The Basics of Coffee Bean Roasting
March 2nd, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed
Home wine makers will be happy to hear that roasting coffee beans is even easier - and the results are often as good as the pros.
A variety of roaster types are available, but even a frying pan or popcorn popper can be used. Be sure to start with ultra-clean equipment, though. Nothing spoils the taste of coffee like left over fish oils or butter.
Dark roasts contain a little less caffeine than lighter roasts, but they lack the acid taste of the latter. Be sure to start with quality beans, of course!
The beans will need to heat to between 460F (223C) and 530F (262C), so be prepared for some smoke. That’s easily taken care of with a small room fan or stove top exhaust. Beyond the smoke there will be an odor, so your first experiments should probably be done with the windows open and no one home.
Put the beans in the roaster and turn up the heat! (Take care to be ready to temporarily disable those over-sensitive home fire alarms.)
For some roasters, the thermometer is built-in, but you may want to have an extra for when it’s open, or for those frying pan experiments. Candy making thermometers work well for the purpose.
During the process those green beans will turn yellow, then brown. How brown depends on how dark you like your roast, which is always an individual choice.
As they begin to heat up, moisture - both oil and water - will put pressure on the bean surface and you may hear a loud crack when it bursts. Not to worry, this is normal. Stirring every 30 seconds or more, you’ll hear this after four to seven minutes of heating.
The sugars inside will begin to caramelize (turn brown and ‘burn’ slightly) as the roasting continues. Again the degree is a matter of taste. Check the color every 30 seconds or so.
Roast long enough and sometimes a second loud crack will occur. At this stage the beans will be quite dark and for some palates a little overdone. Beyond the second crack you’re really just burning the beans and boiling away the sugars. The results will be too harsh for most.
Pour into a metal colander to cool, then agitate. Since the roasting process produces chaff (a fine skin that detaches from the bean as they’re agitated), you’ll want some method for removing it. Mesh cooking screens are one option.
Try a few batches with varying degrees of time or darkening. Experiment to get the flavor you like. Keep in mind that the heat trapped in the bean will continue to cook it for a short while, so try stopping a little short of your desired end goal.
For the popcorn popper style roasting, be sure to get one that allows you to stir up the beans to keep them moving around and not sticking to the surfaces. For the stove top style, a cast iron skillet works great. Be prepared for lots of stirring and viewing. Roasting happens quickly!
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Why Use A Home Coffee Roaster?
October 31st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Every moment around the world someone is starting their day with a fresh cup off coffee. What type of coffee they choose is a personal choice and could include instant coffee or freshly ground. Today there is a growing trend to prepare un-roasted or “green” coffee beans at home using a coffee roaster. By doing this they are guaranteed the freshest coffee available.
Some other reasons to use a Coffee Roaster are:
It saves money in the long run, as the “green” coffee beans are generally 30% cheaper than roasted coffee beans bought over the counter.
It is easier to switch varieties of coffee, even on a daily basis, without any of them going stale. Green coffee beans can be stored for as long as a year before the beans will start to lose any of their flavors.
Methods for Using a Coffee Roaster
Most methods for using a coffee roaster are extremely simple and take a short amount of time. One of the most popular methods is the air roasting method. This method uses a stream of hot air to roast the coffee, much in the same manner as an electric hot air popcorn popper makes popcorn. This coffee roaster method takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish and roasts the coffee evenly without burning or scorching the coffee. Appliances that utilize this method can cost anywhere from $50 to $200 depending on the model.
Another coffee roaster method typically used is radiant drum roasting. This method roasts the coffee while rotating it in a hot drum to ensure that the coffee beans roast evenly. This method takes nearly twice as long as the hot air coffee roaster method and requires the individual to pay a lot more attention to the roasting process as the coffee beans can burn easily. A radiant drum roaster can handle much more coffee at a time, up to a pound for some models.
If you can make popcorn at home you can roast coffee. It can take between 6 - 20 minutes to roast coffee beans depending on the method used to roast the beans. You could choose to roast a batch that will last you several days, and the results will be better than or as good as what you can buy over the counter. If your looking for the best coffee you have ever tasted I would recommend having a look at Mystic Monk Coffee that is roasted by monks passionate about coffee.
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