How To Roast Coffee Beans at Home

If you are fond of roasting your coffee and decide to invest in a new appliance you should know that there are specific machines to carry out this process. If you really want to get the most out of your beans, you should use a  home coffee roaster machine that will save the flavor and aroma of your coffee. You will get a perfect roast every time. Roaster machines are able to extract the best notes of each type of coffee. If you want to try some other options first here is how you can roast your coffee beans in a pan and the oven.

How To Do It In a Pan

Roasting coffee in a pan is similar to roasting nuts. Heat the pan to 200-220 degrees and then distribute the green coffee beans in it. It is important to stir the beans over and over again (at least every 30seconds) so that they are evenly roasted from all sides. After about 5 to 10 minutes, the beans begin to crack and steam. Since there will be some slight smoke, you should at this point switch on ventilation and/or open the window. After about 17 minutes, the second crackling of the beans will happen. That means that the pan can be removed from the stove. The roasting time can, of course, be shortened or extended depending on the aroma and flavor you want to get. To cool down, transfer the beans to a dry, cold container.

Roast Coffee In The Oven

Preheat the oven to 200-220 degrees. Spread a layer of green coffee beans evenly on a clean baking sheet. The coffee beans mustn’t be on top of each other. Also, remember that the beans are getting bigger during roasting. When the oven has reached the desired temperature, put the tray with the beans inside. The roasting process takes between 12 and 20 minutes – depending on the desired degree of roast and color you want to get. After about 5 -7 minutes, the first beans will start to crack softly (sound similar to popcorn).

Now the roasting process is in full swing and the beans are turning brown. During roasting, the oven should not be opened, because otherwise the temperature drops. Stirring the beans is not necessary if you switch on circulating air in your oven. If you can’t turn it on, you will have to stir your beans so they can evenly roast on every side. Once the desired roast has been achieved, remove the roasted beans from the oven and cool them down as quickly as possible in a dry, cold container.

Cooling Period

For the coffee to develop its full aroma, we recommend that you let the finished roasted beans rest for at least 1 to 2 days after roasting. If you use a pan or a baking tray, after roasting you will need to leave the beans in a suitable tray or container to cool off. On the other hand coffee roasting machines already include in their process the necessary cooling cycle to leave the grains ready for consumption. You should remember that once roasted, coffee beans should be kept in a closed cool and dry place and should be consumed in less than a year.

From Green Coffee to Roast

Anyone who wants to roast coffee at home should best have basic knowledge of the coffee bean. The green coffee is stable for up to two years, but after a year it loses its freshness. To get one kilogram of roasted coffee, on average, five kilograms of coffee cherries are needed, which is about 4 thousand coffee cherries or about 8 thousand coffee beans.

It is possible to divide the roasting process of coffee into several phases. During the roasting process, coffee beans lose weight and they become voluminous. The density of the roasted coffee bean is reduced to 1/3 of the original, raw bean. The second phase is the first and the second crack of the beans and the third is the cooling down period where roasting continues from 12 up to 72 hours. During this process, the beans get their final flavor.