The art and science of roasting coffee

Roasting Coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the entire world. Connoisseurs of coffee are constantly looking for ways to improve the taste of the coffee and enjoy coffee in as fresh a form as possible. To this end many have started to roast their own coffee beans in the comfort of their homes. The purpose of this discussion is to explain the manner in which coffee beans can be roasted at home using air heat provided by popcorn poppers.

Coffee Beans

According to an article found in the Magazine, Whole Earth, Coffee is also referred to as Java, Khavey, Crank and Joe. Coffee is a member of the genus Coffea part of the Rubiaceae, family of flowering plants (Pendell). These flowering plants are most common in tropical climates. Although there are many forms of Coffea the article reports that only two Coffea species are generally cultivated (Pendell). These two species are Coffea Arabica and Coffea canephora. The article reports that Coffea Arabica is the best and most highly priced of the two and the original source for this type of coffee is Ethiopia (Pendell; Roussel & Verdeaux).

Although the United States of America is still the number one consumer of coffee from around the world, nations all over the globe consume a great deal of coffee. From Paris, France to Seattle, Washington and many Places in between the drinking of coffee has become a common past time and for some a habit (Weinberg & Bealer).

Still for others, coffee serves as an important commodity used for trade (Clarence-Smith, & Topik). In recent years there has been increased interest in the fair trade movement as it pertains to coffee. According to an article found in the Journal Social Justice,

Fair trade activists have endeavored to increase sales by increasing consumer awareness of fair trade and of the negative consequences of conventional coffee production and exchange, and with some success. Total gross sales of fair trade certified coffee in the U.S. And Canada increased 50% from 1999 to 2000, reaching $64.4 million (Lobe, 2002). Pressure has also been brought to bear on merchants to make fairly traded coffee more available. A highly publicized threatened boycott of Starbucks in 2000 resulted in an agreement to have bulk fair trade coffee made available at the company's ubiquitous outlets (Hudson & Hudson, 130)."

Indeed, according to an article found in the Journal Environmental health perspective, coffee beans are the second largest traded commodity (Taylor). The article explains that coffee beans come from all over the world. Some of the most famous and most flavorful beans come from places such as Rwanda, Kenya, Columbia, Jamaica, Hawaii and Sumatra. The Flavor that the coffee bean produces is dependent upon the region of the world that it is grown in and the variety of the coffee. Coffee grown in Kona, Hawaii, known as Kona Coffee, has a different flavor than Columbian coffee. There are also varieties of flavored coffees that have grown tremendously in popularity in recent years.

Also as it pertains to the growing of coffee and coffee beans, there are different stages of growth and harvest. Green coffee beans, also referred to as raw coffee beans must are purchased and used in the at home roasting process.

Coffee beans from most parts of the world are available for purchase through the internet and through whole sellers who also sell roasted coffee.

Roasting coffee beans at home book entitled Home coffee Roasting: Romance and Revival, roasting coffee at home first became popular in the late 1990's and although the number of home roasters is still not that large, there has been a steady increase in the number of people who roast coffee at home. The author explains that home roasting has become popular because many have discovered that the taste of freshly roasted coffee is much more vibrant than the coffee that has been roasted and has been sitting for weeks or even months in a grocery store or coffee shop. In addition, the author points out that coffee is rather easy to roast at home once an individual learns the process (Davids).

According to the author there are five reasons why people should roast coffee at home. These reasons are as follows

Personal Satisfaction- in this particular age when a great deal of the products we consume are processed, the ability to roast ones coffee can provide a great deal of satisfaction.

Freshness and Flavor- apparently once coffee has been roasted it begins to loose flavor rapidly. In fact coffee is best 24 hours after it has been roasted (Davids). After this time the fragile oils in the coffee which hold the flavor, begin to deteriorate rapidly. For this reason freshly roasted coffee is much more flavorful (Davids).

Romance- Many have asserted that coffee is one of the most romantic beverages in the world. The experience of roasting is a romantic one because of the process and the aroma that is produced when the roasting takes place (Davids).

Costs-raw coffee beans are less expensive than roasted coffee beans. In addition, because coffee can be roasted at home using tools or appliances that people already have, the entire process can result in a great deal of cost savings (Davids).

Connoisseurship- for connoisseurs of coffee home roasting presents them with another way to experience coffee. Coffee connoisseurs are often on a quest to achieve a perfect or more flavorful cup of coffee (Davids).

Hot Air Roasting

According to an article posted by the associated press, there are several ways that coffee can be roasted at home. These coffee roasting options include cast-iron skillets, in the oven, with a stovetop corn popper, or a hot air corn popper. Among these methods of at home roasting, hot hair roasting using a corn popper is the most popular.

Although it has grown in popularity in recent years the use of hot air to roast coffee beans is not a new concept at all. In fact in 1934 Jabez Burns company developed a machine...that applied no heat whatsoever to the drum itself, instead relying on a stream of hot air howling through the drum. This arrangement permitted the use of a lower air temperature during roasting, since the rapidly moving air stripped the beans of their envelope of roasting gas and made the actual heat transfer from air to bean more efficient. Adherents of the new system argued that lower roasting temperatures and relatively rapid roasting burn off fewer flavor oils and produce a more aromatic coffee (Davids, 32)."

The Associated Press article reports that this type of roasting is the most popular because it is simple and not overly costly. Many people already have hot air corn poppers in their homes that they can utilize to roast the coffee with. The article reports that raw (green) coffee beans can be purchased through the internet, at coffee farms or at some specialty shops. In areas of the world where coffee grows easily, some people even grow their own coffee beans for personal consumption.

It is obvious the hot air roasting has been revitalized and is viewed as a simple way to roast coffee at home. Even though there are other methods that can be used, including the purchase of at home roasters that are now on the market, many choose to use the hot air method because it is cheap and efficient. Now that we have garnered a greater understanding of the hot air method, let us concentrate on the actual process associated with roasting coffee using a hot air popper.

Process involved in Roasting Coffee using the Hot air Corn Popper method

According to the article entitled "For freshly roasted coffee all you need is a corn popper," it will take an estimated five minutes to roast the beans. A hot air corn popper is needed and they can usually be bought for under $30 (Romanoff). When using a hot air corn popper it is very important that the popper has the proper airflow. This means that airflow at the bottom and the top must be sufficient. Many poopers only blow air from the bottom which is not sufficient for roasting coffee because the beans will not move around enough and a fire could result (Romanoff)

The article also points out that the area where the coffee beans are roasted need to be well ventilated. The best places to roast coffee would be near a stove with a large vent or outside.

To roast a half a cup of coffee beans the following supplies are needed:

cup of raw coffee beans

Hot Air Popper wooden spoon metal colander stainless steel bowl (Romanoff)

The article then explains that the hit air corn popper should be set up using the directions provided by the manufacturer. The hot air pooper should then be filled with the raw coffee beans and to top should be placed on the popper and the stainless steel bowl should be put under the chute of the hot air corn popper (Romanoff). The purpose of the bowl is to catch the chaff as the coffee begins to roast. In addition some coffee beans may shoot out of the popper and the bowl will catch those beans (Romanoff). It is important that the person doing the roasting does not touch any of the beans that come out of the chute during roasting as they are likely to get burned; coffee beans hold a great deal of heat.

The article further explains that once the machine is on and roasting has begun, the author points out that the individual doing the roasting may need to tilt the popper backwards to stop the beans form falling out of the popper and the hot air moves the beans around (Romanoff). The need to tilt the machine is dependent on the depth of the machine that is used.

It will take about 3 minutes before the beans begin to crackle and turn brown. During this time the beans must be carefully watched because they will start to rapidly get darker. The article also explains that if the beans begin to crackle at a rapid pace, they are roasting too quickly and are likely to burn. The coffee beans should only be roasted until they are a little lighter than the desired color. The author explains that the coffee beans will remain hot and will continue to roast even after they have been removed from the heat source. The beans should be place in the colander once they are roasted for the desired amount of time.