Most of you like a fresh cup of coffee, and some take it up a notch and grind your own coffee beans. How many roast your own coffee beans?
It’s a lot easier than you think.
Tools: You need next to nothing. You could by a roaster for just about any budget, but my favorite is a cheap and simple popcorn air popper. The only catch is that the air vents need to be on the side, not the bottom (chaff falls off the beans and could catch fire otherwise)
Beans: There are many places to find un-roasted beans on the internet. Search for Green Coffee Beans, Fresh Coffee Beans, etc. I’ve done all of my ordering from the Fresh Coffee Beans Company and just last week I ordered their 4lb Variety Pack at a very reasonable $4.50/lb (compared to $9.95/lb for Starbucks House Blend). Start with something cheap and see how you like it.
Roasting: Put the green coffee beans into the air popper, and turn it on. That’s about it. Like popcorn, you won’t want to fill it up too high. Timing will vary by bean, air popper, and the roast you want. I like a dark roast, so I tend to wait for the “Second Crack” (which makes more sense once you’ve done this once). Seven Bridges has a nice Basics of Home Roasting.
Oh, and do this outside. As wonderful as coffee beans smell when they are done, the Great Disappointment is that they don’t smell so great while roasting. Let the beans cool and off-gas overnight.
My last batch looked like this, and I’m trying the first cup in a couple minutes here.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes!