It's The Beans

A good friend introduced us to coffee roasting a few years back. Ever since then, we’ve come to enjoy the end results of our efforts, a fresh, great tasting cup of joe.

Coffee roasting can be as simple or complex as you want. We started with the ubiquitous airpop popcorn popper. Great success roasting the green coffee beans to a rich brown color of varying degrees depending on your taste.

The green beans can be bought for significant less price than say Starbucks or Kirkland brands. Usually less than $5.00/lb. The green beans if properly stored can reach a shelf life of 12 months or more. On the other hand, roasted beans 10 to 14 days and grounds about 2 to 5 days. We roast just enough coffee for a weeks use.

See the links for some great info on the roasting process, equipment and tips.

If you choose to try “roasting your own”, you’ll be rewarded with coffee as it should be, GREAT!

Roasting

When considering a roaster, some things to consider are how much coffee you drink and of course how much money to invest.

Great results can be had from some very basic roasters like the stove top pan, or an air-pop popcorn popper. We started roasting with a Goodwill found popper, and with slight modification of adding a soup can to the top, did very well in producing a nice dark “city roast” roast. Beyond that the sky is the limit. From a few hundred to thousands for a semi-commercial unit. Follow the links for more info.

In all cases regardless of the roaster you use, the beans are the key to all things good. The selection is almost limitless. Sweet Maria’s is a good choice.

All in all if you start “roasting your own” drop me a line. I’d love to hear of your adventures.