How do you roast coffee?

When others find out I roast coffee, I often get questions about how I do it, how long it takes, and what machine I use. So I’ll try to demystify some of the behind the scenes action. First, I started off with a Behmor drum roaster. It’s a simple, electric machine that resembles a microwave or easy bake oven. It is a very basic machine. It taught me a lot about roasting, but it did not give me much control over many of the variables that go into roasting. I now use an Aillio Bullet. It’s also an electric machine, but it’s small enough to fit in my house and efficient enough to let me roast multiple batches back to back unlike my old Behmor. And, I can hook up my Aillio Bullet to my computer and monitor curves and make it look super scientific (it’s not!). But the graphs do give me some information about each roast and I am still learning how to read and use the data. There are many other types of machines out there that are much more expensive. Maybe one day I’ll upgrade to those; but, for now, my little machine will make do.

Cupping a coffee the day after roasting a washed Kenya coffee. Cupping is just a fancy word for testing/tasting.

As for how long it takes me to roast a batch, it depends. My average batch size is 1 lb or less. It takes me an average of 10 minutes for each pound of coffee. It often takes me longer to warm the machine up and even longer to cool it off, clean it, and shut it down.

Roasting is relatively simple. I am no professional and have never taken any classes on it. I intend to one day when I have more time. But, if anyone knows me, I tend to not sit still. Roasting coffee forces me to sit or stand with the machine and concentrate on each roast especially as it nears completion. I can’t look at any tech devices on hand and I must turn down any music I’m listening to as I roast so that I can hear the development of each roast. I find it relaxing. And, like flying airplanes, it makes my brain put aside the world’s problems and focus on something else 10 minutes at a time.

Like with brewing techniques, there are a million techniques to roasting along with a million variables I could change. And, everyone has a different preference on coffee. Some like dark, some like light roasts. They both have good and bad qualities. I prefer lighter roasts shooting for clarity and acidity (that’s a good thing in coffee) in flavor. That’ll go into another topic for another day. But I will roast to what we prefer in our house knowing some would probably prefer darker roasts.

My goal with this roasting business is literally what is on our home page. I enjoy roasting coffee, teaching others about it, and want others to share the joy it can bring. Each coffee roast is different and I probably over analyze each roast and find defects in each one. But in the end, it’s all about enjoying it first thing in the morning, with friends and family, or to help you get through the day.