Roast − 31 December, 2006
So: we roasted our own coffee beans. If you like seeing to things yourself and are a coffee addict, then this is one activity that you shouldn't pass up. The mechanics and resources are easy cand cheap enough, respectively, so that anyone can get started, but it takes a while to become a master roaster.
Necessary starting items:
Instructions for roasting your own coffee at home:
Necessary starting items:
- Green (unroasted) coffee beans -- Fair Trade-certified, Organic green beans preferred ($3.75 from Dean's Beans at the time of this writing).
- Hot-air popcorn popper -- the higher the watts, the better (the one we used was ~$15 used on eBay)
- Baking sheet, cutting board or some other large, flat surface on which to set the roasted beans.
- Love of coffee, DIY spirit and 'tude.
Instructions for roasting your own coffee at home:
- Place a small amount of green coffee beans in your hot-air popcorn popper.
- Turn it on.
- Heat the green beans until they reach a dark color.
- Remove the beans onto your baking sheet or other cool, dry flat surface.
- Wait until they cool; the beans may become oily, which is a good thing (oil = flava).
- Grind, brew, drink and ahhhhhhhh...
Coffee roasting at home
Coffee roasting at home
Coffee roasting at home
Coffee beans, lightly...
Coffee beans, mostly...
Coffee beans, mostly...
Coffee beans, lightly...
Coffee beans, roasted...
Comments:
cmundy (January 4, 2007. 04:26am)
You have inspired me! I am going to order coffee beans on the internet tomorrow and try this!
jcolman (January 4, 2007. 11:14am)
Thanks, Carrie, good luck with it! Post your photos! The hot-air popcorn popper that we got for our friends off of eBay was so strong that it actually ejected most of the green beans before they were roasted, which is why they appear so light in these photos. When we've roasted at home in the past with our own popper, they've turned out nice and dark.<br><br>I was actually inspired by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/mezzoblue/sets/72057594104267809/">Dave Shea</a> (Flickr) and the low-low price of <a href="http://www.deansbeans.com/coffee/products/home_roasting.html">purchasing green beans</a> from Dean's Beans (US$3.75).
kga245 (January 7, 2007. 03:16am)
Nice work, Jonathon. I remember popping popcorn in my mom's new kitchen when I was a kid. I love standing over it and watching the kernals burst. You've inspired me. I can't wait to try this on my own. Maybe I'll even make some popcorn too. :-)