Home coffee roasting

Home coffee roasting - how to roast coffee and how to store coffee beans.

All coffee beans have their own characteristic but these are not revealed until the coffee beans are subjected to roasting and they then vary with the degree of roasting.

The coffee beans will become shiny as oil appears on their surface, depending on the grade of roasting. The color of the coffee beans changes to yellow, a light cinnamon brown and finally to a dark and oily color.

During home coffee roasting, oils appear on the surface of the bean. The roasted beans will continue to darken until they are removed from the heat.

Below is a general guide to the degrees of roasting.

LIGHT ROAST= Cinnamon roast, Half City, New England.

After about seven minutes the beans pop and double in size, and light roasting is achieved. American mass-market roasters typically stop here. The bean surface is still dry, light-bodied and somewhat sour, grassy, and snappy.

MEDIUM ROAST = Full city, American, Regular, Breakfast, Brown.

At nine to eleven minutes the beans reach this roast, which U.S. specialty sellers tend to prefer. The coffee beans are still dry and taste a bit sweeter than the light roast. The have a full body balanced by acid snap, aroma, and complexity.

DARK ROAST = High, Viennese, Italian Espresso, Continental.

After 12 to 13 minutes the beans begin hissing and popping again, and oils rise to the surface. Roasters from the U.S. Northwest generally remove the beans at this point,the beans will appear slightly shiny. The coffee tastes somewhat spicy. Complexity is traded for rich chocolaty body, aroma is exchanged for sweetness.

What do you need for home coffee roasting?

There are many methods of home coffee roasting but it is extremely difficult to achieve consistency. With this in mind it is better to buy a roasting machine specifically for the job.

These coffee roasters are made of a chamber where you put the beans, a heating element, a tray for holding the roasted beans, and a lever for stirring.They are widely available in different types:

1.DRUM ROASTERS

They have cylindrical containers which hold the beans and provide a very even roast resulting in a fuller and rounder flavor.

The coffee beans are roasted by transferring of heat straight from the drum to the beans.

2.FLUID BED ROASTERS

These roasters work by producing a bed of hot air on which the beans are roasted.

They are also known as high-yield roasters since the beans expand while being roasted. What this means is that there is more coffee when the beans are ground.

Some people believe that they produce roasted coffee beans with a less developed and less well rounded flavor.

3.STOVE TOP ROASTERS

Stove tops are not as widely available on the market as the other two machines and are relatively expensive.

They do however provide you with the option of adding your own flavor when grinding the roast coffee beans. They are a series of small pans for use on electric or gas hobs.

Tips for buying your coffee roaster

Try to buy one with a built in thermostat with built in times for the different grades of roast as described above. Don't buy a large capacity roaster as it's difficult to achieve an even roast.

Remember: practice makes perfect!

Now that you know how to roast coffee beans it's only a matter of practice.

Ideally,to make the best coffee it is advisable to use freshly ground coffee beans.

Try to buy enough coffee beans for your immediate needs as coffee beans and particularly ground coffee rapidly lose flavor. If this is not an option consider the following guidelines for how to store coffee.

How To Store Coffee Beans

Whole Coffee Beans should be stored at room temperature in a dry, dark place in an airtight container.

Ground Coffee Beans should also be kept at room temperature in a dry, dark place in an airtight container.

Do not store coffee beans, either ground or whole, whether pre-packed or not in a refrigerator. The coffee will pick up all the aromas within the fridge and will not react well to the extreme temperature.

Remember if you are trying to make perfect coffee that storing your coffee beans is only a last resort. There is no comparison with freshly roasted coffee beans.