If you ever wanted to roast your own coffee...

[Rparrny]

Roasting coffee at home is very simple and you need no special equipment. I learned to roast about a year ago after the gourmet grocery I got my freshly roasted beans from closed. The only other place to get fresh roasted beans was in the Hamptons and charged Hampton prices...and the coffee was okay but not worth the price IMHO.
There are tons of youtube videos that will show you various methods, but I thought I would do a post on the things I wish I had known before hand. Would have made things a lot easier.
Methods:
Frying pan and wooden spoon: a great way to start roasting and learn the ropes, if you don't have a good exhaust fan however, consider doing it outside on a gas grill. This method usually results in the most inconsistent beans as some will cook faster than others...it's also constant stirring for up to 20 minutes.
Popcorn Popper: a very popular choice among new roasters...most people have one and all you need to do is spill the beans in. The chaff also tends to blow out in the bowl which is nice but most people agree that it roasts way too fast and as a result suffers in flavor...but still better than what ya get in a can. Another advantage is that the beans are much more consistent in color versus the frying pan.
Whirly Pop Pan: Not everyone knows what this is but you pour your popcorn in, close the lid and crank the handle that rotates the corn on the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. These pans work great for coffee and you get much better consistency than a frying pan and the cover limits smoke. You can get the cheap aluminum ones or the more costly stainless steel which will last a little longer. Make sure you stick with the whirly pop brand as I bought a stainless in another brand and rotator bar was up too high and coffee beans got stuck.
After you have been roasting for awhile you're probably gonna get hooked and want to graduate to a coffee roaster and there are lots of options from under $50 to $1500 (for sample size roasters...if you go bigger the sky and the price are the limit).

Green coffee beans are available in lots of places and you can buy small amounts if you choose. Many of the better known coffee companies have sampler packs...6 pounds of beans from different areas of the world...if you have a finely tuned tongue for coffee I suggest you get them. If your used to drinking Maxwell house or the more common coffees, I suggest you stick with a Columbian bean. These beans can take a lot of heat and screw ups and still be drinkable. Some companies like Sweet Maria's will custom make a sampler pack for you if you ask. For the holidays I had them make a sampler pack with beans good for espresso for my nephew.

The cost of the beans per pound can be $4 to nearly a hundred per pound, most are in the 4-8 dollar range and there are always sales and you can find discounts if you buy 5 pounds or more. There are also coffee buying clubs that are free to join but you must buy 10-20 pounds...if you don't know the bean that could be a lot of crappy coffee.

There are a lot of places to buy beans but the two names that come up most frequently...and I have used them both and agree, are Sweet Maria's and Happy Mug. I have also bought beans on Amazon because if the listing was truthful, I was buying directly from the farmer and that thrilled me. The beans were okay, decent value for what I paid...but I went back to my favs at Sweet Maria's.

I will warn you...once you roast a batch and hit your sweet spot...you will never be happy with any other coffee again and once family and friends find out...they will be begging you for a bag of their own.

 

[FeralBoy]

Can it be done over a wood fire?

 

[Rparrny]

Can it be done over a wood fire?

Absolutely...what do ya think they did before electricity? The downfall will be regulating the temp...the whole process takes about 20 minutes or less so you don't need to worry about your coals cooling too much but, if you cook the beans at too high a temp, the outside will cook and the inside will have a raw grassy taste to it. I would think...and this is just the opinion of an amateur, that cast iron would be the type of pan to use over an wood fire. They take a long time to heat up but maintain that heat for a long time, so if you think things are getting too hot, you can remove the pan from the heat source for a bit and continue stirring.
There are definitive temps for first and second crack and many people use a thermal gun to see what the pan temperature is. I did in the beginning to know what temp to drop my beans in...but after a while you get a feel for it.
I got my thermal gun for under $20...I also use it in soap making.

 

[FeralBoy]

Absolutely...what do ya think they did before electricity? The downfall will be regulating the temp...the whole process takes about 20 minutes or less so you don't need to worry about your coals cooling too much but, if you cook the beans at too high a temp, the outside will cook and the inside will have a raw grassy taste to it. I would think...and this is just the opinion of an amateur, that cast iron would be the type of pan to use over an wood fire. They take a long time to heat up but maintain that heat for a long time, so if you think things are getting too hot, you can remove the pan from the heat source for a bit and continue stirring.
There are definitive temps for first and second crack and many people use a thermal gun to see what the pan temperature is. I did in the beginning to know what temp to drop my beans in...but after a while you get a feel for it.
I got my thermal gun for under $20...I also use it in soap making.

I want to try it. I have an acorn grill that I can regulate the temp pretty good on...

 

[Rparrny]

I want to try it. I have an acorn grill that I can regulate the temp pretty good on...

You're gonna love it! Decent beans are available on Amazon especially if you're a prime member. Sweet Maria's is another good place but you really need to order about 5 pounds to make the shipping worth it.

Tons of YouTube videos on the how to....

Keep me posted

 

[skilletlicker]

Roasting coffee at home is very simple and you need no special equipment. I learned to roast about a year ago after the gourmet grocery I got my freshly roasted beans from closed. The only other place to get fresh roasted beans was in the Hamptons and charged Hampton prices...and the coffee was okay but not worth the price IMHO.
There are tons of youtube videos that will show you various methods, but I thought I would do a post on the things I wish I had known before hand. Would have made things a lot easier.
Methods:
Frying pan and wooden spoon: a great way to start roasting and learn the ropes, if you don't have a good exhaust fan however, consider doing it outside on a gas grill. This method usually results in the most inconsistent beans as some will cook faster than others...it's also constant stirring for up to 20 minutes.
Popcorn Popper: a very popular choice among new roasters...most people have one and all you need to do is spill the beans in. The chaff also tends to blow out in the bowl which is nice but most people agree that it roasts way too fast and as a result suffers in flavor...but still better than what ya get in a can. Another advantage is that the beans are much more consistent in color versus the frying pan.
Whirly Pop Pan: Not everyone knows what this is but you pour your popcorn in, close the lid and crank the handle that rotates the corn on the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. These pans work great for coffee and you get much better consistency than a frying pan and the cover limits smoke. You can get the cheap aluminum ones or the more costly stainless steel which will last a little longer. Make sure you stick with the whirly pop brand as I bought a stainless in another brand and rotator bar was up too high and coffee beans got stuck.
After you have been roasting for awhile you're probably gonna get hooked and want to graduate to a coffee roaster and there are lots of options from under $50 to $1500 (for sample size roasters...if you go bigger the sky and the price are the limit).

Green coffee beans are available in lots of places and you can buy small amounts if you choose. Many of the better known coffee companies have sampler packs...6 pounds of beans from different areas of the world...if you have a finely tuned tongue for coffee I suggest you get them. If your used to drinking Maxwell house or the more common coffees, I suggest you stick with a Columbian bean. These beans can take a lot of heat and screw ups and still be drinkable. Some companies like Sweet Maria's will custom make a sampler pack for you if you ask. For the holidays I had them make a sampler pack with beans good for espresso for my nephew.

The cost of the beans per pound can be $4 to nearly a hundred per pound, most are in the 4-8 dollar range and there are always sales and you can find discounts if you buy 5 pounds or more. There are also coffee buying clubs that are free to join but you must buy 10-20 pounds...if you don't know the bean that could be a lot of crappy coffee.

There are a lot of places to buy beans but the two names that come up most frequently...and I have used them both and agree, are Sweet Maria's and Happy Mug. I have also bought beans on Amazon because if the listing was truthful, I was buying directly from the farmer and that thrilled me. The beans were okay, decent value for what I paid...but I went back to my favs at Sweet Maria's.

I will warn you...once you roast a batch and hit your sweet spot...you will never be happy with any other coffee again and once family and friends find out...they will be begging you for a bag of their own.

I skillet roasted coffee beans for a few years. Don't know about wooden spoons though. There is a learning curve to getting it right but it's not as hard as it sounds and, I think you can get better results than a lot of the other methods I've read about. Ten years ago or so I wrote some long posts about it here. Just a few tricks I remember:

• Use heavy bottomed skillet that's light enough for you to work with. You need to shake and toss constantly through the whole process. I probably used a higher heat than Rparnny suggests but controlled the heat by raising the skillet some of the time.
• Use a glass lid the whole time. You want heat from the bottom of the skillet and an oven like environment.
• The glass lets you see the beans. Important because you're watching the color very carefully.
• Use a good stainless steel skillet because you can get a heavy bottom with a pan still light enough to shake and toss for 15 minuted or so. Also, the shiny bottom lets you see the beans better. Tried using cast iron but as the green beans turn from green to light brown to dark brown to almost black you can't see them through the smoke in the lidded skillet against the black bottom of the iron pan.
• Turn the radio off and listen for the "cracks." Like popping corn, coffee beans will sorta pop (twice) when they get hot. And things happen fast toward the end. The roast depends on the timing of that second crack. Perfect to burned happens quicker than any cooking I've ever done.
• As soon as they're done, quickly pour the beans into a big colander or bowl and run outside with a second bowl and pour the beans from one to the other. Holding the bowls a couple feet apart, the breeze will blow away the chaff.
• The beans ought to rest for six days before you grind them as needed for coffee, then should be used up within the next seven days. Quality improves quickly at first and peaks at 6 days, then deteriorates.

I bought my green coffee beans from Sweet Marias or from a nearby Mediterranian (Middle Eastern) Market. Several such stores I've been in have them but not the variety of Sweet Marias.

There was a roaster on the market for about $350 as I recall. Was going to buy one when I had some extra money but in the mean time got good enought with the "cowboy roast" that didn't see any need for it.

 

[FeralBoy]

If I'm going to go through the trouble of roasting my own better believe they're going to be Ethiopian beans

 

[Rparrny]

I skillet roasted coffee beans for a few years. Don't know about wooden spoons though. There is a learning curve to getting it right but it's not as hard as it sounds and, I think you can get better results than a lot of the other methods I've read about. Ten years ago or so I wrote some long posts about it here. Just a few tricks I remember:

• Use heavy bottomed skillet that's light enough for you to work with. You need to shake and toss constantly through the whole process. I probably used a higher heat than Rparnny suggests but controlled the heat by raising the skillet some of the time.
• Use a glass lid the whole time. You want heat from the bottom of the skillet and an oven like environment.
• The glass lets you see the beans. Important because you're watching the color very carefully.
• Use a good stainless steel skillet because you can get a heavy bottom with a pan still light enough to shake and toss for 15 minuted or so. Also, the shiny bottom lets you see the beans better. Tried using cast iron but as the green beans turn from green to light brown to dark brown to almost black you can't see them through the smoke in the lidded skillet against the black bottom of the iron pan.
  [*]Turn the radio off and listen for the "cracks." Like popping corn, coffee beans will sorta pop (twice) when they get hot. And things happen fast toward the end. The roast depends on the timing of that second crack. Perfect to burned happens quicker than any cooking I've ever done.
• As soon as they're done, quickly pour the beans into a big colander or bowl and run outside with a second bowl and pour the beans from one to the other. Holding the bowls a couple feet apart, the breeze will blow away the chaff.
• The beans ought to rest for six days before you grind them as needed for coffee, then should be used up within the next seven days. Quality improves quickly at first and peaks at 6 days, then deteriorates.

I bought my green coffee beans from Sweet Marias or from a nearby Mediterranian (Middle Eastern) Market. Several such stores I've been in have them but not the variety of Sweet Marias.

There was a roaster on the market for about $350 as I recall. Was going to buy one when I had some extra money but in the mean time got good enought with the "cowboy roast" that didn't see any need for it.

That first and second crack is where you will find your "sweet spot" and the coffee you like.
First crack has been described as sounding like toothpicks breaking and I find that to be somewhat accurate. That being said, some beans make a much louder crack than others. Some ethiopean beans I've used had a first crack so faint I nearly missed it.
Second crack has been described as rice crispies...I don't know if I agree with that one but the crack is much fainter and closer together...almost like a slow sizzle. Most of my coffees finish at the end of first crack.
At first the beans dehydrate and lose a lot of their moisture...the smell is off green grass and the beans pretty much stay green.
Then the beans get a yellow hue...it is believed that development starts here not at first crack. The smell is more like drying grass.
Once first crack comes, I wait for the smell and watch the color of the beans. Once I see and smell what I'm looking for a drop the beans and cool quickly. Word of warning, have good lighting in your kitchen or you will drop beans that are too light and not something I enjoy drinking.

 

[Rparrny]

I bought my green coffee beans from Sweet Marias or from a nearby Mediterranian (Middle Eastern) Market. Several such stores I've been in have them but not the variety of Sweet Marias.

There was a roaster on the market for about $350 as I recall. Was going to buy one when I had some extra money but in the mean time got good enought with the "cowboy roast" that didn't see any need for it.


Yeah, Sweet Maria's tend to be a lot of people's favorite.

I did very little pan frying and moved quickly to a whirley pop pan...stayed with that for a year and then in February splurged on a Hottop. I love the memory functions as I use similar beans that all roast perfect at the same temperatures. I also hate dealing with chaff and most is removed before drop with the Hottop. You can get a decent roaster for way less than $350, it all depends on what functions are important to you.

 

[Rparrny]

If I'm going to go through the trouble of roasting my own better believe they're going to be Ethiopian beans

I was used to a dark roast coffee and I personally did not like the Ethiopians. I feel that people who are just getting started should start with a bean that has a good "Coffee" flavor and is forgiving at higher temps. A lot of Ethiopian beans are small and it can be hard to hear the cracks.

I roast a lot lighter than when I started, but I still just want a good coffee flavor and I may be a heathen but I like South American coffees.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I briefly considered roasting my own when Green Mountain turned into Greed Mountain. Then I realized there are far fewer hours in the day than I can operate efficiently at (because I am not efficient in anything I do) and looked for another coffee bean source. I stumbled upon Dean's Beans...and fell in love. All of their coffees are organic, Kosher, and Fair Trade - in a way different way than the meaning of "Fair Trade". Dean has gone to the growers and coops to broker his own purchases. He has spent much time working with the villagers in their villages to improve their facilities and help the workers lift themselves up out of poverty.

Not only is Dean's Beans a good company from a "Love the World" standpoint, he sources some danged fine coffees, roasted to order. Let's say I place my order late Sunday night, sometime before heading to bed. Monday morning they get my order, pull the green beans, roast and bag what I ordered, and ship them out. Even though we live a little over an hour from them, by the time my shipment goes around Robinson's barn, from them to somewhere else to another post office, to my carrier's post office, to our house it takes...about three days. I swear those beans are still warm from the roaster when they show up on Wednesday!

Maybe some day I'll roast my own. Until then Dean can do it.

BTW, his selection isn't anywhere near as large as Sweet Maria's, but he does sell green beans in 1 and 5 pound bags. I glanced at them; they run $5.50 to $5.85 a pound, except for the limited edition one at $6.something. That's the 1 pound price. 5 pounds get a better price break.

One last thing. Talking about roasting color changing as the roasting process progresses, I'm surprised no one posted a chart I've hung on to since my thought of roasting my own. It was part of a website that sells coffees and teas, but the chart is credited as being from Sweet Maria's.

The Coffee Bean Color Spectrum

 

[skilletlicker]

...
BTW, his selection isn't anywhere near as large as Sweet Maria's, but he does sell green beans in 1 and 5 pound bags. I glanced at them; they run $5.50 to $5.85 a pound, except for the limited edition one at $6.something. That's the 1 pound price. 5 pounds get a better price break.
...

Lest anyone is comparing the price of green versus roasted coffee, beans lose a lot of weight in the roasting process. Probably not something you would want to take on to save money.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I understand that, skilletlicker. I suppose you mention this as information for anyone else coming along and reading posts at DC. I mention the price because of comments I thought I remembered reading upthread that quoted some. For the record, most of the roasted Dean's Beans coffees run between $8.95 and $9.50 a pound. Less than the local roaster up the street and around the corner from me (about 3/4 of a mile), but they close at 3:00 PM. I am not a morning person. Heck, I'm barely a noon person...

 

[skilletlicker]

Exactly right Goddess. I did assume you knew. Of course, if you're paying $9 or $10 per pound you might be able to save a little. But then there's the time involved. I noticed earlier that 10 years ago I said to someone who was talking about the time involved that it only took 9 minutes. I must have timed from the second the beans hit the pan to when they got dumped into the colander. I'm guessing the whole roasting task took maybe 20 minutes a week.

But I don't still do it and don't expect to take it up again.

 

[Rparrny]

Lest anyone is comparing the price of green versus roasted coffee, beans lose a lot of weight in the roasting process. Probably not something you would want to take on to save money.

I'll agree that roasting your own is not a money saving endeavor per se, but after totaling up the yearly cost of buying premade gourmet coffee (hot in the cup not the ground or the beans) I totaled nearly $1500 a year. The cost of green beans (and I now buy beans I like in 20 pound lots for a significant savings) do save money for me.
I also used it as a way of convincing myself that the exorbitant price of a hottop was worth it although when you factor in the cost of the beans...ect...it really doesn't add up...but I let that little detail pass and bought it anyway.

 

[Rparrny]

I understand that, skilletlicker. I suppose you mention this as information for anyone else coming along and reading posts at DC. I mention the price because of comments I thought I remembered reading upthread that quoted some. For the record, most of the roasted Dean's Beans coffees run between $8.95 and $9.50 a pound. Less than the local roaster up the street and around the corner from me (about 3/4 of a mile), but they close at 3:00 PM. I am not a morning person. Heck, I'm barely a noon person...

Before I started roasting my own I tried several companies for their roasted beans. What I found was every bean I tried was not fresh roasted. Many coffee roasters think that beans older than three weeks should not be used as they suffer in flavor. A freshly roasted bean needs at least four hours to off gas and some people think that a week of off gassing makes the best coffee. Only freshly roasted coffee will "bloom" when the hot water is poured over it. Blooming is like a foam of sorts and if you think you filled your pot up before giving the bloom a chance to settle...you probably only have it filled half way. Non of the coffees I purchased would bloom and I am now spoiled by the taste of fresh roasted.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I also know what "bloom" is. Early in our marriage we made coffee with the pour-over method. I still have Himself's first coffee cone from when he was in college. Most of the time I did use canned coffee grounds, but our builder of our first home (in 1977) sang the praises of fresh-ground whole-bean coffee, so we bought a basic blade grinder, and we used it occasionally back then. We demoted the blade grinder to a spice grinder and replaced it with a burr grinder ages ago. Now we grind our Dean's beans fresh every day and have had fresh ground whole beans for ages.

...after totaling up the yearly cost of buying premade gourmet coffee (hot in the cup not the ground or the beans) I totaled nearly $1500 a year...

See, therein lies the difference between our wants and needs. We rarely buy pre-brewed coffee. Our lifestyle doesn't have us stopping at high-end coffee cafes unless we're on vacation or a day-trip - and then it is a treat, not a regular "thing". Heck, when we travel for vacations or trips back home, I'll brew enough to fill our cups and take seconds in our Thermos. Dunkin'? $rarbuck$? They're not part of our universe.

 

[Rparrny]

I also know what "bloom" is. Early in our marriage we made coffee with the pour-over method. I still have Himself's first coffee cone from when he was in college. Most of the time I did use canned coffee grounds, but our builder of our first home (in 1977) sang the praises of fresh-ground whole-bean coffee, so we bought a basic blade grinder, and we used it occasionally back then. We demoted the blade grinder to a spice grinder and replaced it with a burr grinder ages ago. Now we grind our Dean's beans fresh every day and have had fresh ground whole beans for ages.

I still use my spice grinder for coffee. When I did my research on burr grinders, I came across an equipment review from America's Test Kitchens and they concluded there was no difference between the two which surprised me a bit because the mechanics alone in the grinding process were so different. I keep eying the KitchenAid Burr grinder as it is just so impressive looking...but it's got a hefty price tag and that review just plays over and over in my mind....

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...I keep eying the KitchenAid Burr grinder as it is just so impressive looking...but it's got a hefty price tag and that review just plays over and over in my mind....

I don't pay for many of my kitchen toys. I use gift cards that I get in exchange for my Discover Cash Back rewards. We charge everything with our Discover card, pay our bill back in full every month, and earn points. I can then convert $20 worth of points into $25 BedBath&Beyond gift cards, use my 20% discount coupon at BB&B, and "spend" my Discover money to pay for the item(s). It's how I've gotten several Cuisinart appliances (toaster oven, Griddler, coffee maker, to name a few), a Bodum coffee grinder (which I broke the glass coffee grounds cup for and replacing cost 1/3 the price of a new grinder), and my current bean grinder, another Cuisinart. All with the bonus earned by initially using someone else's money at the register. Since we never buy anything we don't need or have the money for, we don't lose out on using a credit card.

 

[Rparrny]

I don't pay for many of my kitchen toys. I use gift cards that I get in exchange for my Discover Cash Back rewards. We charge everything with our Discover card, pay our bill back in full every month, and earn points. I can then convert $20 worth of points into $25 BedBath&Beyond gift cards, use my 20% discount coupon at BB&B, and "spend" my Discover money to pay for the item(s). It's how I've gotten several Cuisinart appliances (toaster oven, Griddler, coffee maker, to name a few), a Bodum coffee grinder (which I broke the glass coffee grounds cup for and replacing cost 1/3 the price of a new grinder), and my current bean grinder, another Cuisinart. All with the bonus earned by initially using someone else's money at the register. Since we never buy anything we don't need or have the money for, we don't lose out on using a credit card.

Well that burr grinder is about $300. I've gotten one through Amazon's warehouse deals for under $200 but I donated that to a Chinese auction...did drool for awhile...