Do you want to roast coffee at home? Of course that's possible... after all, the original method is roasting green coffee in a pan over an open fire. This is still done today in Ethiopia during the traditional coffee ceremony. So what you need for roasting at home is green coffee, a heat source and a roasting vessel. And a lot of patience, because you won't be roasting your new favorite coffee right away at the beginning. We'll give you a few tips on how to go about roasting coffee at home.
Roasting coffee at home – you have several options
There are several methods for roasting coffee beans at home. Here are some of the most common methods that you can use to get success (but maybe not the first time). Each has its advantages and disadvantages.
Roasting coffee at home – hot air popcorn machine
A hot air popcorn machine can be used as a cheap and effective way to roast coffee beans, but it may require some adjustments to accurately control the roasting time and heat. The key here is constant checking and monitoring of the beans.
Roasting coffee at home – manual roasting pan
You can use a roasting pan, usually made of cast iron or stainless steel, to roast coffee beans on the stove (gas or electric, induction is also popular) . This method requires a certain amount of skill to achieve an even roast, as you have to move the beans continuously to avoid overheating and to achieve an even roasting level. You can also use a pot instead of a pan. Here you may have to turn the beans more often, as a higher layer forms.
Roasting coffee at home – convection oven
You can also use a convection oven to roast coffee beans. Again , it is important that you monitor the roasting time and temperature closely to achieve an even roast. Moving the beans around from time to time can also help to achieve an even roast.
Roasting coffee at home – home roasting machine
There are also special home roasting machines on the market designed to roast coffee beans at home. These machines often offer more precise temperature control and a more consistent roast compared to manual methods.
Roasting coffee at home – Professional sample roasters
In our roastery (and many others) , in addition to the large professional roasters, there are also smaller professional roasters , the so-called sample roasters. These roasters roast samples of new or existing coffees in order to check the taste and quality. These roasters are basically home roasters too, only they usually have better technology and are therefore more expensive.
Roasting coffee at home – hot air fryer
Turn on the hot air fryer and set the desired temperature. For example, for a so-called city roast with a balanced body and still noticeable acidity, you need 219 degrees . The right time for this: That is about 120 seconds after the first crack, which comes after about 5 to 10 minutes. Then you pour the green coffee into the roasting chamber of the fryer and, as with all other methods, you should stir it every now and then.
Roasting coffee at home – General
Regardless of the method, it is important that you carefully monitor each roasting method and regularly test it to achieve the desired roast level. You should also cool the roasted beans sufficiently after roasting to avoid overheating and thus further roasting.
Roasting coffee at home – professional vs amateur
As mentioned above, professionals like us also have small roasters to roast samples. And there are similar machines for home use. They are similar but have a few differences.
Roasting coffee at home – precision and control
Professional sample roasters often offer more precise temperature control and a wider range of settings for roasting time and temperature. They allow experienced roasters to precisely adjust and control roasting profiles to achieve the desired flavor. Home roasters typically offer less control and may not be able to provide the same precision as professional machines.
Roasting coffee at home – technology and automation
Professional sample roasters can come with more advanced technology and automated features that streamline and simplify the roasting process. This can include things like automatic temperature and time controls, data collection, and roast profile control. Home roasters typically offer fewer automated features and may require more manual monitoring and intervention.
Roasting coffee at home – price
Professional sample roasters are usually significantly more expensive than home roasters because they are designed for use in commercial settings and offer greater precision. Home roasters are usually more affordable and designed for personal use.
Roasting coffee at home – know-how is important
No matter which method you choose, experience is the key to roasting . Our roasting masters don't want to and can't rely 100% on the roasting machines and the supporting software. But you can always rely on their experience. So here are a few things you should know about roasting.
Roasting coffee at home – understanding roasting levels
You can roast coffee light, medium or dark. It is important to understand the basic roast profiles and how different roast levels affect the taste and aromas of the coffee. For example, light roasts retain a lot of acidity, medium roasts slowly increase the sweetness in the coffee and dark roasts begin to develop increasing bitterness.
Roasting coffee at home – temperature control
Controlling the roasting temperature is crucial to the quality of the roasted coffee, so keep an eye on the temperature. The temperature during roasting affects how the coffee tastes. It is important to control the temperature closely to achieve the desired taste.
Roasting coffee at home – pay attention to the roasting time
Pay attention to the roasting time. Depending on how long you roast the coffee, the roast level and therefore the taste will change. It is important to monitor the roasting process and take samples regularly to ensure that the coffee is perfectly roasted.
Roasting coffee at home – experimentation encouraged
Roasting coffee is a craft and also a bit of an art. You can learn a lot by trying out different roasting profiles and learning from mistakes. And if you want to be a revolutionary, you can also try things that no one else has tried before - it can't go any worse than wrong .
Roasting coffee at home – quality?
Well, we don't want to stop you from roasting at home. But don't expect miracles at first. Know-how and, above all, experience are important when roasting. Even our roasters didn't roast as well as they do now straight after their training. And that took a few years. You should try it out, but maybe you can continue to buy coffee from your favorite roaster to be on the safe side. You should be supplied with good coffee until you have mastered roasting (or given up).
Roasting coffee at home – first crack and development time
The first crack is the moment when heat and pressure in the roaster cause the coffee beans to break open and steam to escape. You can clearly hear this crack coming from the roaster. From here on, the beans start to develop. They develop their aromas, chlorogenic acids are further broken down and sugar is caramelized. The first crack comes in a rising and then falling wave, or in a normal distribution or Gaussian curve. This means that first only one bean cracks, then a few more, and towards the middle of the distribution almost all the beans crack at the same time. After that, it levels off again as it began. It is important to choose the right time for the cracking so that you do not continue to roast hot. Otherwise, you will eventually reach the second crack. This is the point at which the cell structure of the beans changes or bursts and oils come to the surface. We do not actually want to reach this point with well-roasted coffee.
Remember: The hotter the temperature, the faster you roast. The cooler the temperature, the slower you roast.
Roasting coffee at home – the development time
The development time is the time from the first crack to the time the coffee is removed from the roaster. This time is often given as a percentage of the total roasting time. If the development time is 5 percent or less, then the coffee is definitely under-roasted and has few aromas. If the development time is over 18 percent, then you are sure to get a dark roast with little acidity and lots of roasted aromas. Everything in between has more or less acidity, sweetness, roasted notes and aromas depending on the development time. Let's take the example of light roasting again: here a good development time can be as short as 90 seconds. It's not easy for a home roaster to get this time right.
Roasting coffee at home – cooling and storing
It is important to have a stopwatch, to note the first crack and to write down all the other data as well . In case you want to compare later if you have changed a variable. You determine the end of the roasting time, then you should cool the coffee immediately so that it does not continue to roast. Cool with air, not water. You could use a fan and pour the beans into a pasta strainer. And constantly move the beans while cooling. Or you can find another method.
Roasting coffee at home – Conclusion
As already mentioned, there is a lot to experiment with and a lot to learn. Change the roasting quantity, roasting time and even the temperature and see how your coffee develops. This way you will gain a lot of experience. In general, however, we would recommend that you continue to buy coffee from professionals. Perhaps from our shop. Especially if you roast at home with a frying pan, hair dryer or popcorn machine. What comes out is usually very far from what you are used to from us and other roasters. It is particularly difficult to match the development time exactly, especially with light roasts, which have a very short development time. Nevertheless, you should try it out if you feel like it. It is definitely an exciting experience.
