My agenda today includes Coffee Roasting
Roasting Coffee beans is an easy and delicious job!
Back around 2008 to 2010 (sorry forgot the exact year), I started roasting my own coffee beans. In addition to making some wonderful, fresh coffee to drink, it’s just a fun hobby. I was introduced to coffee bean roasting by my good friend in the Philippines, Bobby Timonera. Before I started roasting coffee, Bobby kept telling me about how much better home roasted coffee was compared to stuff you buy in the store.
I found it to be 100% true when I tried some coffee that Bobby gave me, coffee that he roasted himself. It didn’t take long before I got into the hobby myself. I got started roasting coffee in a pan on the stove. I did that for probably 8 to 10 years. When I moved to the States in 2018 I decided to step up my coffee roasting game and I bought a better roaster. The machine I bought was a Fresh Roast SR540. Admittedly, it is a beginner’s or “entry level” machine, and it only roasts a small amount of coffee per roast, but it works great for me. I usually only roast enough beans to drink one cup of coffee per day, so usually I roast beans just once, or sometimes twice per week, and that takes care of my needs while still keeping the beans fresh. If you drink a lot of coffee you may want to step up to a machine that roasts a larger amount of beans at a time, or just roast more often. For me, in 10 minutes I can roast enough coffee beans to last for a week.
Where do I get unroasted coffee beans?
Currently, I buy all of my green coffee banes (unroasted coffee beans are green in color and also call “green” beans) from Sweet Maria’s. I order the beans from California (I live in Indiana, about 2/3 of the country away from California).Personally I prefer beans from these origins:
- Rwanda
- Kenya
- Indonesia
You should try different origins so you can decide what you like best!
Does the coffee taste different?
Firstly, the coffee tastes different based on the origin. For example, coffee from Rwanda, in many cases, tastes kind of fruity. Coffee from Indonesia tastes rich and even (in my opinion) a little bit “muddy”. You just have to taste different origins to form your own opinion.
Secondly, the coffee tastes different based on roast level. A lot of people think thye8 like “dark roast” because they think that is the most flavorful. But, really, if you roast coffee lighter it is often much more flavorful than a dark roast. Other people always drink dark roast because “it has more caffeine and keeps them awake. But… truth is that the darker you roast you are burning off the caffeine and it does not “keep you awake”. If you want a highly caffeinated coffee and more flavor, you would be surprised of you try a light roast.
What it all comes down to is that you should experiment with many factors when roasting to see what your favorite is. Adjust these veriables:
- Bean Origin
- Level of Roast (Light, Medium, Dark)
- Resting period before drinking
- Amount of coffee to use per cup
- How many grams of beans to roast to avoid long storage of roasted beans
- Heat level while roasting
I I said at the beginning of this article that roasting beans was on my agenda for today. I just finished roasting, and I will let the roasted beans rest for 2 days or so before enjoying some wonderful home roasted coffee. I often enjoy inviting a friend over for a cup of coffee when they are ready! Usually my friend is amazed at how much better home-roasted coffee is compared to the stale coffee you can find at the store.
Got questions about home coffee roasting? If you, let me know, I’ll be glad to help you!
Hi Bob – Glad to read that you’re still roasting your own. I often threaten to follow your lead, but doing so would impair my standings in the “Procrastinators’ Club” 😉. As you may or may not remember from a long time ago on another platform, my personal preference is dark roast coffee (my taste buds equate lighter roasts to “instant” coffee for some unknown, strange reason) and that brings up a “how long to roast the beans” dilemma. Going “too dark” leads to “burnt” and not going “dark enough” leads to “instant.” I’m sure that YouTube contains a plethora of “watch me roast coffee beans” videos, but I’d rather hear from a trusted source with hands-on experience. How do you gauge roasting time (by eye, by timer, by “the roaster does it automatically,” etc.) and do roasting times vary significantly among beans originating in different sources? Also, I had heard that coffee beans being roasted will “snap, crackle, or pop” at some point in roasting: fact or myth? While your answers may not “get me roasting” right away (the PC issue), they may get me brewing another few cups.😁
Hi Paul, good to hear from you. I sure wouldn’t want to interfere with your procrastination, so it’s probably best for you just to keep buying coffee at the store. Lol
If you ever do decide to do some roasting, as far as darkness goes and length of time to roast, temperature as well, the best thing to do is experiment and see what settings give you the cup of coffee that you like best. No doubt about that.