Coffee

Raw coffee beans get the do-it-yourself treatment as java aficionados jump at the chance to roast their own blend.

A new wave of Los Angeles-area cafes is brewing up more sophisticated flavors with a mix of methods. The result? A jolt to a coffee culture steeped in ho-hum tastes.

The best microroasters are treating their coffees like fine wines, sourcing great single-origin beans and fashioning estate blends.