Talking of beans...

I suggested that the company three of us work for purchyase a Gaggia bean-to-cup coffee machine, and to my amazement, they went for it (the Titanium, was the one we bought, good price from Wheesh.com).

I've been in love with Gaggia bean-to-cup automatics since I first saw one in action a couple of years ago. We were visiting some Italian friends of my in-laws, who had a dream set-up: a proper pizza oven and a Gaggia.

Ironically, I have ordered my own non-automatic Gaggia, the machine they call a Coffee, but it still hasn't arrived. It's among the special offers on the Gaggia UK web site - in yellow only for £145.

For the past two or three years, I've been using a pod machine (a Philips Senseo), which makes a "good enough" brew quickly and easily, with no mess. I've stocked up on as many different varieties of pod coffee as possible on all my trips to France (because the machines came out there first, they have a much wider variety available), and I've been enjoying the machine, which is a relatively cheap one to buy (saw it in Saino's for 49 quid this weekend).

Still, the nagging thought at the back of my mind was that I wanted a Gaggia. Many other makes of coffee machine are available, some of which may even be better, but I tend to hone in on brands that I like, that have a vibe about them, so I knew I'd only regret buying something else.

With the machine installed in the office, it became necessary to road test a variety of beans, so I've been ordering sample packs from various places, and we've tried a variety, at prices ranging from £5 per kilo for cheap shit to £20 (!) a kilo for Illy.

Mmmmmm.... Illy.

Many people, if asked, would shrug their shoulders when asked what kind of coffee they preferred. It's been amazing how many people now regularly use the Gaggia who previously drank instant (myself, I made filter coffee using a Whittards one-cup gold filter - a method I commend to anyone who works in an office with a boiler that doesn't quite boil the water), and equally amazing how different each coffee variety has tasted.

This morning we had an insipid, thin, mostly tasteless brew; this afternoon's is bitter with a strong aftertaste of tobacco (or ashtrays). To my tastebuds, nothing has quite matched the Illy.

Illy is another brand who do things right. I would love to work in their marketing department. From the design of the tins that the coffee comes in and their wonderful logo, to the lovely cups you will find in some cafés (available from Zoxx.com), Illy have the right vibe. Illy even do special edition cups, designed by various artistes, so you can become obsessed with collecting them -as I already am.

I want to have the Illy logo tattooed on my heart.

But even the Illy, even that, I'm starting to think, is not good enough. Because the truth is out there, and the truth (so I'm told) is that, until you have tasted coffee made from beans that were roasted yesterday, you don't know you're born.

And it turns out green beans are cheaper to buy.

And it turns out that you can use a home popcorn machine (hot air type) to roast your own beans.

This is nothing new to internet coffee freaks, but is all new to me, starting about a fortnight ago.

Watch this space!