Roast Your Own Coffee

Did you know that your great grandparents probably roasted their own coffee? It wasn't until the 1920s that marketing mass-produced coffee in cans caught on.

That convenience has allowed us to forget that home roasted coffee is so good... That fresh coffee is so good for that matter. And even with the resurgence of specialty coffee shops in the last ten years, very few people know that home roasted coffee was ever a possiblity at all. It's like never in your life having tasted or smelled truly fresh bread! But unlike bread, roasting fresh coffee is easy, and only takes about ten minutes.

An interesting point about green coffee is that it almost doubles in size when roasted, so that even with a 2.5 ounce roaster you end up with about a half cup by volume of freshly roasted coffee. That translates to about ten cups of brewed coffee in a drip coffee maker.

Coffee roasting produces smoke similar in density to slightly burnt toast, but smelling wonderful. You should always use the roaster at a stove vent however, or where there is other good ventilation. A very darkly roasted coffee will produce more smoke than a lightly roasted coffee. You'll be able to judge easily what works best in your own environment.

Coffee Project