Who wants to learn how to roast their own coffee at home?

[CO_Flyfisher]

Warning: this is a dangerous (addictive) road!

Since we have a lot of DIYers here, and also a lot who seem to enjoy "Gourmet" foods, I thought I might share something. One of my many other vices is that I roast my own coffee.

It is pretty easy, and you can try it / start without much of a $$$ investment at all. Even your bad batches will be a lot better than most anything you've drank before. There's the hook (trust me).

So, if you're interested, read further.

I am willing to tutor/coach anyone here wanting to give this a try. You get to consume your results, and you can save money. Just like any other addiction, I mean, habit, I mean, hobby, you can also go overboard and spend the savings on equipment.

So, speak up, and let's see if this is worth the time and bb space.


Hmm, I just realized there's no option on here for a poll. Too bad. The options were going to be:
- Great! Sign me up!
- Curiously interested.
- Roast my own coffee? Why? What's wrong with Folgers?

Anyway, let's hear it!

[Joe Valencic]

I'll wait and watch from the sidelines to see how this one evolves. I have enough vises & vices right now to keep me going. Maybe in the winter I'll swap some bread for some fresh grind.

Good Luck. There are now FAOL Bread Addicts thanks to me, so maybe you can get some coffee addicts as well. I'll bet your coffee would go great with some of my bread. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm... Sounds like the makings of a "What's Cooking" article for LF.

[CO_Flyfisher]

Indeed, your bread is great with fresh roast! Yum!!!

[ohiotuber]

Seems to me ol' Flybinder does his own coffee & has some expertise here. I'll have to see if Paul chimes in.
Mikey

[bdesavage]

Sound's like an Idea to me

[TB Wannabe]

CO_flyfisher

I have been roasting my own for a couple of years now. I first used an electric popcorn popper and now use an old hand crank popper heated by my propane camp stove.

I buy organic coffee from Coasta Rica for $4 per lb. Three of us go thru about 10 lbs. every six weeks.

I'd love to hear your technique to compare notes.

Steve

[flybinder]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm COFFEE ROASTING, eh?
Yes, as RARE as it appears to BE, OhioTubers IS right this time! I, do, roast my own coffee and have for over 16 years now. You're right...... "Nothing better" and by far, it's cheaper way to go if you consume a fair amount of coffee!
I have 3 roasters, a #1, #3 and a #5. I get my coffee, (green beans), luckily, from a local roaster right near my home. so no freight's involved and that makes it right at $3.95 a pound for beans.
I've used the crank style popcorn popper and they DO work pretty well for a very cheap way to roast good coffee! Since I also "roast to sell", though, I have to have a bit more precise roasts, time after time, so thus my switch to the different roasters I use.
I think the topic's a good one if it takes off!! Cant' let all those "Dough God's" get all the gourmet credit!?!

[CO_Flyfisher]

Wow, 16 years??? And I thought the 5 years I've been roasting at home was a lot!

I roast in a slightly modified West Bend Poppery I, and get about 1/3# to 1/2# per batch. This has fulfilled my needs so far, and I've stuck with this method to keep my investment cost down (except I have about 6 Poppery I's, and a few original Pumpers). I've had the itch to try a couple other methods, but A) haven't had the time, and B) didn't want to spend the money. I usually roast once a week, doing about 2-4 batches total (1 or two different coffees for drip/press/vac pot and 1 or 2 batches of an espersso blend), and it takes me about an hour at most.

I can get green locally, but it usually runs about $6/lb, so I get my green from SM most of the time (those of you that stay tuned will find out what those initials mean later). When I lived in TX, my local Costco roasted coffee and I could buy their green for about $4/lb, which wasn't too bad.

I hope we can enlighten a few folks here!!!

[zhoyt]

Glad others roast here. I have an Iroast 2. Been roasting for about two years now. Get my beans from UncleBeans and SweetMarias. nothing like fresh roast to warm up a cool river morning.

[CO_Flyfisher]

Welcome to the forum zhoyt!!! Sounds like you'll fit in here just fine!