Don’t you love the smell of coffee in the morning?
Mmmmm… there’s nothing like a cup of coffee that has been freshly roasted, ground and brewed to perfection. There are a growing number of coffee lovers who are roasting their own coffee beans and enjoying the benefits of fresh coffee at about half the cost of beans from your local coffee shop.
Roasting your own coffee beans has been kept a mystery by the coffee roasting industry. It had been deemed “too hard” or “too complicated”. Actually, it’s easy, fun and economical and it can be done using items you may already own!
Items needed to roast your own coffee beans at home:
- Green coffee beans — see the Green Beans category in our Bean Store
- An oven
- A cookie sheet
- An oven mitt
- A metal colander and a wooden spoon
DIRECTIONS: Preheat your oven to 500F, spread raw beans evenly one layer deep on a cookie sheet, place on middle rack of preheated oven and watch while roasting. In about 8-10 minutes there will be a crackling noise and smoke with a coffee essence. At this point the roasting quickens and you need to watch carefully. About 2-3 minutes after the crackling, your coffee beans should be at the shade you like them. Carefully (using your oven mitt) remove the cookie sheet from the oven and pour the beans into metal colander. Stir beans with the wooden spoon to help cool quickly. Do this over a sink or outside, since there’s chaff that comes off the beans during roasting. Never leave your roasting coffee beans unattended.
When roasted, the green coffee bean expands to nearly double its original size, changing in color and density. As the bean absorbs heat, the color shifts to yellow, then to a light “cinnamon” brown, and then to a rich dark brown color. During roasting, oils appear on the surface of the bean. The roast will continue to darken until it is removed from the heat source.
OTHER WAYS TO ROAST: Most pop popcorn machines may be used to roast coffee beans. Hot air poppers work well, however, you may want to roast outside or in your garage since cooking beens blow chaff out and often make a mess. You will also find a range of roasting machines in our store, ranging from small home roasters in the $100 range, to coffee shop professional units up to $5000.
ABOUT GREEN BEANS: Green (raw coffee beans) will last for years when properly stored (we have a category for these in our Bean Store). Keep your green beens in a cool, dry place out of any direct sun light.
AGING: As coffee ages it loses acidity, becoming mellow. You may enjoy a rich mild cup of a coffee that has had a couple years to rest and mellow.
You’ll also find books with more instructions for roasting your own coffee in the store.