Coffee Roaster

Coffee roasting is both a science and an art.

As you regularly use your coffee roaster, you'll observe that each batch of roasted green beans possesses different flavors and aromas depending on various factors like roasting temperature and time, bean quality and batch volume, and the degas period.

Coffee-Bean Roaster

With that being said, the choice of gadget with which to roast green beans often doesn't matter as much as your diligence in taking down notes vis-à-vis your ideal roasting periods, your choice of green beans in relation to country of origin and species, and your storage method.

So, it's really a matter of experimentation at first just to get the hang of the roasting-at-home process.

The said process is simple even for a novice in the activity: Measure the recommended volume of green beans into the coffee roaster, push the right buttons, select the settings and wait for the green beans to turn into brown pods of pleasure.

You ought to hear the first crack and the second cracks, after which it's a good time to turn the roaster off before you end up with charcoal.
(Note: If the beans smell like charcoal, it probably is. Throw these beans away)

In just about 5-7 minutes, with about 2 minutes of cooling down period, you ought to have roasted coffee beans that can range from the light city roast to the French roast.

However, remember to store the roasted beans in appropriate containers, even a Ziploc bag will do, for 1-2 days to let them degas (read: release the carbon dioxide).

Common features in most roasters include a mechanical timer, chaff collector, and a roasting chamber in varying capacities.

Some companies also offer a free bag of gourmet coffee beans.
Regardless of the coffee roaster model purchased, always be sure to use it where there is sufficient airflow.

Pros

With a home roaster, you can keep many varieties of unroasted beans for long periods without worrying about their freshness. Just pop in the green beans as you like and you'll have your deliciously roasted beans in a day or two!

Also, you can have roasted coffee according to your preferences. No more hit and miss with coffeehouses and canned coffee blends.

For example, you can go from light city to full city to French in just one day. Most coffee roasters are easy to clean, use and store so it should fit right into your lifestyle and your kitchen.

Cons

Well, home roasters can generate smoke during the roasting process that can often set off the smoke alarm.

Thus, it's always important to roast near an exhaust vent or in an area with sufficient airflow.

Also, you can always go wrong with roasting. You have to attend to it to prevent blackened beans.

Sadly, mankind has yet to invent a fully automated home roaster. And did we mention that not all roasters are created equal?

You can end up with junk so it's always best to read specific product reviews before purchasing it.

Advice

If you're a serious coffee lover, a coffee roaster ought to be a part of your arsenal of coffee gadgets.

You will have "freshly roasted beans" right in the comfort of your own home instead of settling for the roasted-coffee-in-a-can varieties that, more often than not, are very inferior in quality.

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