Yes, Folks.
Roast Coffee yourself!
Today's Post is mostly just for fun, something we did in the kitchen that was kinda awesome.
I have always wondered what happens to coffee to make it taste so good. Roasting coffee is a simple process, but very difficult to master. But, like anything else in the kitchen, i think it can be done with practice. Anyhow, i am no master. Only curious. Roasting your own coffee can save you some money once you get good at it. I have become somewhat of a coffee snob, so only the best Fair Trade/ Organic fresh roasted beans will do. This can be a pricey habit. We got this coffee from a local place that also retails online called Sweet Maria's. They have great prices, good quality, and good ethics. Check their website (link above) for Roasting tips and other coffee stories.
Ok, on to the show. First i have a slideshow of the first half of the roasting, but when it started to move fast, i shot a video. hope you enjoy!
And also:
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Hi Ilea! Great post. First addition I have is for those who are local, you can go to the Sweet Maria's warehouse in West Oakland to pick up beans once you've ordered them from the internet, saving you that precious S&H. If you talk to them for a bit they may be willing to show you their cast collection of vintage roasting equipment. They also roast for pick up on Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, though home roasting over the range top works great and has been used for literally thousands of years (for the history of coffee check out Black Gold, an awesome documentary which sometimes shows up as part of PBS's Independent Lens series) for the thrifty gourmand there is no substitute for the modified popcorn popper. I've yet to find one at a thrift store but plan on making one as soon as I do. Here's a link to Sweet Maria's popper info: http://www.sweetmarias.com/airpop/airpopmethod.php
There more ambitious and electrical savvy plans which can be found elsewhere so you can adjust temperature and whatnot.
Happy Roasting!
Thanks Ted!
ReplyDelete