There are as many ways to enjoy coffee in Toronto as there are people who love it, so take your java beyond the usual cup of joe with experiences you can only have in this city.

Here are some absolute musts for the coffee aficionado in Toronto.

Pull up a stool at Toronto's original tasting bar

A wraparound tasting bar at Pilot Coffee Roasters on Wagstaff means you can get in-depth interaction with your barista whole you admire their minimal Modbar espresso machine, and taste samples of different coffees brewed using espresso and immersion methods.

Savour a pourover from one of the country's rare Poursteady machines

Landscape Coffee Roasters in Etobicoke is equipped with one of only three Poursteady machines in Canada, which are programmed by iPad to produce perfect coffee every time.

Taste the quality of coffee you get from the Poursteady at Landscape Coffee Roasters. Photo by Fareen Karim.

Attend a barista or latte art competition

The Canadian chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association regularly hosts championship events in categories like latte art right here in Toronto.

Get your own custom blend designed to your tastes

Finding a good coffee can feel like going on blind dates sometimes, so local startup Matchmaker Coffee ands you various coffee samples and scorecards and then uses algorithms to find your coffee match made in heaven.

Stock up on all the essential gear

Reunion Island Coffee Roasters is already one of the best places in town to grab a coffee, but did you know they also sell way more than cutesy travel mugs and bags of beans like most cafes? Find several kinds of filters and kettles here for all your home brewing needs.

Reunion Island does great coffee plus it has all the gear to get you started at home. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Get a coffee education 

Not only are there lots of places to drink coffee in Toronto, there are also plenty of places to learn about it. Whether you want to bone up on your barista skills or find out more about roasting, there's a class or workshop in town designed just for you.

Take a tour of the essential Toronto coffee shops

If you're looking for the best third wave coffee in town, you're going to want to make your way through this list of the 50 essential indie cafes in Toronto. For the best of the newest arrivals, make sure to consult this list. For a directory of all the cafes, you can find that here.

Roast your own beans Ethiopian style

At Buna Coffee, don't just drink coffee that's been roasted from green beans; actually roast them yourself in a small pan under the watchful guidance of experts. You can also experience a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony here. Mofer Coffee also roasts before your eyes.

Buna Coffee is where to get your Ethopian coffee fix in Toronto. Photo by Jesse Milns.

Drink Greek coffee that's brewed in sand

At Coffee Island, skip the usual espresso, pourover or drip and treat yourself to a strong coffee that's been brewed using an ancient hot sand method. It's almost as cool to watch as it is delicious. Cafe Serano on Pape does this well too.

Drink a Turkish coffee the way they make it in Istanbul

Toronto actually has the only location of Turkish cafe At Origin in North America, where you can sample the same style of coffees that are being sipped on by caffeine enthusiasts in Turkey.