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 Did
you know that your great grandparents probably roasted their own
coffee? It wasn't until the 1920s that marketing mass-produced coffee
in cans caught on.
That convenience has allowed us to forget that
home roasted coffee is so good... That fresh coffee
is so good for that matter. And even with the resurgence of specialty
coffee shops in the last ten years, very few people know that home
roasted coffee was ever a possiblity at all. It's like never in
your life having tasted or smelled truly fresh bread! But unlike
bread, roasting fresh coffee is easy, and only takes about ten minutes.
An interesting point about green coffee is that
it almost doubles in size when roasted, so that even with a 2.5
ounce roaster you end up with about a half cup by volume of freshly
roasted coffee. That translates to about ten cups of brewed coffee
in a drip coffee maker.
Coffee roasting produces smoke similar in density
to slightly burnt toast, but smelling wonderful. You should always
use the roaster at a stove vent however, or where there is other
good ventilation. A very darkly roasted coffee will produce more
smoke than a lightly roasted coffee. You'll be able to judge easily
what works best in your own environment.
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Specialty Coffee Association of America