Countless people everyday seek the luxury of fresh roasted coffee. Yet, it seems to be always just out of reach. People seem doomed to making do with supermarket 'fresh roasted' or beans from the smaller chains that claim to have 'fresh roasted' coffee. However, in reality they often order it in from the franchiser warehouse where it's been sitting for some time.
Maybe you're lucky enough to have a neighborhood coffee shop with really great coffee and genuine fresh roasted beans. However, if that is not the case, with a little work you can roast your fresh roasted coffee.
Domestic roasting machines are available they are beyond the reach of most people today. Here is an idea that may fit into your budget. It is not the best idea but it requires very little equipment. Your hot air popcorn popper can roast your coffee beans. The popper should be the kind with side vents for air induction. This kind of popcorn popper can give you great fresh roasted coffee each morning.
Hot air poppers are simple to use but you can only roast a small batch a one time. Nonetheless, this process is simple enough to make great coffee. A popper using side vents for heat induction seems to be the safest for roasting beans. The other kinds of poppers, with bottom vents can chaff the beans and even cause them to catch fire.
In order to use your hot air popper to roast your beans make certain that you're in a ventilated area such as an open window. Good lighting is a must also. You need to see the color of the roasting beans. Put the plastic hood on the popper, and make certain the butter dish is installed. Place a bowl under the exit chute to collect the beans as they're blown from the popper. Within three minutes, you ought to hear a cracking noise as the beans roast. You'll see fragrant smoke coming from the machine. For a light roast you'll need four minutes. A little darker roast requires five minutes. Six and one half minutes will yield a roast that many customers call French roast. Remember, because beans are hot they will continue to roast after you take them from the machine so, they should appear slightly lighter in color than will be their final finish.
Cool your beans by pouring them between two aluminum colanders. Do this in a back and forth motion until the beans have completely cooled. Now pour the coffee beans into an airtight glass jar but do not seal it tightly for about twelve hours. That's because carbon dioxide has to be vented. Your fresh roasted coffee is perfect to drink four hours to a day after it's been roasted. Keep you roasted coffee from harsh sunlight. Do not put it into the fridge or freezer and your freshly roast coffee it will stay fresh five days.
Tags:
coffee,
coffee beans,
coffee makers,
Food Drink,
Ground coffee,
roasted coffee beans
December 14 2008 | coffee | No Comments »
Doing home-roasted coffee beans really is not a difficult task and, fortunately, the results are often as good as the professionals.
There are many types of roasters available and, although not as luxurious as designated roasters, a simple skillet or popcorn popper can be used as an alternative. It is important to always start with very clean equipment, though, regardless of what type is selected. Nothing spoils the authentic taste of coffee like that of butter of fish oils.
Lighter roasts contain slightly more caffeine than darker roasts, but the darker roasts lack the acid taste of the lighter style. Of course, be sure to use quality beans!
The beans should be heated to a temperature between 460 and 530 degrees Fahrenheit, so be ready for some smoke which can be easily taken care of with the stove top exhaust or even a small fan. In addition to the smoke, there will be an odor that occurs with the roasting process so your first time should probably be done when no one is at home and the windows can remain open for a time.
Place the beans in the roaster and turn up the heat, but be sure to temporarily disable the in-home smoke alarms. Some roasters come with a built-in thermometer, but you will need your own if you are roasting with a frying pan. Thermometers made for candy making work well.
During the roasting process, the green beans will first turn a yellowish color and, ultimately, a brown. But, how brown depends on how dark of a roast you prefer which is always on an individual basis.
As the beans being to heat, a moisture of oil and water will put pressure on the bean surface so that you may hear a loud crack. This is perfectly normal, so do not worry. You will hear this sound after four to seven minutes of heating, but be sure to stir every thirty seconds during this time.
As the roasting continues, the sugars inside will eventually start to caramelize but the extent of caramelization that occurs is, again, an individual preference. Check the color about every thirty seconds.
If you roast long enough, you will often hear a second loud cracking sound. At this stage, the beans will be fairly dark and, perhaps, overdone for some tastes. Regardless of preference, any longer beyond this second crack is really just burning which is usually too harsh for the palate of most.
Pour the beans into a colander to cool and then agitate the beans. You will need some method to detach the chaff produced during the roasting process. One option for removing this layer of "skin" from the bean is a mesh cooking screen.
To find the perfect flavor for your tastes, it is a good idea to experiment with several batches of varying times and darkening. Keep in mind that the heat trapped in the bean will continue to cook the bean for sometime, so try to stopping just slightly before the desired result. Soon, you will have perfectly roasted beans ready to make a fresh, delicious cup of well-deserved coffee!
Tags:
caffeine,
cappuccino,
coffee,
coffee bean,
espresso,
roasted coffee beans
September 02 2008 | coffee | No Comments »