{"id":5977,"date":"2022-03-25T08:49:07","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T08:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeprime.co.uk\/?p=5977"},"modified":"2022-12-08T00:10:59","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T00:10:59","slug":"how-to-roast-coffee-beans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeprime.co.uk\/how-to-roast-coffee-beans\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Roast Coffee Beans at Home: 4 Easy Ways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There’s more to coffee roasting than you might think. Some even call it a science. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s not to say that a total beginner like yourself is incapable of roasting your coffee at home, but it will take a few tries and some experimenting to get it right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, you also have this step-by-step guide to help you along the way. It will tell you what you need to know about how to roast coffee beans at home, from a list of what you need to start roasting and a short breakdown of the roasting process to a discussion of some of the different roasting methods and more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopefully, you’ll soon be roasting your beans like a pro with some time and practice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Do You Need to Get Started?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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First, you will need green coffee beans<\/strong>. You can buy these online, from your local coffee shop, or from a farmer’s market. You will also need roasting equipmen<\/strong>t. This depends on the type of method you choose and what equipment and tools you already have at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, you’ll also need a basic understanding of what happens during the roasting process. This will help you to achieve the best results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essential Steps in Coffee Roasting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take a quick look at the essential steps involved in coffee roasting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Maillard Reaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Heating the raw beans causes a chemical reaction that gives them the delicious taste and aroma we know and love. This chemical transformation is known as the Maillard reaction. The beans remain green and have a bitter, unpleasant taste without it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Stir<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Stirring distributes the heat among the beans, ensuring that they are roasted evenly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3: First ‘Crack’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first crack is when things start to get exciting. After about three to five minutes, you should hear a loud crack. At this stage, your beans will be lightly roasted. This is the earliest point when the beans can be removed from the heat, but you’ll need to continue cooking them if you want to achieve a medium or dark roast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 4: Second ‘Crack’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The second crack occurs a few minutes after the first crack. By this time, your beans are now a medium roast. You should remove the beans from the heat soon after this second crack. Leaving them on for much longer will result in burnt beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 5: Cool the Beans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cooling the coffee beans<\/a> plays just as important a role in the roasting process as heating. It has a similar effect to plunging vegetables into cold water after blanching them. It helps seal in the flavour and keeps the coffee fresher for longer. You’ll want to use two metal colanders (plastic is not recommended) for cooling your beans, transferring them from one to the other. You can also spread the beans in a single layer onto a baking sheet, but this method is less effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 6: Separate the Chaff<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The chaff is the dry husk<\/strong> of the coffee bean. Separating the chaff from the beans is where things can get a little messy, so it’s best to do this outside or in the sink. Removing the chaff is where using two metal colanders also comes in handy. The chaff will blow away as you transfer the beans between the two colanders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 7: Degas Your Beans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Degassing refers to the carbon dioxide that roasted coffee beans emit. This means that your beans won’t be ready for consumption immediately after roasting them. You’ll have to wait approximately 12 hours for some carbon dioxides to be released from the beans before storing them in an air-tight container. You may choose to leave them uncovered for a longer or shorter period, but the main thing to be aware of is that the amount of carbon dioxide present in the beans can affect their flavour.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Different Methods of Roasting Coffee<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you have a better idea of what the roasting process entails, let’s look at some of the different roasting methods in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Method 1: Roasting Beans in a Pan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the most common home coffee roasting methods. It’s cheap and convenient, but you’ll also need to do a fair amount of experimenting to find the best temperature that produces the perfect roast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ll need:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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  • Green coffee beans<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Uncoated<\/strong> cast iron or steel pan (using a coated\/non-stick pan will give the beans a bad taste)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Stovetop\/grill (preferably gas, as this makes it easier to adjust the heat)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Metal colander x2 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Wooden spoon<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Air-tight storage container<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Procedure:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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    1. Open all the windows and switch on the stove hood. Roasting coffee beans this way causes a lot of smoke. While it’s totally normal, the smoke can be overpowering, so it’s best to ensure that the room is well ventilated before you start. Better yet, do the roasting outside if that’s an option.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Place the pan on medium heat. Finding the correct temperature for this method is tricky. Start at around 450\u00b0F or 230\u00b0C and then adjust the heat accordingly from there.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Add a shallow layer of beans to the pan. Take care not to overfill it. Overfilling the pan will result in an uneven roast.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Stir the beans to ensure an even distribution of heat. Continue stirring until the beans are done roasting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Listen for the first ‘crack’. After 4-5 minutes, you should hear a distinctive crack. Your beans are now a light roast.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. Listen for the second ‘crack’. After 6-7 minutes, you should be able to hear another crack. This indicates that your beans are now a medium roast. To avoid burning the beans, you’ll want to remove them from the heat approximately 30 seconds after hearing the second crack.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    7. Transfer the beans between the two colanders. Wear oven mitts when handling the hot beans. Stir and shake the colander to separate the beans from the chaff. It would be best to do this outside or in the sink to avoid making a mess.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    8. Leave the beans uncovered for 12 hours to degas before storing them in an air-tight container.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Method 2: Roasting Beans in the Oven<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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