If you LOVE a good cup of coffee like we do, home roasting may be for you. Home roasting is surprisingly easy and it is not necessary to invest in expensive equipment. First, you will need to find a supplier for green coffee beans. We purchase from Sweet Marias. Check them out; they offer everything you need, including advice, for home roasting!
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| Home roasting with a Whirley Pop |
One of the simplest ways to roast is using a Whirley Pop popcorn maker. They are relatively inexpensive. allow you to roast a larger amount of coffee than other methods (about 1/2 lb), and since the lid is hinged you can check the beans to determine the darkness of the roast. The major disadvantage is that you cannot set a timer and walk away; constant attention is required. However, the entire process only takes about 10-14 minutes. Since this generates a LOT of smoke, using a gas grill outdoors works great. Turn the heat on the side burner to low, dump in the green beans and begin cranking.
When the beans reach about 390 degrees, you will hear a "pop" or "crack". As the temperature rises, the popping will accelerate and then gradually decrease. You can stop roasting anytime at this point. If you continue roasting, you will hear a second "crack"; this will not be as loud or long as the first. You want to exercise caution here-a dark roast can suddenly become burned! When you are done roasting, quickly transfer the beans to a metal colander and stir rapidly with a wooden spoon or pour the beans back and forth between a bowl and a colander. This step serves two purposes; cooling the beans and removing the chaff. Derek recommends this Guide from Sweet Marias; it provides a great visual resource for roast identification as well as the approximate time it takes to get to each roasting stage.
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| You can see the chaff still attached to the beans; most will be removed when you cool the beans in the colander. |
Don't be discouraged if your first batch is not perfect; experience is the best teacher. In time, you will master the process and enjoy the best coffee you have ever tasted. If you are wondering the cost, here is a breakdown: Most coffee from Sweet Marias is about $6.00 per pound. For this example we'll even say $6.25 per pound. 5 lbs of coffee x $6.25 = $27.19 + $8.99 shipping - $36.18 total. That's $7.23 per pound for green beans delivered to your door. Most people say you'll lose about 15% of the weight after roasting, so with a 15% loss factored in, the cost is $8.31 per pound. Compare that to any decent brand of coffee and it's much cheaper. Now, compare that amount to buying fresh roasted coffee from a local coffee shop (IF you have access to one) and it is half the price or less.
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