Any Home Coffee Roasters Here?

davemhughes · Mar 8, 2007

Addicted to roasting my own beans. Sooo much more flavorful and lots of fun. I actually gave up drinking coffee years ago and then after spending a little time in Central America I started roasting coffee there in a skillet......lots of smoke but a great cup of joe with beans from a small local family farm.

I tend to prefer shade grown or high altitude single source green beans. Just finished roasting up some Yemen and El Salvadoran that I will blend and grind tomorrow. Should be a great morning brew.

I use a popcorn popper and my george foreman rotisserie to roast in right now but looking at a fire rotisserie for my gas grill. Anyone use something different?

milkman · Mar 9, 2007

I've never thought of roasting my own, when I was a teen, I used to roll my own, tobacco only of course. Can you buy the unroasted beans in the states, sure sounds like it would be a trial and error method for me. I used to be in Canada a lot and got to really like the Tim Horton's coffee, since I'm not going there any more, the wife orders it by the case for me and when I go to make a pot I regrind it really fine.
Just saw the commercial links at the bottom of the page, will check.

LMTC · Mar 9, 2007

My cousin's husband roasts with a HEarthware I-roast. I have been a keep-in-the-freezer-and-grind-daily guy for some time. Bought myself a Rancilio Miss Sylvia last year to feed my espresso habit. I will admit roasting, grinding, brewing and drinking as close as possible together makes better cupping....but I can't justify the time (or smoke

) so far for the roasting. I buy most of my coffee from a very local roaster who supplies coffeehouses and restaurants and my beans are very fresh roasted. I have had discussions with those who insist freezing is either bad or makes no difference. For my taste, feezing a bean that is properly roasted and rested (degassed) makes it hold it's flavor probably 95% or so for quite some time. Some day I may just wake up and say "Man, I've got to start roasting." That's pretty much what happened with each other step.

I can no longer enjoy coffee out at most places. Only at truly discriminating coffehouses do I find enjoyable coffee, and it is really hard to find a barista who makes good espresso....most are just people hired to serve coffee.

Central America...I have enjoyed some nice beans from Costa Rica lately. My cousin's husband says Blue Geisha from Panama is the best he's ever had. I tied into some Guatemalan Organic late last year that is one of the best beans I have ever had for blends...it carries a very smooth overtone of really dark chocolate, and it mixes very well. My roaster uses it in my favorite espresso blend too. Personal favorites come from Hawaii...Kona Fancy (never thought extra fancy tasted any better, but the fancy is way beyond prime grade) and Kaua'i Blue Mountain...which is the same as Jamaican except it's grown in Kaua'i, and I like it much better. That said, the variety of good coffee available is staggering, and the subtleties and range are far greater than those of wines.

This morning I am drinking a 50-50 blend of the Blue Mtn and Guat organic...very bold, with lots of body. Tremendous finish as well. Everytime I get a couple of pounds I try a half pound of something new (he stocks something like 80 different beans).

Yes, you can buy green beans lots of places. Online Sweet Maria's is one of the best, but you probably have someone local if you explore. Green beans store really well for a long time with no loss of quality.

davemhughes · Mar 9, 2007

LMTC: I agree, I can not hardly drink anything anymore except the quality roasted beans. Such a huge difference.

I have a 6lb bag of the Kauai that I give a plain City roast to then blend it with a Dominican Rep Barahona bean that I truly love. Out in the garage in the deep freeze I must have a dozen different types that I am currently roasting, blending, and using my French press with. I usually get my bean in either the 2lb or 6lb bags. The roasting part is something I enjoy as it gives me different levels of roast for a specific bean as to what I think it is best roasted at. Plus as the bean enters the 1st crack and the smoke starts, I actually like it, then if the bean needs a 2nd crack, the smoke just pours out of my roaster. I bought a 6lb bag of of green beans from Nepal that after doing small 4oz batches of I have decided to give away. Just could not get a decent cup out of it. I bought about 20lbs of Blue Cloud out of El Salvador that is both cheap and a good cup with a full city roast. Just bought a 2lb bag of Uganda White Nile to try. Thats part of the enjoyment, so many great beans out there to roast and try....and some not so great, but even they are better than anything out of a can so far.

The place I use is Welcome to The Green Coffee Bean Company for your home coffee roasting headquarters in Ketchikan Alaska

Great personalized service with good shipping. They are out of Alaska and much of the bulk coffee from Asia and the south pacific passes through Anchorage. Its one of the busiest cargo air freight hubs in the world.

YanmarFever · Mar 10, 2007

Wow man, you guys are hard core into this coffee roasting gig.

And here I thought I was into it, my Wife bought me a really nice stainless espresso maker for Christmas, soooo... I drink lates 2x a day.

You know, once you make your own you never set foot in starbucks again.

Ernie

LMTC · Mar 10, 2007

I love espresso...my favorite has become an Americano...double shot of espresso in a cup of rich brewed coffee. Espresso #7 from my local roaster is a delightful dark blend....I use it in brewed Guatemalan organic or Guat blended with Kona or Kauai Blue Mountain and I never fail to enjoy it. The rare times I take the time to scald the milk for a latte, it's always caramel

I seldom drink coffee black, and I insist on half and half...none of that non-dairy crap in my coffee. Used to use a little sugar, but for health reasons now use a tiny bit of stevia if I want to sweeten it a bit.

Coffee truly is a pleasure for me. I probably would roast if I had the time. The local roaster really is the next best thing.

davemhughes · Mar 11, 2007

LMTC said:
I love espresso...my favorite has become an Americano...double shot of espresso in a cup of rich brewed coffee. Espresso #7 from my local roaster is a delightful dark blend....I use it in brewed Guatemalan organic or Guat blended with Kona or Kauai Blue Mountain and I never fail to enjoy it. The rare times I take the time to scald the milk for a latte, it's always caramel
I seldom drink coffee black, and I insist on half and half...none of that non-dairy crap in my coffee. Used to use a little sugar, but for health reasons now use a tiny bit of stevia if I want to sweeten it a bit.

Coffee truly is a pleasure for me. I probably would roast if I had the time. The local roaster really is the next best thing.

Half-n-half th only way to go. I do not use sugar in my coffee not because its not good to my pallet but because I already love a great cup and if I sweetened it up I would drink twice a much......but my god that brew you described sounds sooo good I can almost taste it.

Bill Barrett · Mar 11, 2007

Wife and I are not into it like you guys. We're into getting beans off the internet, bought a good mill not grinder, got a good coffee maker with a screen instead of filters. guess we still have a lot to learn. It's hard to believe how bad all the name brand can coffee is. I'll have to read up on roasting.

schmism · Mar 12, 2007

there was a how-2 build your own roaster in last issue of Make.

makezine.com: Coffee Roaster

get to roasting!

shaley · Mar 12, 2007

Wow, I'd like to try roasting. I was just looking at roasters at Bravi Home Coffee Roaster
Expensive little suckers. Can any one recommend a reasonably priced unit.