Ready to give home roasting a chance? This technique uses a hot air corn popper to roast about 1/2 cup of green coffee beans in about 5 minutes. Hot air corn poppers can be purchased for about $25.
It is important to use a machine with good side and bottom airflow. A machine that blows air only from the bottom won't properly agitate the beans, which could catch fire.
Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area. If possible, do it outside or near a stove with a running hood vent.
For more help roasting coffee beans with hot air corn poppers, check out the Web sites CoffeeGeek.com and CoffeeReview.com, which even include tips on tweaking the popper for better performance.
Roasted Coffee
Start to finish: 10 to 15 minutes
You will need:
- Hot air corn popper
- Large stainless steel bowl
- Large metal colander
- Wooden spoon
- About 1/2 cup green (unroasted) coffee beans
Set up the corn popper according to manufacturer directions. Fill the hopper to the fill line with green coffee beans. Place the top on the corn popper and place the bowl in front of the chute.
The bowl will catch the chaff, which will blow out of the chute as the beans roast. Occasionally, coffee beans also may blow out of the machine and into the bowl. Do not touch them; they will be very hot.
Turn on the machine and begin roasting. Depending on the depth of your machine's hopper, you may find it necessary to carefully tip it backward just a bit to prevent beans from spilling out at the circulate in the hot air.
After about 3 minutes, you will start to hear crackling from the beans and they will begin to brown. Watch the beans closely at this point, as they will darken quickly. Fast crackling means the beans are roasting too quickly.
Roast the beans until they are just slightly less dark than your desired color; they will continue roasting even once the heat is turned off. Transfer the beans to the colander.
Stir the beans vigorously with the wooden spoon to help speed the cooling process.
Once the beans are cool to the touch, they can be stored in an airtight container. The coffee will be at its peak about 12 hours after roasting, but will still taste good if used immediately.
The beans will stay fresh for up to two weeks. Grind them only when you're ready to brew the coffee.
Makes about 1/2 cup roasted coffee beans.
