"The best cup of coffee has beautiful foam, coffee ground just before brewing, the perfect proportion of espresso, milk, and flavoring, and last but not least, service with a smile," says Rachael Vonhof.

And she should know. Vonhof works as a barista in a coffee shop in Northern California, an area has long cultivated a reputation for satisfying the varied palates of coffee connoisseurs.

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Coffee drinkers shell out almost $12 billion a year buying their java. But the perfect cup of coffee doesn't have to come from a coffee bar or specialty shop -- it can be made just as easily at home.

Clean It Up

Coffee fanatic and blogger David Finnamore has spent more than a decade pursuing the perfect cup of coffee. He said it all begins with a clean machine.

"Coffee has oils in it, and oils are sticky," he said. "Any coffee residue left in the brewer or pot from the previous brew cycle has gone stale or rancid, if it's been more than a couple of hours; you don't want that stuff flavoring your fresh coffee."

Washing pots with baking soda and water after every use keeps coffee from tasting stale. Using a mesh filter in your coffee maker will be a boon for the brew's taste, as well, because paper filters can leave bleaches, chlorine and dyes in your coffee.

Picking Beans

Once you're ready to get to the beans, it is probably a good idea just to purchase a small amount. Coffee beans only stay fresh between one and two weeks. If the bag was vacuum-sealed right after the beans were roasted, it will stay fresh about six months. Be sure to check the expiration date on the package.

According to Finnamore, African and Arabian coffees are freshest in late winter and early spring. In late spring and early summer, Latin American coffees are best. In late summer through early winter, choose Asian coffees.

There are two varieties of coffee beans -- Arabica and Robusta. The Arabica beans are the original coffee bean, and the Robustas are a hybrid created to grow faster in more climates and produce a higher yield per acre. Most coffee drinkers and vendors agree that Arabica beans tend to create more flavorful blends. But Robustas contain more caffeine.

Three-fourths of coffee cultivated is Arabica, which usually originates from Latin America. Robusta is grown in central Africa and Asia. Many commercial coffee blends use Robusta as an inexpensive substitute, and some coffee houses use the bean in espresso blends.

In July, Kraft Foods announced that it was eliminating Robusta beans from its Maxwell House regular blend as part of a quality initiative. Procter & Gamble, Kraft's main rival, said it was keeping Robusta as part of its Folgers Arabica blend, because of its body and full-flavored taste.

Folgers Annie Bengio said that if she finds her coffee a bit bitter tasting, she has a special ingredient.

"I usually add a little cinnamon," she said.

Ground Rules

How coffee is ground also plays a big part in the end result. Grinding your own coffee beans is another way to ensure freshness.

But when preparing, remember to consider your style of java. Coffee ground for an espresso machine is different than the grounds for drip coffee, Vonhof said.

Espresso machine grounds are very fine because it only brews for about 20 seconds; drip coffee grounds are coarser for a longer steep.

Burr grinders, which are more expensive than their blade grinder counterparts, create less mess and grind more evenly. Some coffee machines have grinders built in.

Brew Matters

Brewing is another important component in getting a great tasting drink.

Brew in water between 190 degrees and 205 degrees for 90 percent of the time.

A ratio of two tablespoons of coffee to every six ounces of water is recommended. Brewers agree that it is important to keep the correct ratio, as too little water doesn't extract the full coffee flavor and too much water makes for a weak cup.

Most concerned coffee houses use filtered water, as tap water can alter the taste of the brew. At home, water from a Brita or Pur filter works well. Since coffee is roughly 90 percent water, it can be worthwhile to make the investment.

The Next Level

Linda Stradley, author of "What's Cooking America," said a process called cupping takes tasting fine coffees to the next level.

"First you slurp the coffee. You then swirl the coffee around the surface of your tongue and mouth to obtain the full experience of the taste sensation in the nose and on the tongue," she says on her Web site.

After swallowing a sip, the mouth and tongue can register a slight residue of coffee. This is similar to the concept of the finish in wine.

Also like wine, coffee has a nose drinkers can savor. To do so, take a sip of coffee. As soon as it reaches your tongue, notice how it releases aromas inside the mouth.

For some, the perfect cup may be a matter of science. For others, it is an art form. But for coffee drinker John Ryan, it's just a matter of attire.

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