Coffee Roaster Equipment
In general there is not one best home roasting machine, or one best way to roast coffee. Just consider the many options of Coffee Roaster Equipment available, and pick one that suits you best. Home equipment made specifically for roasting exists along with simple pan roasting. Most methods are simple and the results are worth the effort.
The most basic choice in home roaster equipment is deciding between a manual method or a more automated method. Timing, settings and temperature readings are signposts along the way. The most important thing is to watch the coffee itself and develop a sense of where the roast is by color, smell and sound.
Manual home roast methods include using a stovetop popper, skillet or wok. You control the temperature, time and movement of the beans entirely by hand. These are all conduction methods and result in a slower, more full-bodied roast. Roast times will span from 10 to 20 minutes and you can roast up to a full pound in a stovetop popper, although a half-pound batch is easier to keep moving. As far as coffee roaster equipment goes, this is the most basic equipment you need.
If you like to cook, then a manual roasting method is not that difficult and, with practice, you can get decent results. Like making your own bread, when you get it right you feel a great deal of accomplishment. Even mistakes are generally tastier than your average store bought loaf or coffee. Recommended coffee roaster equipment for manual roasting are a timer and/or a thermometer to aid you with the process.
The benefits of manual roasting are low equipment costs provided you have a stove, direct control of the roast, increased visibility of the beans, and higher volume batches (up to a pound). The problems include more labor, less even roast, no automation of temperature or time controls, and more smoke.
If you chose to look into a roasting machine, there are starter kits and individual parts available. The right route for you depends on your budget and how much coffee you generally drink. Popular brands include the Fresh Roast (for 3-4 ounces) and the Behmor roaster (about pound). Other coffee roaster equipment includes grinders, espresso machines, brewers, pressers, and filters.
Roasting your own coffee can be very rewarding. It gives you the better taste of a home brewed coffee and the satisfaction of knowing you made it yourself. Home roasting is also an art, and arts are always fun to cultivate. If you have a local roaster that you enjoy, home roasting may be unnecessary. Support your local roaster. However, if you want to enjoy the fresh taste of coffee you roasted yourself; home roasting will be a great choice. Once you get past the learning curve of using your coffee roaster equipment it wont even take much time before you are enjoying your well deserved cup of coffee.
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