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You will be happy to hear that roasting your own coffee beans is easy and the results make you look like a real pro.
Start Clean
There are a variety of roaster types available. However, you can start out simply by using a frying pan or popcorn popper. Whatever you use, start with ultra-clean equipment as nothing spoils the taste of coffee like leftover tastes, such as fish oils or butter.
Dark roasts, which contain a little less caffeine than lighter roasts, lack the acid taste of the lighter roast. Remember to be sure and start with quality beans!
Be prepared for some smoke, because the beans will need to heat to between 460F (223C) and 530F (262C). That's easily taken care of with a small room fan or stove top exhaust. There will also be an odor, so your first experiments should probably be done with the windows open and no one else home.
Turn Up The Heat
Put the beans in the roaster and turn up the heat, taking care to be ready to temporarily disable those over-sensitive home fire alarms.
The thermometer, for some roasters, is built-in. However, you might want to have an extra thermometer on hand -- candy thermometers work well for this purpose.
During the process the green beans will first turn yellow, then brown. How brown the beans turn, will depend on how dark you like your roast, which is always an individual choice.
As the coffee beans begin to heat up, moisture -- both oil and water -- will put pressure on the bean surface and you may hear a loud crack when it bursts. This is normal, so don't worry. Stirring every 30 seconds or more, you'll hear this after 4 - 7 minutes of heating.
As the roasting continues, the sugars inside will begin to caramelize (turn brown and "burn" slightly). Remember, the degree is a matter of taste, so check the color every 30 seconds or so.
Sometimes a second loud crack will occur when you roast long enough. At this stage the beans will be quite dark and for some palates a little overdone. Beyond the second crack you're really just burning the beans and boiling away the sugars, the results of which will be too harsh for most.
Cool It!
Pour the beans into a metal colander to cool, and then agitate. You'll probably want to use a mesh-cooking screen to remove the chaff - a fine skin that detaches from the bean, as they're agitated.
Experiment
Try a few batches with varying degrees of time or darkening, experimenting to get the flavor you like. Keep in mind that heat trapped in the bean will continue to cook it for a short while, so stop a little short of your desired end goal.
When using a popcorn popper style roaster, be sure to get one that allows you to stir up the beans to keep them moving around and not sticking to the surfaces. A cast iron skillet works great for the stovetop style. Roasting happens quickly, so be prepared for lots of stirring and viewing. | 