Coffee Roasting At Home: Advice Please!

[Servant King]

So my wife has been getting her coffee beans from the same place for 15 years. It's great coffee, yes, but as well all know, the purchasing power of the US dollar these days is laughable, and makes me think I'm really just living in Weimar Germany with iPhones. We both knew this day would come, when we would have to start looking into getting a small roaster, buying the green coffee beans, and doing the whole deal ourselves. I figure it can't be too difficult, and it'll certainly save a considerable amount of fiat in the long run. Sure, I'll probably just end up blowing most of that on tobacco, but that's a thread unto itself...

I see roasters going anywhere from $100 to $500 typically, though I have no doubt more elaborate ones go into four figures. I'm not looking for anything that complex, just something basic, small, and easy to understand.

Can anyone point us in the right direction? If folks can grow their own tobacco, it stands to reason roasting one's own beans can be achieved as well.

Thanks everyone!

 

[fireground_piper]

The amount of coffee you drink should be considered in your purchase. Mine for example really can only do a half pound batch at a time. It’s a big time difference between doing a half pound vs. a full pound batch if you consume a lot of coffee.

Regardless of the route you go, I think that’s my biggest callout I’d make. I doesn’t seem like a big deal but the time of roasting and cleaning adds up quick.

 

[troutface]

Is it that economical ? The price differential at freshroastedcoffee.com is only a couple dollars a pound. That may not be the place to buy green coffee, so I may be way off here. Also, can a cheap home roasting machine give you superior results ? I've watched a talented local roaster cupping 20 or more samples of different roasting schedules for every sack of coffee he gets in. Curious because I'm considering it too.

 

[fireground_piper]

Is it that economical ? The price differential at freshroastedcoffee.com is only a couple dollars a pound. That may not be the place to buy green coffee, so I may be way off here. Also, can a cheap home roasting machine give you superior results ? I've watched a talented local roaster cupping 20 or more samples of different roasting schedules for every sack of coffee he gets in. Curious because I'm considering it too.

Depending on what you are buying, say ~ $8 per pound give or take.

 

[ThermionicScott]

I've heard of good results using an air popper.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

@Servant King

I highly recommend the Behmor for indoor roasting; it has a catalytic converter that minimizes smoke. I haven’t roasted in awhile, but the Behmor will do City+ like a champ. I usually have the beans go into second crack and start cooling then. Always monitor a roast and never walk away.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I have an iRoast as well, but the cooling leaves much to be desired. You will end up baking your beans and have a flat flavour. The Behmor can handle one pound at a time, but I recommend only doing eight ounces or less because of cooling.

 

[dottlejockey]

I've heard of good results using an air popper.

Right you are, sir. Especially ones without the internal temperature control switch inside. For this, the best model i've used for years is the Westbends Poppery II. I still find them once in a while at second hand stores for around $5. Typically use 2 at a time to roast a single blend, for quantity. I drink one cup a day and this is plenty for a week or so.

Also, check out https://www.sweetmarias.com/ Info and options there to point you in a good direction. Happy roasting! May you experience the best coffee the world has to offer.

 

[slewthy]

I had some great fun and good results roasting using a wok.
Hear me out.
Beans in wok, over gas hob plus a hot air gun playing over the top surface. You gain a great connection with the processes and are much more likely to 'know' when to stop. Cooling is then achieved by transferring to a large sieve, tossing the beans outside.
Warning. As the beans expand and crack, they blow off and discard the outer skin/covering. This isn't apparent until the wife comes home and asks why it is snowing in the kitchen and why the children's hair has gone grey.
Doing the whole process outside is far safer for ones health.

 

[bullet08]

A bag of dark roast Italian espresso lasts me about a month. A cup or two a day. Doesn't cost too much to jump on a home roast set up, yet. And instant with cream makes me happy if I'm not drinking espresso. A black breakfast tea with milk does about the same.

 

[BingBong]

Out of curiosity, I must ask if a coffee bean roaster is good for cacao beans as well? I eat them raw, but would need to roast if making cocoa powder for chocolate.

 

[Sigmund]

I could be totally wrong but it seems to me that the decision to roast your own would be a venture into getting closer to what you want from a bean. I cant imagine there is real savings if you already have access to coffees you like. Im all for doing your own thing. Its fun and can be a bit of a hobby. But in the end I dont know how much money it actually saves. You will have to do the math.

 

[slewthy]

I could be totally wrong but it seems to me that the decision to roast your own would be a venture into getting closer to what you want from a bean. I cant imagine there is real savings if you already have access to coffees you like. Im all for doing your own thing. Its fun and can be a bit of a hobby. But in the end I dont know how much money it actually saves. You will have to do the math.

Absolutely this. My home roasted coffee was very good but not superior enough to make it worth the hassle. After all, coffee is at it's best at 24hrs post roast. So you'd have to be at it constantly.
It was good to understand and appreciate the process though

 

[fireground_piper]

Absolutely this. My home roasted coffee was very good but not superior enough to make it worth the hassle. After all, coffee is at it's best at 24hrs post roast. So you'd have to be at it constantly.
It was good to understand and appreciate the process though

Eh, I think the freshness claims are more myth than reality. Personal preference plays a big role, I don’t think the beans start reaching their potential at least until about 3 days post roast. I used to plan my roasts so they could rest for 3-5 days before using them so they could settle down.

I journaled all of my early roasting to make improvements for my liking and once you get there it became almost second nature though still a time commitment.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

I have the Behmor (but upgrading to an Aillio Bullet). I would not recommed using the Behmore inside unless you ahve a good exhust fan.
Like above, base your purchane on the vmount of cooffee you consue. You may save $$ on a cheaper roaster, but find yourself quickly having to get one with a larger capacity.

 

[Singularis]

I have been using secondhand West Bend Poppery II machines for coffee roasting for over 15 years. It has suited me well despite going through as much as 2 lbs of green coffee (= about 1.75 roasted) a week. I spend about two hours a week max roasting coffee. Compared to the same quality coffee roasted, I spend about a third as much, which I find to be a huge win. And @fireground_piper is right that you don’t need to have it within 24 hrs for to be worth your while. In fact, I’ve found that 3-7 days out is close to ideal, and for most tastes, 10-14 days out is just fine (stored properly: in glass at room temperature away from heat and light — basically just like tobacco).

The fancier countertop roasters like the Behmor are great but by no means necessary, especially if you are just starting out.

I’ve purchased from Sweet Maria’s for years and stand by their quality and service, but lately I’ve been getting my beans from Burman’s in Madison, WI because it is much closer and the prices are slightly better (but quality and selection about the same).

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I agree with consuming the coffee about three to five days after roasting; the beans need to degas the carbon dioxide. It can be interesting to consume it earlier, over a week’s time, just to experience the difference days can make in how it tastes. With the Behmor, I usually roasted eight ounces, let the machine rest an hour, and then did another eight ounces. I’d mix the two batches and was good for a week.

 

[Singularis]

I could be totally wrong but it seems to me that the decision to roast your own would be a venture into getting closer to what you want from a bean. I cant imagine there is real savings if you already have access to coffees you like. Im all for doing your own thing. It’s fun and can be a bit of a hobby. But in the end I dont know how much money it actually saves. You will have to do the math.

Doing the actual math, if you like high quality, roast-to-order fresh, single-origin coffee, you’re looking at about $28 a pound and that isn’t factoring in shipping. For green coffee, I’m paying about $6.50 a pound after shipping, but once roasted, the cost is closer to $7.75 a pound. That’s less than a third the cost of the high quality stuff, and also a bit less (maybe half the cost) of the burnt, not fresh, store bought coffee. Sure there is the initial investment of the roaster, and the ongoing cost of electricity, but those are minimal in my book.

 

[Servant King]

Thanks everyone! Lots of good stuff here, lots to ponder. The Behmor looks like the best bet for what we're looking for. We're used to doing a ton of DIY stuff, so coffee roasting is just one more thing to add to the list. I know it'll take some time and some trial and error to get it right, but that's all part of the journey.

The coffee we get from our roaster friend has gone steadily up over the past decade and a half, starting at $10/lb. in 2009, culminating in a range of $27-$40/lb. currently. He did the "shrinkflation" thing, keeping the low end price at $20, but lowering the amount from 16 oz. to 12. Funny, he always swore he would never do that, but I suppose the financial pressures of running a business (and having a somewhat unstable business partner) drove him to the other side, so to speak. Between the both of us, wifey and I only go through about 3 lbs. per month, but even so, we can't really justify a price that we know is only going to increase further over time. Plus, learning how to roast our own coffee beans feels like it goes hand in hand with learning how to grow our own food in a greenhouse, which we are doing concurrently.

Thanks again to everyone!

 

[woodsroad]

Doing the actual math, if you like high quality, roast-to-order fresh, single-origin coffee, you’re looking at about $28 a pound and that isn’t factoring in shipping. For green coffee,

28 bucks a pound?
No, not doing that.