Roasting coffee 101 - It's Cheap!

[designwise1]

Like a few of the other guys here, I use a FreshRoast +8.
Very fast and very quiet. It needs to rest about 20 minutes between roasts and can only do batches a little larger than enough for one pot of coffee.

Tip: If it hasn't already been covered here... tilt your FreshRoast, using tiles or something similar under one side.

[platinum321]

Cool beans I can not wait to try this out. I love coffee and you guys have got me going on this one.

Can not wait to try it.

Thanks so much for the info this is another section I will have to digest when I have more time. going to get the sampler as initially posted and try it out.

Thanks again all.

[Mister Moo]

Bwa...

[Govern]

Doesn't sound too shabby. I'll take your word for it and give it a shot...or two!
I spend somewhere around 30-40 a month on coffee (I like it alot lol).
Will I have withdrawls if I switch to this method? lmao.

Govern

[emelbee]

I just started reading the coffee forum here. I've got to try this! I've got an old air popper around here somewhere - I'll have to see what kind it is. Thanks for the shove!

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by emelbee

I just started reading the coffee forum here. I've got to try this! I've got an old air popper around here somewhere - I'll have to see what kind it is. Thanks for the shove!

Give us a holler if you have any questions or problems. If you succeed, be sure to post in the official "I roast, therefore I am" thread. Good luck with it! (Bwa ha)

[tzaddi]

I knew when I joined CS that I would eventually utilize this part of the forum as I am a "long time" coffee lover. At first I thought I would introduce myself like I did in the "New Gorilla Forum" but coffee forum style. So I looked around for a place to do such and it seems that until I start roasting my own beans I will need to keep low.

I mentioned to another member that I had purchased whole bean coffee from a particular store and she was aghast that I did not roast my own beans. I am getting the feeling that buying roasted whole beans is equivalent to smoking "machine made" cigars.

So this weekend I will explore the possibilities of an air popper or maybe an i-roast contraption, perhaps it will work with my G5 and iPod. I will probably order a sampler of green beans from one of the suggested vendors once I have settled on my roasting technique.

I will continue to read and travel this path and see what fruit it bares. I am sure I will be a better person for having made the effort.

Thanks for the information and encouragement to help me evolve in this jungle.

BTW CigarGal sent me.

—Richard

[Bigwaved]

Originally Posted by tzaddi

I knew when I joined CS that I would eventually utilize this part of the forum as I am a "long time" coffee lover. At first I thought I would introduce myself like I did in the "New Gorilla Forum" but coffee forum style. So I looked around for a place to do such and it seems that until I start roasting my own beans I will need to keep low.

I mentioned to another member that I had purchased whole bean coffee from a particular store and she was aghast that I did not roast my own beans. I am getting the feeling that buying roasted whole beans is equivalent to smoking "machine made" cigars.

So this weekend I will explore the possibilities of an air popper or maybe an i-roast contraption, perhaps it will work with my G5 and iPod. I will probably order a sampler of green beans from one of the suggested vendors once I have settled on my roasting technique.

I will continue to read and travel this path and see what fruit it bares. I am sure I will be a better person for having made the effort.

Thanks for the information and encouragement to help me evolve in this jungle.

BTW [SIZE=4]CigarGal sent me.[/SIZE]

—Richard

Hehehe...she is part of the Coffee Borg.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Bigwaved

Hehehe...she is part of the Coffee Borg.

Heh heh. Bwa ha ha ha.

Welcome.

[Jmurman]

This looks like something I would enjoy, as i drink alot of coffee and mostly starbucks beans.

Too bad those poppers are gone.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Jmurman

This looks like something I would enjoy, as i drink alot of coffee and mostly starbucks beans.

Too bad those poppers are gone.

Oh well. That's that. No roasting for you.

No! Wait! There may be one two $1.00 models still to be found at a thrift store near you!

[Jmurman]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Oh well. That's that. No roasting for you.

No! Wait! There may be one two $1.00 models still to be found at a thrift store near you!

so you're serious about finding these things at thrift stores, right? It's the Popper ll?

I'll have to check them out...is there anything special that needs to be done to them? or just fire away?

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Jmurman

so you're serious about finding these things at thrift stores, right? It's the Popper ll?

I'll have to check them out...is there anything special that needs to be done to them? or just fire away?

They show up everywhere if you're only looking for them. Avoid the oft' seen Presto Poplite; hope for the West Bend Poppery II or a Popocorn Pumper; dream for the original West Bend Poppery.

More or less "fire away", although "fire" is a word we prefer to avoid when roasting coffee with homemade gizmos. No particular mechanical or electrical skills needed - just a couple of metal strainers and some gloves or hotpads.

It's a very simple thing, really. More than worth the effort I (we) assure you.

[Jmurman]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

They show up everywhere if you're only looking for them. Avoid the oft' seen Presto Poplite; hope for the West Bend Poppery II or a Popocorn Pumper; dream for the original West Bend Poppery.

More or less "fire away", although "fire" is a word we prefer to avoid when roasting coffee with homemade gizmos. No particular mechanical or electrical skills needed - just a couple of metal strainers and some gloves or hotpads.

It's a very simple thing, really. More than worth the effort I (we) assure you.

cool

I was thinking about buying this starter pkg...what do you think?

starter kit

Is this a good book on the subject? Also I would get a lb of beansw. I like a full bodied coffee and the choices are huge, so what would you suggest I start with?

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Jmurman

cool

I was thinking about buying this starter pkg...what do you think?

starter kit

Is this a good book on the subject? Also I would get a lb of beansw. I like a full bodied coffee and the choices are huge, so what would you suggest I start with?

Nobody can be faulted for reading Ken Davids, however, I would suggest saving the $22 or spending it on cigars and green coffee beans. Everything (and everybody) you need to know for roasting extraordinary coffee is right in this very forum.

My advice is to find a $1.00 thrift popper (or buy an IRoast2 if you want no unnecessary fiddling around) and order a few pounds of central american green beans (Guatamalan, Costa Rican or Honduran) from any of dozens of quality providers. A great first look is www.sweetmarias.com.

I don't recall ever hearing someone say "I bought central american coffee beans and an IRoast and want to get rid of them." Anyone?