Really enjoying roasting my own coffee these last several months. I got tired of inconsistent, too dark batches when I was ordering light and medium roasts from Fresh Roasted Coffee.
I roast stovetop, using a stainless steel popcorn popper, this one for anybody interested.
Took the photos just after roasting, they’ll lighten up a bit more as they cool and gas off, from past experience.
I roast a lbs at a time using a cast iron pan on my propane grill… Roasting makes a ton of smoke.
For me, it’s a cost savings and a quality upgrade. My wife and I drink mostly half caf coffee, so I typically roast a good quality decaf to mix into our regular. At a price point of about$8 per lbs plus shipping, I normally order 5-10 lbs at a time to save on flat rate shipping.
All told, I’m probably paying about$10 a pound for my home made half caf. It would probably be something like 12-16 for a 12 oz bag of similar quality coffee at the store. So we never feel bad when we want to have a second pot since it’s cheaper than store bought, and we’re not razzed on caffeine.
So how to get started? Go but some green beans and cook it in a pan. Couldn’t be easier! Just never stop stirring.