Coffee Information

Roast Your Own Coffee - Secrets Revealed


For years, the idea of roasting your own coffee beans has been kept a mystery by the coffee roasting industry. It had been deemed "too hard" or "too complicated". Well these are new times and the truth is out; it's easy, fun and economical and it can be done in a number of ways using items you probably already own!

There is nothing like a cup of coffee that has been freshly roasted, ground and brewed to perfection. There are a growing number of enthusiasts who are roasting their own coffee beans and enjoying the benefits of truly fresh coffee at about one-third of the price of beans from your local coffee shop.

All that is needed to roast your own coffee beans at home is green coffee beans, available from a number of sources, an oven, cookie sheet, oven mitt, metal colander and a wooden spoon. Preheat your oven to 500F, spread raw beans evenly one layer deep on a cookie sheet, place on middle rack of preheated oven and watch them roast. In about 8-10 minutes there will be a crackling noise and smoke with a coffee essence. At this point the roast moves quickly and you need to pay close attention. About 2-3 minutes after the crackling, your coffee beans should be at the shade you like them. Carefully (using the oven mitt) remove the cookie sheet from the oven and pour the beans into the metal colander. Stir the beans with the wooden spoon to help cool quickly. Do this over a sink or outside, as there is chaff that comes off the beans during roasting. And remember; NEVER leave your roasting coffee beans unattended.

Almost any appliance used to pop popcorn can be used to roast coffee beans. The hot air poppers are great, however, you may want to roast outside or in your garage as they blow the chaff out and can be messy. There are a number of manufacturers of home coffee roaster, including several that use a gas grill and rotisserie.

The internet is full of sources to purchase raw beans, but you want to make sure that the supplier you use knows their beans and "cups" their coffee before selling it to you. One of the most reputable sources for green coffee beans is U-Roast-Em, Inc., a high quality, no frills supplier with 30 years in the industry. They can be found at www.u-roast-em.com on the web. Many other sources can be found using your favorite search engine. If you're interested in using a gas grill to roast your beans, check out www.rkdrums.com or www.buzzroasters.com. For electric, countertop-type coffee roasters, visit www.freshbeansinc.com.

Green, raw coffee beans last for years when properly stored. This allows you to build a collection of fine coffees to choose from as well as buy larger amounts of the great coffees and save more money. Keep your bean collection in a cool, dry place out of any direct sun light and they will last until you roast them. As coffee ages it loses acidity and becomes more mellow. Many like the rich mild cup of a coffee that has had a couple years to rest and mellow. More important than the year of the crop is the quality of the bean, the preparation at origin, transportation and warehousing in country of consumption. If all of these things are done correctly, your green coffee will last for years. Suppliers who know how to cup samples of coffee beans are able to determine if all of these criteria are done correctly before they purchase the beans.

Home roasting is one the fastest growing hobbies in the country and for good reason. It's fun, easy, saves you money and delivers a cup of coffee like you never thought was possible. Join in the fun and start roasting your own coffee beans.

Jim Cameron is a 30 year veteran in the specialty coffee roasting industry. Jim has authored many articles on various aspects of the industry and traveled abroad to speak at international gatherings of coffee proffessionals. Semi retired, Jim now writes on the subject of roasting and makes green coffee beans available to the home roasting market at his web site: http://www.u-roast-em.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Research and Markets: Snapshots US Ground Coffee 2008 Gives An ...
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - 11 hours ago
Snapdata's Snapshots US Ground Coffee 2008 provides 2007 year-end market size data, with 2008 estimates, 5 years of historical data and five-year forecasts. ...
Research and Markets: Snapshot of the US Nuclear Power Industry ... MarketWatch
all 9 news articles


WELT ONLINE

Amsterdam moves to close a fifth of 'coffee shops'
Houston Chronicle, United States - 10 hours ago
Marijuana is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but can be sold in small amounts in designated cafes — euphemistically known as "coffee shops" ...
Amsterdam moves to close a fifth of 'coffee shops' The Associated Press
Dutch "coffee shop" debate: will closing only shift drug traffic? AFP
Topic: Amsterdam closing 20% of coffee shops (Read 34 times) The Daily Kenoshan
Reuters India - United Press International
all 205 news articles


WHDH-TV

Dog hits controls, drives van into coffee house
The Associated Press - Nov 20, 2008
JAMES, NY (AP) — A dog left inside a running van put the vehicle in drive, causing it to crash into a Long Island coffee house. Suffolk County police said ...
Dog rolls van through St. James coffee shop window Newsday
Dog drove van through coffee shop window United Press International
Dog Crashes Van Into Coffee House NPR
KTLA - AOL News Newsbloggers
all 115 news articles


Holiday books: Coffee table books
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 35 minutes ago
The Dawn of the Color Photograph: Albert Kahn's Archive of the Planet, by David Okuefuna (Princeton University Press; 336 pages; $49.50) Between 1909 and ...


River Maiden Coffee making a return to downtown Vancouver core
The Columbian, WA - 5 hours ago
River Maiden owner Melissa Layman expects to open a branch of River Maiden Coffee at 701 Main St. in downtown Vancouver by February or March. ...
Merchants hail Main Street changes The Columbian
all 2 news articles


Coffee Names Randy Swanson to Senate GOP Communications Post
OK.gov, Ok - 10 hours ago
Oklahoma State Senate President Pro Tempore Designate Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, announced Friday that Randy Swanson of Yukon will join Coffee's Senate ...


Boston Globe

In 2d crack at China market, Dunkin' Donuts alters recipe
Boston Globe, United States - 16 hours ago
Its treats were too sweet; it underestimated the challenge of converting a nation of tea drinkers to coffee; and, inexplicably, Dunkin' chose as a local ...
Dunkin' Donuts opens first shop in mainland China BusinessWeek
Dunkin' Donuts Opens First Shop in Mainland China SYS-CON Brasil
America runs on Dunkin’… will China? CrunchGear
QSR Web - Boston Globe
all 22 news articles


WELT ONLINE

Britney Spears Attracts A Coffee Crowd
Just Jared, NY - 17 hours ago
Britney Spears is surrounded by fans and photographers as she goes out to get some coffee at Starbucks in Encino, Calif. on Thursday. ...
Britney Spears Misses the Excitement The Gossip Girls
all 749 news articles


Research and Markets: Vietnam Food and Drink Report Q4 2008 ...
MarketWatch - 11 hours ago
Meanwhile, Vietnam is looking to invest in its soluble coffee industry. Over the next two years, over US$80mn will be invested in the construction of three ...


The Buzz: Small Fox Cities coffee shops buck national woes
Appleton Post Crescent,  USA - 18 hours ago
By Maureen Wallenfang • Post-Crescent staff writer • November 21, 2008 When Aspen Coffee & Tea took over Planet Perk in downtown Neenah, new owner Jeffry ...

Coffee - Google News

home | site map
© 2006