David Hochman wrote:When the 140-pound wooden crate arrived from Seattle's Espresso Specialists, La Marzocco's American rep, I was more than ready. In anticipation of GS/3- hood, I had pored over how-to guides on CoffeeGeek and www.homebarista.com, gathered the finest, freshest roasts and stocked up on supplies worthy of the machine, like the Daliesque coffee stirrers from El Bulli chef Ferran Adria's Faces collection ($40, available from Le Sanctuaire in Santa Monica, California).

With a Starbucks on nearly every corner and a Mr. Coffee in nearly every home, it is an understatement to say that coffee is a well-rooted part of American cuisine. And while 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year worldwide, it might seem that coffee consumption would be at a plateau, but its desirability is at an all-time high. In The Coffee Companion, coffee lovers will find a thoroughly spectacular guide to help them continue their coffee consumption, with only the best coffees of the world. This richly illustrated guide describes and rates more than 150 coffees from around the world, including tips on roasting, grinding, and blending beans to create the perfect brew. For the true connoisseur, there's also an in-depth coverage of estate coffees plus expert guidance on tasting coffee properly. Top it off with a delectable collection of recipes for classic coffee drinks. Not just an indispensable book for coffee lovers everywhere, The Coffee Companion is a visual hymn to all (the best) things coffee.

Over the whines and hisses of brewing espresso, several self-described coffee geeks shout "Money shot!" and "Party foul!" while testing their barista skills on the Rolls Royce of coffee makers.

At 7:30 a.m. on Fridays, about a dozen men -- mainly engineers and scientists by profession, some dressed in T-shirts and jeans, others in RTP-appropriate dress-shirts and slacks -- gather at Counter Culture Coffee. The Durham coffee roaster hosts these weekly gatherings at its barista training center so these men can play with a special edition La Marzocco FB-80, a gleaming, chrome and blue machine that can brew three espresso shots at once and costs $14,000.

On a recent Friday, Dan Kehn, the espresso-obsessed Cary man behind http://www.home-barista.com, and Kevin Krautwald, a telecommunications engineer at Tekelec, are manning the La Marzocco FB-80. The two make shot after shot, while the others evaluate. Akin to a wine tasting, they inspect. They sniff. They sip. They swirl. They repeat.

Holding a small white cup and judging his handiwork, Kehn says, "That is pretty. I beat you there, buddy."

"Mine tastes better," Krautwald retorts.

Dan Kehn as quoted in the McGill Tribune wrote:The richest king in the world is not having a better coffee than me today.