I have a friend who roasts his own coffee beans. It's amazing, the coffee is truly fabulous and no doubt rewarding for him. But I don't have the commitment or the roaster, so for me Illy coffee makes a pretty good second place. American coffee is typically over-roasted, burnt, and smoky. Illy is subtle and complex, and highly rewarding.
This is a great read from Charles Scicolone's blog if you're interested: http://ow.ly/21asq Sent from my iPhone