By the time Sarah found herself on the roasting floor, inhaling the nutty, caramelized aroma of freshly tumbled coffee beans, she had already walked an unconventional path. A self-proclaimed coffee enthusiast in college, she never imagined that a marriage proposal would lead to something more than lifelong partnership—it would lead her straight into the belly of a roaring, fire-breathing coffee roaster.

Introduced to the art of roasting by her husband, Sarah was at first wary. The idea of standing over a machine billowing heat and smoke, its steel drum turning with the slow, hypnotic rhythm of alchemy, seemed more intimidating than inviting. There was the smell, yes—heady and intoxicating, but also dense, all-encompassing, inescapable. And then there were the questions of safety, toxicity, and the invisible threats that might be carried in the very air she breathed. But as any good scientist—and Sarah, with her background in animal behavior, was nothing if not methodical—would tell you, curiosity tends to win out over fear.