Founded in 1995 in Chicago, Intelligentsia holds a place of pride among the specialty-coffee big guns. The buying team cumulatively racks up 365 days a year with their growers, working alongside farmers to develop crops specifically for the company.

But what we like most is the expertise and creativity of their baristas. They’ve got training labs in Atlanta, L.A., and New York, and each morning baristas will cup the coffees, figure out what’s good, and choose a special preparation for the day that really brings out the flavor of the beans.