3 Practical Ways To Roast Coffee Beans At Home

If you are serious about drinking really good coffee, chances are you will find yourself looking for fresher and healthier version of this favorite beverage of yours. One of the ways to ensure you get a great-tasting fresh coffee daily is by roasting your own coffee beans at home.

It might sound like it’s a hassle or too much to do, but trust us when we say it can be habit-forming. Once you learn how to do it right, you’re never going back to your old ways of having coffee.

Why You Should Roast Your Own Coffee Beans

When you roast coffee beans at home, you get to experience unique burst of flavors in your coffee that you don’t usually get from store-bought ones. Aside from that, you don’t need expensive equipment to roast the beans. You can use some of the kitchen appliances you already have.

Freshly roasted coffee beans also taste better and are richer in minerals. You will find that your cup of coffee tastes smoother too without the pungent acid taste that most would get from buying in some coffee shops.

Another thing is that you get to save tons of cash when roasting your own beans instead of buying a cup everyday. In a matter of 5-6 minutes a day, you get to have your own cup of fresh coffee with a sweet, irresistible aroma. You can even control the roasting and brewing process according to your preference.

So if you’re ready to learn and exert extra effort to experience real coffee goodness, then read on for ways on how to roast your coffee beans at home.

First, The Basics

There are several methods to roast coffee beans at home but whichever method you follow, you will always go back to the basics. By basics we mean the features of the beans that you need to remember when you are roasting.

There are also different tricks and techniques in roasting but then again, the main requirements for roasting are the same for all.

1. The smell is the taste.

The coffee beans change color in different stages of roasting. You will start with green coffee beans, then they will become yellowish in color with a grassy smell. This isn’t it yet.

When the beans begin to roast, they will smoke and begin to smell like real coffee. Hmmm. So always remember, it’s in the smell!

2. Length of the roast = color of the beans

As mentioned, you will start with green beans and as roasting begins, they turn into different colors. You will determine the length of the roast by looking at the color of the beans.

Light brown: This color can result in a sour taste because the body is weak, the aroma is medium, and the sweetness is only low.

Light-medium brown: This roast has a full body, full aroma, and just mild sweetness. Here the first crack begins, the aroma changes to caramel, and the beans start to give off smoke.

Full medium brown: This roast has a full body, strong aroma, and only mild sweetness. By this time, half of the sugar content is caramelized while the acidity of the beans is developed. When you brew the beans at this state, the coffee has rich flavor and low acid content.

Medium-dark brown: This roast has a very full body, strong aroma, and strong sweetness. At this point, acidity levels decrease and the bittersweet taste develops.

Dark brown: Also known as espresso, this has a full body, medium aroma, and full sweetness. You can already hear the second crack once this phase is completed.

Very dark (almost black): It has a weak body, mild aroma, and low sweetness. In this phase, the beans are fully covered with oil and the acidic contents are greatly reduced.

3. The crackling sound

As the roasting progresses, the beans also start to dry up because the moisture and water elements would evaporate, thus creating the crackling sound.

There are two stages of crackling as the temperature rises while roasting. With enough practice, it will come off easy for you to distinguish the crackling sound.

Three Methods of Roasting Coffee Beans At Home

It’s important to note that there are more than 3 ways to roast coffee beans. Others involve more complicated techniques. For starters, these 3 methods are the most commonly used.

Note: Be very careful in roasting because it involves cooking up in high heat.

1. Using a Popcorn Popper

The most recommended tool to use are crank-style poppers. If you already have this at home then by all means, use it. If you don’t have yet, you can look into kitchen supplies store or even online shops that sell them for a cheap price.

When you prefer to roast your beans on the stove top through a popcorn popper, expect deeper notes and fuller body, but reduced aroma and bright notes of the beans.

STEP 1 – Put the popcorn popper on the stove top. Use medium heat of about 450 °F (232 °C). You can use a candy thermometer to accurately check the temperature. Note: You can also use a large skillet if you don’t have a popper or you don’t want to buy one.

STEP 2 – Pour the coffee beans. Roast only enough coffee beans at a time; recommended is 8 ounces. Stir constantly so that the beans will be roasted evenly.

STEP 3 – Listen to the crackling noise. Once you hear the crackling sound after about 4-7 minutes of adding the coffee beans, the roasting begins. You will also start smelling real coffee as the beans give off smoke. Remember to turn on your exhaust fan or open the kitchen window. Also, take note of the time when the beans begin to crackle.

STEP 4 – Take a look at the color of the beans. Once the beans reached the color you desired (see # 2 above: Length of the roast = color of the beans), you can then pour them into a container (a metal colander is best). Then stir until the beans cool.

2. Using the oven

Roasting coffee beans in an oven can be the easiest but sometimes, it can lead to an uneven roast due to a lack of airflow. However, this can also add richness to the beans’ flavor. Just make sure to use your oven correctly.

STEP 1 – Preheat the oven to 450 °F (232 °C). Prepare your pan or baking sheet. You need one that has lots of small holes and a lip to make sure the beans are in proper place while roasting. You can find this at any kitchen supplies store.

STEP 2 – Lay the beans on the pan. Make sure that the beans lie in one layer all over the whole pan. They should not be overlapping. When the oven is already preheated, place the pan with the beans on the middle rack of the oven.

STEP 3 – Roast the beans. A good 15-20 minutes will do. As referenced above, always listen to the crackling noise. Don’t forget to stir the coffee beans from time to time to make sure you get an even roast.

STEP 4 – Remove the beans from heat. You should do this immediately once you get your desired color. Pour the beans into a metal colander and stir to help them cool off.

3. Using an Air Roaster

Take note that these roasters really serve a purpose -which is obviously to roast. Thus, it’s more expensive but worth your money because it produces a very even roast and it’s more efficient too.

You can also try a fluid bed roaster or hot air roaster. It comes with a glass container that allows to you easily check the color of the beans while roasting.

For this method, just follow the manufacturer’s directions for use. Usually, you just pour the beans in the roaster, select the settings you desire, and roast.

So there you have it! Have you tried roasting your own coffee beans? If so, what methods have you tried?

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