try your hand at roasting

If you’ve always wondered about roasting your own coffee or want to give it a try. It’s not as tricky as you think! In fact, you could do it in your kitchen with a popcorn air popper. (Although I recommend roasting outside unless you want a messy, chaffy kitchen.)

Here’s what you need: 

• Small air popper. Make sure it has side vents on the inside rather than a grid at the bottom, otherwise you won’t get enough air flow

• Large metal colander

• Small metal sieve

• Green coffee beans (approx. 80g at a time)

• Small scoop

• Bowl to put the roasted coffee in. 

With a popcorn popper you won’t be able to adjust your settings, so you’ll need to rely on your ears and listen for the first crack (that’s the auditory sign that your green beans are changing and roasting correctly, you can learn more about the roasting process here). You’ll know it when you hear it. It’s a distinct popping sound. You’ll want to aim to take the beans out about a minute or so after you hear the crack. When you’re dealing with small quantities of beans like this, it doesn’t take long to roast them – approx. 5-7 minutes for a medium roast. You’ll want to kill the power right away and dump the beans into the colander to cool them and shake off excess chaff. 

Remember, coffee needs to de-gas for a day or two before you grind it up for your cup. Store the coffee in a cool, dark spot away from strong aromas or moisture.

If you want to give it a try let me know I’d be happy to give you some Guatemalan green beans to try with your next coffee order.