Home Coffee Roasting

[Richard Kilgore]

Several members here have done it and there are several topics in this forum about it. You can do it simply and inexpensively (popcorn popper) or you can do it with a good deal of tweaking and/or expense. I enjoyed it and did it for a few months rather modestly with a decent lower end air roaster, but I'll probably sell that soon on eBay since I am now primarily a tea drinker. You may want to check out sweetmarias.com for equipment and especially for high quality green beans.

[mhjoseph]

Not difficult at all. I second the www.sweetmarias.com recommendation. You can learn everything you need to know as well as purchase top quality beans and equipment.

Edited November 17, 2009 by mhjoseph (log)

[Peter the eater]

I started roasting my own a couple years ago with guidance from this very forum. I buy 2lb bags of fair-trade green arabica beans and roast them in my $10 hot air popcorn machine. Mixing different beans is great fun -- make your own Christmas blend.

[Jaymes]

I started roasting my own a couple years ago with guidance from this very forum. I buy 2lb bags of fair-trade green arabica beans and roast them in my $10 hot air popcorn machine. Mixing different beans is great fun -- make your own Christmas blend.

Me, too. And the hot air popper works great. In fact, I gave a popper and some green beans to my nephew last year and he roasts all his own coffee now. Wonderful fun, he says. And he adds that one of the best things is that his house "always smells like a Starbucks now."

Edited November 18, 2009 by heidih
delete link to this topic after merge (log)

[Jon Savage]

I've been roasting my own coffee for about 3 years now and would never go back to buying roasted beans. We have been able to consistently roast coffee to exactly our liking (adjusting depending on the bean type of course).

We generally pay less than $5/lb for our green beans and the modest investment of less that $100 all in to put the stir-crazy/convection oven roaster together amortized in maybe 2 months.

One of the very best places I've found to procure green beans is the Green Coffee Coop. You have to keep an eye on their site since offerings are somewhat infrequent but every single variety we have ordered through the coop has been excellent.

Edited August 15, 2010 by 6ppc (log)

[scubadoo97]

6ppc, that's great that your homeroasting and enjoying it. I really like my stir crazy/turbo oven roaster. It's cheap, quiet, can roast nearly a pound at a time and allows lots of hands on control of the roast. I've been a member of the coop since the beginning and also am a member of the green coffee buying club. I have to say I've been buying more from the buying club since every time I go to the coop there is no coffee available. With the coop you need to visit frequently cuz you never know when they will have beans and when they do it flies out the door very quickly.

[Jon Savage]

6ppc, that's great that your homeroasting and enjoying it. I really like my stir crazy/turbo oven roaster. It's cheap, quiet, can roast nearly a pound at a time and allows lots of hands on control of the roast. I've been a member of the coop since the beginning and also am a member of the green coffee buying club. I have to say I've been buying more from the buying club since every time I go to the coop there is no coffee available. With the coop you need to visit frequently cuz you never know when they will have beans and when they do it flies out the door very quickly.

Green coffee buying Club duly noted (is this the right link?

Agreed the coop can be spotty regarding offerings but I've really enjoyed everything I've gotten from then and currently have just South of 60 lbs of green beans (4 origins) on hand at the moment so we should be good to go for a few months. Thanks for the tip I'll be checking out the green coffee buying club as well.

Edited August 25, 2010 by 6ppc (log)

[Shamanjoe]

I spent about a month roasting my own beans about a year or two ago when I got back from the Philippines. A relative of ours has their own coffee plantation there and gave us a few pounds of green beans to play with. I had never done it before, but my wife told me stories about when she was growing up, and how her mom would just roast them in a frying pan.

It sounded like a good idea, so I gave it a try. I just used a cheap nonstick frying pan over medium heat, no ventilation except for an open window, and I treated it just like pan-raosting some spices. Of course, they popped everywhere and the chaff was horrible, but I didn't get any smoke or fumes in the apartment (I kept blowing the chaff out of the pan so it wouldn't burn). I have to say it was the best coffee I've ever tasted. I gave it a medium roast (full city I think is what they call it?) and I ground it and french-pressed it as soon as the beans were cool.

I continued doing that until we went through all the green beans we had brought home, and I haven't done it since, but other than the chaff, I never had any problems with the method. It never occured to me to use the hot air popper sitting on top of the fridge.

Edited August 28, 2010 by Shamanjoe (log)

[scubadoo97]

The problem with the hot air popper for me was batch size. We will go through a pound of coffee in 7-10 days. I really only want to roast once a week as the coffee is excellent through this time frame and even improves over the first several days.

[Jon Savage]

Bumping this topic back up because it is also relevant to the heat gun discussion.

[Jon Savage]

Some Burundi A just roasted on my Stir Crazy Convection Oven tonight. Good times. Chapeau to the green coffee coop.

[scubadoo97]

@Jon Savage   The Stir Crazy has done well for me.  On my third in over 10 yrs.  Still a cheap way to roast with decent results.  Did the heat gun dog bowl for a short while but couldn't deal with standing there stirring for 10+ minutes.  I even connected my heat gun to a mic stand so I didn't have to hold that and stir at the same time.   The heat gun is in the garage as an emergency backup if needed.   Usually have about 30 lbs of green on hand  at any one time 

[chefmd]

Article on Tasting Table about coffee shop in Cartagena Colombia. 

Arzayus roasts these beans with four different methods that range from a rustic hand pot to a popcorn machine. "I discovered that people in Mexico put corn with the coffee, and when the corn explodes, the coffee is ready," he explains.

 

http://www.tastingtable.com/drinks/national/colombian-coffee-cafe-del-mural-cartagena?utm_medium=email&utm_source=TT&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_content=Editorial

[Chris Hennes]

After years of roasting with the heat gun method, I saw that FreshRoast has a newer model out (the SR 540), and it looked like it would suit my needs perfectly. I gave it a first run this morning:

 

 

I've always roasted 115g per week, so the size is exactly what I needed. So far I am very impressed by how quiet it is. It's got a variable fan speed and variable heat level, plus a pretty worthless timer. It also fits under my vent hood so now I can roast inside the house .

[eugenep]

I have the SR 500 that my GF got for me but I am waiting on the Kelvin at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/iacollaborative/kelvin-home-coffee-roaster/posts

 

 

 

I was sold on the design but worried about whether or not they will actually make the product after taking your money. 

 

Not sure how kickstarter works but I believe you "invest" in the product and don't receive stock but the actual item and if they can't make it you lose your "investment" and won't get your money back

 

It seems like the technology isn't new or anything and it's available and they just have to put it together and assemble it

 

I hope they make finish the product with no flaws 

 

It would look great in a kitchen owing to the modern minimalist sharp design 

 

[rotuts]

@eugenep

 

very nice design

 

likie to hear how it works.  some hot air roasters donut seem to get hot enough  for darker roasts

 

SM sells a combo -pack of the SR540 :

 

https://www.sweetmarias.com/air-roasting-starter-kit-2.html

 

and I don't work for them , but have been getting g their green beans for 16 + years

 

home roasting is a real joy if you like coffee.

[blue_dolphin]

On 9/14/2019 at 7:39 AM, Chris Hennes said:

After years of roasting with the heat gun method, I saw that FreshRoast has a newer model out (the SR 540), and it looked like it would suit my needs perfectly. I gave it a first run this morning:

 

I've always roasted 115g per week, so the size is exactly what I needed. So far I am very impressed by how quiet it is. It's got a variable fan speed and variable heat level, plus a pretty worthless timer. It also fits under my vent hood so now I can roast inside the house .

 

I've been using a hot air popper and saving up so I can splash out on the Behmor 1600.  The new model is ~ $50 more than the previous one which has given me pause but I like that I could roast 1/4 lb on the regular but go up to 1/2 or even a full lb when I have guests visiting.  The quiteness of the Behmor 1600 is also appealing as I hate the noise of the air popper so I appreciate your comment on how quiet the SR540 is.  More to think about!

[rotuts]

although things might have changed w the newer Behmor , 

 

I used an older model for several years roasting for drip for my sister.

 

I had a different roaster for espresso.

 

Im not sure what SM says about doing a full lbs on green beans on the B

 

its very hard to do.   you would be better served doing two 1/2 lb roasts 

 

and using the pre-heating hack found on the web.

 

does quite well that way.

Edited September 15, 2019 by rotuts (log)

[scubadoo97]

I’ve been using a Gene roaster recently.  Make a decent roast but takes way longer and maybe longer than what is advised for the best outcomes.  I’m still trying to find my way in modifications on temps and time to achieve the best flavor

[Strongsoul]

I've never tried, because the equipment for roasting is not cheap. I believe, it's more profitable to buy some roasted coffee.

[rotuts]

@Strongsoul 

 

not over the long term.

 

and your own roasts can be perfectly tailored to your

 

choice of beans and roasting style

 

it takes time , but its really fairly easy

 

and its always fresher

 

[chileheadmike]

I use a $15 hot air popcorn popper. Works pretty well.

[rotuts]

I do not work for SweetMaria's

 

they do have an old fashioned ( hard to come by now ) but new

 

AirPopper w 4 lbs of green coffee included

 

https://www.sweetmarias.com/nostalgia-electric-popcorn-popper.html

 

Id say  might be a nice place to start

 

I have not used an air popper , so I can't tell you anything on how it works

 

vis :  end resulting roasting levels.

 

their green coffee starts at $ 6.50 a lbs and goes up

 

the versions i get at more than 1 lbs bags runs about 7.50

 

so the popper is more or less free

[tikidoc]

16 hours ago, Strongsoul said:

I've never tried, because the equipment for roasting is not cheap. I believe, it's more profitable to buy some roasted coffee.

I use two nested stainless steel bowls, a heat gun from the hardware store, and a dedicated wooden spoon. Works great, and unlike some of the commercial roasters, I can both see and hear the roasting beans. Takes me about 15 minutes - I usually sit on the porch with a podcast or some music. I’m building a slightly more sophisticated set up with a large hand crank flour sifter, aforementioned heat gun, a wooden frame and maybe eventually, an electric drill to turn the crank.

[rotuts]

somewhere on " HomeBarista.com "

 

there is a long thread on HomeMadeCoffee roasting and roasters

 

some of the contraptions are very very intresting

 

some use a heat gun.

 

https://www.home-barista.com/search-results.html?q=home+made+roasting+&ie=ISO-8859-1&cof=FORID%3A9&cx=partner-pub-1874394195286019%3Aih80ev-qwtj&sa=Search&siteurl=www.home-barista.com%2Fsearch.php&ref=www.home-barista.com%2Fhome-roasting%2F&ss=8032j22485952j19

 

I don't know if you have to have joined HB to see this

 

a forum site that has all you need to know about Coffee , roasting , extrracting

 

and more.