I did the green bean thing a few years ago, and even had an air roaster (I think you can use popcorn poppers too). It did smell good, and noticeably tastier, but IMO not worth the trouble long-term.
I do have a question... one of my co-workers swears by hand grinding beans instead of power grounding like I do with my little Braun grinder. Is hand grinding worthwhile? Something about burning the beans, right?
Some electric grinders can get a little warm while grinding a larger amount of beans. To be safe, go with a conical burr grinder. You'll get better consistency of the grind and there is very little heat generated from the friction of the grind.
Do you want to know the secret to a great cup of coffee? Buy premium-grade beans or better. That's pretty much it. Most of the other "tricks of the trade" are just that - tricks. Marketing gimmicks, mostly, because commercial coffee houses and retailers need to hit their margins and can't afford top quality. That's why they're always "blending" so much. It's a cost-saving mechanism...and most drinkers don't know the difference anyway.