Is it Right for Me to Roast Coffee at Home?

Coffee roasting basics

Coffee is cultivated in far-flung locations all over the globe. Coffee is cultivated, chosen, and exported internationally in areas like Java, Indonesia, Kona, Hawaii, and Harrar, Ethiopia. Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, behind crude oil, since it is cultivated and consumed in diverse parts of the globe and because it is so popular.

Roasting coffee where it is produced would have been the most normal thing to do. It is, none the less, difficult for a variety of reasons. For starters, whereas green coffee may be kept for up to a year without losing quality, roasted coffee only lasts around two weeks before losing its scent and taste. Shipment of roasted coffee would result in coffee that has halted reaching its destination.

Additionally, coffee is roasted to suit local preferences. Southern Italy’s bitter black roasts vary significantly from those enjoyed in northern Europe, which are mild and acidic. Indeed, the district roaster’s ability to change roast (coffee blending) according to tastes is a significant competitive advantage — provided it is done effectively, of course.

Is it possible for me to do it from home?

You answer, “No problem,” and I say, “Give me some vegetables, a container of butter, some cheese, and a pound of coffee.” Is it, however, freshly roasted?

To flowers, freshly brewed coffee is like sunshine. If you take it away, it will show up quickly. First, grind shortly before brewing, much like they do at that fancy coffee house around the block where you get amazing organic coffee every time you go. While the coffee was roasted for two weeks, the coffee was ready in only hours! If you don’t need caffeine, don’t purchase it… wouldn’t it make your flowers wilt?

Okay, fantastic, we’ll proceed to the checkout with the coffee beans. But wait, isn’t it still new? Examine the expiry date; it’s a year away. What does this imply? Nothing, in fact. Unless you purchase coffee from a nearby roaster, chances are it was roasted several months ago, blasted with an inert gas like nitrogen to decrease oxidation and retain freshness, and vacuum packaged. Isn’t it boring?

So, how about doing your own coffee roasting? Have you ever tried making your own bread? Is it a pie? Do you recall the scent? What about the flavor? Crispy! It also works with coffee, so it’s a win-win situation. Home roasted coffee provides the opportunity to experiment with and taste coffee through its natural state, as well as the ultimate assurance of freshness. Just keep in mind that not everyone is cut out for roasting coffee.

How do I roast coffee?

Isn’t it as simple as buying a bag of fresh green beans and roasting them?

Wrong! To begin with, green beans are difficult to come by. One of the biggest advantages of roasting beans at home is that raw beans are half the price of roasted beans. Cool!

So, now that that’s out of the way, should I go out and get one of these nerdy roasting devices? Most likely not. Let’s begin with the most straightforward option: your oven.

Preheat the oven to 430 degrees and lay half a pound of green beans in the frying pan. For even roasting, give it a good shake every five minutes. Open the windows while you’re at it; this is a smokey business… Make a 20-minute timer on your watch.

Begin by examining the bean’s color. Do have coffee from your preferred café nearby so you can evaluate the color and finish roasting once your beans reach the appropriate amount of roast. Place the hot beans in a colander and shake a bit to cool them down (you don’t want those coffee chaff inside). The beans should be stored in a cold, dark area for a week; no vacuum is necessary.

So, what’s next for me?

Everything… or nothing… The universe of roasting may be as broad or as narrow as you like. Do you just want the iceberg’s tip? You’re already there, so don’t waste your time. Interested in learning more? Surf the internet to discover more about the many coffees available, then experiment with them to expand your palette and taste. You may easily become an excellent home coffee roaster in a brief duration and with a lot of enthusiasm, producing coffee that is much superior than Starbucks for a fraction of the cost. You may acquire a nice roasting machine at some time — never say never…