How to roast coffee beans at home. Save a bunch of money and learn a new skill. :)

1. A.K.A. how to save money and impress your friends  How to roast your own coffee beans like a pro

2. Why do this? A couple years ago I was in Iraq and someone sent me some Starbucks beans that were a seasonal (limited) offering. They were Burundi Kyanza. I really liked this coffee and kept checking the Starbucks website to order some more. After a couple months I said “screw it” and just googled it. I found Sweet Maria’s website and ordered the coffee. When I got it in the mail I realized it was not yet roasted (why it was so cheap). I googled “how to roast coffee at home” and now you will learn what I’ve learned.

3. Get your beans on You will need some green (raw) beans Go online and order some, there are dozens of sites out there, I go to Sweet Marias but there are many others to choose from Get your air popcorn popper out (go to goodwill if you don’t have one and pick one up for $5.00 Get a large bowl, a ¼ cup measuring cup, a baking sheet, a small (cereal) bowl Organize your workspace so that everything is ready and easily accessible Open your windows

4. Why an air popper? When I began my hobby (not really a hobby but sounds good) of coffee roasting I found dozens of websites that sell coffee roasters. From simple ones that cost a few hundred dollars to complex ones that cost a few thousand dollars. You can spend whatever you like but your coffee won’t taste any different than mine no matter what equipment you use. The concept is simple, you heat the coffee to a certain temperature and then cool it. That’s it. Read on.

5. My beans

6. Let’s do this! Put your Air popper next to the kitchen sink Open the window

7. Put ¼ cup of beans in the popper

8. Angle the popper (lean it back) When using smaller beans this is especially important

9. Roast the beans Put the cover on the popper and plug it in (or turn it on) Place a large bowl under the popper If beans begin to be blown out immediately, angle the popper back more until they don’t The beans will begin to lose husk (Chaff) and that will be expelled into the bowl As the beans roast they will begin to crack (pop) ever so lightly When the beans reach second “crack” it will be much louder and there will be much smoke At this time angle the popper forward and let the beans come out

10. This is what you’ll see

11. Dump the beans onto a sheet

12. Take the sheet outside and blow on it Blow softly so you don’t lose beans but you are trying to separate the chaff from the beans After you’ve done this sort the beans Some will still be green, some will have an oily sheen and some will be between the two (burnt looking). I put the green ones back in the bag and do them a second time I throw the brown ones away

13. Sorting beans

14. After sorting you let them breathe The beans are not ready to use until several hours later. They have to “degas” and expel Carbon Dioxide. You will find from experience what works best for you. This is totally an experimental process where you have to do it a few times to get just the right level of roast to suit your taste. Hopefully you are interested or entertained by this and you may choose to do it yourself. It takes a total of 15 minutes to make a batch from start to finish. The more you do it, the better and faster you get at it. If you have any questions, suggestions, complaints or concerns just email me mcgyver.russell@us.army.mil

15. Enjoy!