Guest Post: Roast Green Coffee From Home

Coffee. One of nature’s finest pieces of deliciousness. Many a mornings would be lost if it wasn’t for the liquid caffeine that is washed down the throats of millions with some cream and sugar. In a world where the entire population has the need for assistance in staying energized and focused, coffee has never had a bigger role.

Many consumers of coffee find that store bought is too bitter, and fresh coffee shop brands cost too much. Due to these factors, many coffee drinkers are switching to home brewing; which involves buying whole beans, roasting the beans at home, and then finally grinding the beans into a perfect cup of coffee.

What is Coffee?

For starters, coffee is a fruit. Believe it or not, coffee is actually a fruit. Coffee starts out as a small, grape-sized berry (which is red, by the way), that travels through many different processes to become the coffee beans we know and love.

The basic process of getting to the little green bean we know starts out in a wet process. This process is a water based process, that helps removed the outer layer of skin and the inner, parchment-like skin. Once the bean is extracted, it is dried; this process is what creates the little green bean that everyone desires.

Why Green Beans?

After all is said and done with the drying process, all that is left is a little green bean. This little green bean will go through many journeys before making it into a cup. The beans need to be roasted before being grinded. If the beans are not properly roasted, the coffee would be rather bitter and highly acidic; making the coffee very undrinkable.

How Can I Roast Beans?

Coffee roasting use to be an everyday task back in the day, but due to technological advances the roasting process is done in a more processed factory. Although, because of the new technology, the capability of roasting at home has become easier, and more popular with coffee drinkers.

The best method to start out with is to use organic beans and some basic instructions should be followed:

• constant motion; this keeps the beans from burning, and smoking, which will affect the taste of the coffee
• proper temperatures; 370 to 540
• rapid cooling; prevents over roasting

Different Methods of Roasting

• A Whirly Popper – this popcorn popper can be bought on any online store, and can be used in a fireplace, a campfire, or even on the barbecue. This method takes a bit of practice, and it’s not possible to get an even roast with this method, sadly; but the long handle protects the hands, and the lid helps keep a consistent temperature.
• Stove-top – a popcorn popper or a basic cast iron skillet; this process produces a rather uneven roast and takes a longer time. These roasts have much more body, but tend to lose its aroma faster than a normal roast

Though the thought of home roasting may seem intimidating at first, after the first couple of amazing home roasted cups of coffee- the hard work and effort will be more than worth it. Not only will taste better with money saved, there will be an accomplishment of knowing that the need to depend on others for great tasting coffee is no longer necessary. There is also the great fact that good coffee is just a few steps away instead of across town, and will be there 24/7 with no closing time.

About the Author: The article is contributed by Davis Miller. Davis loves flavoured coffees and generally writes reviews on them. Visit his site for  kiezen nl and Koffie automaat. Image via amslerpix on Flickr.