Four Ways to Roast Green Coffee Beans at Home | Raw Coffee Beans
Is it possible to roast your own raw coffee beans at home? Or should that be, is it a good idea to attempt to roast your own green coffee beans?
The short answer to both questions is...yes! The way we see it, there’s a good handful of reasons why it’s worth picking up a batch of unroasted coffee beans and getting busy with the roasting.
For one thing, the simple satisfaction that comes with roasting your own green coffee beans at home really is something else. Especially if you manage to pull it off like a pro! In addition, it’s no secret that the moment raw coffee beans are roasted is the moment they begin losing their freshness and quality. Hence, there’s much to be said for buying unroasted coffee beans, subsequently roasting them as and when you need them.
And if all this wasn’t enough…well, what can we tell you about the intoxicating aroma that accompanies roasting raw coffee beans? If you thought the smell of a freshly brewed cup of coffee was enticing, just try your hand at roasting green coffee beans at home for the first time!
Roasting Green Coffee Beans: The Basics
If you intend to give things a try, the first thing you’ll need to do is pick up the best unroasted coffee beans you can lay your hands on. If you start out with substandard beans, you can only expect substandard results.
While there are various different options available for roasting green coffee beans, the general process is always the same:
- You heat the beans to the ideal temperature
- You give the beans sufficient time to roast
- You allow the beans to cool
- You enjoy the most delicious coffee you’ve ever tasted
As for the various methods to successfully roasting green coffee beans, there are essentially four different ways of going about it:
- Use an oven
- Use a pan under a grill
- Use a popcorn machine
- Use a home coffee roaster
We highly recommend the use of a home coffee roaster, because it the most reliable, consistent, and safe of all the above options when it comes to roasting green coffee beans. However, any of these methods can generate decent results.
It’s simply a case of bearing in mind the most important fundamentals of successful roasting, which are as follows:
- Keep a close eye on the temperature, ensuring things stay between 350° F (177° C) and 450° F (232° C) at all times.
- Ensure the beans are consistently agitated, moving them from start to finish and never allowing them to sit still (note: a home coffee roaster already does this automatically).
- Listen for the first crack, at which time the beans are lightly roasted and suitable for white coffees.
- Shortly afterwards, the second crack indicates a medium to dark roast, which is better for black coffees.
- Monitor and record your timings carefully, as there’s a very fine line between darker roasts and burnt beans.
- If possible, cool the beans outdoors or over a sink, as removing the chaff can be a messy process to say the least.
At Hayman’s online coffee store, you will find the world’s finest raw coffee beans for home roasting with your own coffee roaster or other method, including legendary coffees such as Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, best Kona coffee Hawaii, and Panama Geisha coffee beans (a.k.a. Gesha coffee). For those not into home roasting, we also offer roasted coffee, Nespresso compatible capsules*, and coffee pods compatible with Keurig K Cup coffee makers (incl. Keurig 2.0 models)**. Click here to order today we ship worldwide!
* Nespresso® is a registered trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., unrelated to Hayman®. Our espresso pods are not created or sold by Nespresso®.
** Keurig and K-Cup are registered trademarks of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. unrelated to Hayman®. Our pods are not created or sold by Keurig®.
