How to Roast Coffee at Home [Ultimate guide for Beginners]

There will eventually not be a good option to roast your coffee beans at home rather than to use a month or year-old coffee present at a coffee shop or grocery store. Remember it is as easy as you dream of it.

The taste of coffee just depends on the coffee beans whatever the brewing method you chose. The biggest benefit of home roasting is the assurance that your coffee is as fresh as you want and the color dark or light depends upon the roasting of coffee beans.

Freshness is a big factor for home roasting and the satisfaction that the coffee you brew to satisfy your caffeine need is fresh and flavorful with full of mesmerizing aroma. Buying a small number of green beans weekly or daily ensures that your coffee stays fresh always.

Beginners have so many questions in their minds regarding the coffee such as, how to choose coffee beans? How long will it take to roast? Will it be worthy enough to roast at home? will it give that flavor that you want? how to start? and so many other things but remember once you master the art of roasting you will definitely love the procedure and coffee.

Why should you drink crap? just gather power and enjoy fresh, creamy delicious coffee at home. So, the question is how to start roasting coffee.

Buying Unroasted Green Coffee Beans

The first step is buying unroasted green coffee beans. If you buy two pounds raw it will yield one pound of roasted coffee.

So firstly you have to pick raw green coffee beans which look like thinner green coffee but remember not to taste them as they are as hard as a rock. So if you know a local coffee shop that can provide you with unroasted coffee beans it will be easy for you.

Every raw bean has its own characteristic and flavor so you should have good research before ordering. One more thing should be in mind as we roast beans it increases their size but lost their weight. So if you have two pounds raw it will yield one pound.

Selection of Roasting Method 

The selection of methods depends upon how much budget you want to spend on the roasting method and how much you want to roast. There are several ways to home roast the coffee. You can roast in the 

• Roast in pan/grill
• Roast in an oven 
• Roast in a popcorn popper
• Roast in a purpose-built home coffee roaster.

Roasting in a pan is the cheapest way to roast but it is recommended either to use popcorn poppers or purpose-built home coffee roasters to get the desired result and commercial taste.

Popcorn machines are basically designed for popcorn but you can roast a small number of beans in it but it also invalidates its warranty. But if you want to roast in large amounts and have good control over the process you must choose a purpose-built home-based coffee roaster.

ROASTING PROCESS

Roasting 350F TO 500F is widely advised. All you have to do is dump your raw material into the heating element. Then crank the heat and stir it. As time passes the beans slowly change their color from light green to yellow and then to brown.

After 3 to 5 minutes then you will hear the audible crack. At this time the beans are slightly roasted and ideal for white coffee. Continue roasting for dark color.

After some times you will hear another audible crack and it’s for a medium roast. Usually, wait for 30 more seconds after the seconds crack. More roasting will burn the coffee.

Pull them out

Pull the coffee out when you see the required color. the light roasted color means more caffeine in your cup. If you want a dark color roast it more anyway.

Cooling process

When you are sure about your desired roasting level it’s time to transfer the beans to a metal colander or baking paper. Allow them to cool for a few hours. Removes some chalf which may be dried husk of coffee beans. Until the beans are completely cool the beans kept on roasting.

Storage

Once the roasted beans are cooled and reach room temperature, they are ready to store. You must save beans from heat light and oxidation as they all are enemies to the freshness of the coffee. The coffee must be stored in a sealed foil-lined bag to protect it from heat and other things.

Brewing the coffee

As the coffee is cooled and transferred to an airtight jar ideally you have to wait for at least 3 to 5 days. Don’t brew your coffee straight away as it will give you the right flavor.

Common home roasting errors

Although home roasting is very easy and simple if you make certain mistakes, they may ruin your roasting or increase the roasting time. For example, if you are roasting outside it will take more time to heat up your roasting machine. This will also cause it under roasted beans.

The batch size and temperature also matter a lot. Such a large batch or small batch will cause disturbance in absorbing heat and roasting procedure. Try to maintain balance in selecting the batch size.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to roast coffee at home?

The best way is to buy raw coffee beans and roast them in either a popcorn popper or a home-based purpose-built machine.

Is roasting your own coffee worth it?

Roasting your own coffee is worthy for those who prefer freshness and flavor.

Do you wash green coffee beans before roasting?

Yes, you have to pre-wash it because it not only cleans but also moisturizes the beans.