would make your home smell damn good inside too.
Just found this thread and thanking you for the memories.
Bern's is my Dad's neighborhood he grew up in been around for ever. I remember passing Bern's all the time when visiting my grandma in Tampa in the 80's.
Obviously there's some little barista etiquette/techniques that go a long way to really round out your perfect cup.
Fresh roasted beans, ground with a good conical burr grinder, using a pour over brewer, brewed into a pre-warmed cup you should be golden.
For those who don't know, the standard coffee makers don't get the water temperature quite hot enough to really release all of the flavors.
Boil your water in a kettle, vent the kettle for 2 minutes until the temp drops from 212F. Slowly pour the hot water over the grounds until you get that bloom. Don't go too fast, and try your damnest not to wet the grounds around the edges, keep your water pour directly in the middle of "the payload."
Happy brewing.