Grow a Coffee Tree!

Coffee beans come form coffee plants. Generally they are grown in tropical and subtropical climates, but it is possible to grow a coffee tree in other regions as long as the climate isn't too extreme (three month long sub zero winters are out). To start, you need a live coffee seed - unground coffee beans from Starbucks won't do. You can also buy coffee plants from some nurseries. Robusta beans are considered inferior to Arabica, but Robusta plants are easier to grow, so you probably want to start with them. Both the climate and the soil affect the final taste of the beans, and there have been various books written on the subject in great detail. As most people are limited to where they live to grow their coffee, it's not really worth worrying about this, except to make sure that it is possible to grow a coffee plant in your climate.

Coffee takes about three to five years to grow to the point where coffee fruit is produced (known as coffee cherries). Inside the fruit are the coffee beans. Once the beans are ripe, they are removed from the cherry, soaked in water for a couple days, dried out and then finally roasted. Don't expect your coffee to taste the same as premium coffee brewed from beans that have been carefully and professionally tended though. Although the taste won't be quite up to that level, the satisfaction of growing your own coffee will make up for that.