How to Roast Gourmet Coffee Beans

The coffee roaster performs the most critical step in creating gourmet coffee. A master roaster is a skilled craftsperson with the experience to bring out the best qualities of the coffee beans during the roasting process.

The roasting process is extremely important to coffee.

The word gourmet applies to a food or drink judged to be excellent. Usually this is based on experts' professional knowledge, expertise in trade practices, understanding of product preparation and opinion.

• The term gourmet coffee applies to select specialty coffee beans that are roasted to perfection.
• A master roaster knows from experience acquired over the years how to roast to the correct degree in order to bring out the beans' characteristics. The result is a taste that is unique and extremely enjoyable.
• Gourmet coffee is always prepared with select specialty coffee beans roasted fresh when ordered. It is ground to the correct fineness or coarseness for the brewing method used.
• These freshly roasted coffee beans are immediately packed (unless they are ordered flavored) and shipped to the customer to brew and enjoy. Brewing should start with fresh cold water heated to the correct temperature.
• It is true that coffee beans can be purchased by the pound in person, by mail, by phone, from a catalog or online.
• However, coffee bought from stores, grocery store whole bean hoppers or even popular shops with prepackaged brands on the shelf ready for sale does not compare to coffee freshly ground from a roaster.
• Gourmet coffee is more expensive than the standard supermarket or other readily available brands, but there is simply no comparison in the quality and taste of the coffee.
• The old adage "you get what you pay for" is very true. Spending the extra money is well worth the lasting gratification from taste and aroma.
• To make your own gourmet coffee at home, always start with the beans. Buy from a source that will roast and ship fresh coffee on demand. Your palate will become sensitized to excellence in flavor in a similar way as wine connoisseurs are to great grapes.
• There are always many coffee varieties from which to choose depending on Geographical Indications that identify the source and serve as pseudo-trademarks. For example, some of the most admired bean varieties include Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and Sumatra types.

When you purchase coffee ask about the recommended methods for grinding, brewing and storing your coffee so you have the best gourmet coffee experience with each sip. In the end, gourmet coffee is defined by the quality of the specialty coffee beans, whether green bean, roasted bean or prepared beverage.

Coffee adds to the quality of life of those who are involved in its cultivation, harvesting and marketing. For the consumers who drink it, gourmet coffee delivers lasting satisfaction and enjoyment.

In today's fast paced life, sipping a cup of gourmet coffee and listening to a favorite musical melody can be the highlight of the day!

Everything about Coffee Roasting

Coffee roasting directly determines the taste and flavor of your cup of Joe, and much of your roasting preferences depend on the flavor profile you are looking for in your Java. Coffee was discovered centuries ago, and it wasn't long before the dried coffee beans began being roasted to release even richer flavors that can be ground into a brew. Learning more about coffee roasts is your opportunity to delve even deeper into your cup of Joe to determine which aspects of Java flavor you like the best!

To start with, there are different roast types to take into consideration. Coffee ranges from light to dark roasted, depending upon how long it is roasted for. A light roast is normally after the first crack of the coffee beans in the roasting process, and a standard light roast is called the American roast. From there, a light medium roast is called a City roast, and a medium roast is called a Full City roast. As the coffee beans are roasted for a longer period of time, they become darker and develop smokier flavors. This is normally after the second crack of the coffee beans. A medium dark roast is called a Vienna roast, and a Dark roast is called an Italian Espresso roast or a French roast. Determining different roast types is your opportunity to choose either a lighter roast of coffee that exhibits more characteristics of the region that it was grown in, or a darker roast of coffee that has smokier and fuller flavors.

Once you brew your delicious coffee roast, there are a few ways to determine the coffee characteristics. These are often used by professional coffee connoisseurs as a way to measure the body and flavor of a cup of Joe. To start out with, you can begin by considering the acidity of your Java. This is the tart taste that it may leave on your tongue, also measured by the dryness that it brings to your palette. This should not be confused in any way with bitterness or sourness from an improper brewing method, but acidity is similar to the dry characteristics found in wine. High acidity can be found within African coffees.

After that, you can take into consideration the body of your Java. This is the heaviness felt on your tongue, as well as the thickness of the coffee. Many fuller bodied coffees lose their body by adding milk, and Indonesian coffees are often known for having a full body. Another consideration is the aroma of your coffee, which is the scent characteristics that it provides. Some of the most fragrant coffees on the market are Colombian and Kona coffees.

Last of all, the flavor of your coffee is what makes it distinct. Does your Java have an earthy or sharp flavor? Does it have undertones of flowers, nuts, or chocolate? There truly is no wrong answer in determining the flavor profile of your cup of Joe, and it is your opportunity to develop your palate as a true coffee connoisseur!

Coffee Roasts

How many different names have you run across for different types of coffee roasts? Light, Medium, Dark? Espresso? Continental? Vienna, French, Italian, Spanish? City? Full-City? C'mon, who's thinking up these things?

Well, the dark secret (pardon the pun) of the coffee industry is that, well, there really isn't full agreement on which roast is which. So basically, we all pretty much get to hunt around, try different coffees from different sources and pick the one(s) we like. In this article, I'll try to use the standard nomenclature, and map it to the color and texture anyone can judge for himself.

The roasting adventure begins with green coffee beans. These are stored at room temperatures, at 12-15% moisture content. Roasting is done at temperatures of up to 450+ degrees F. Duration and temperature determine the roast.

A coffee bean will take on heat until the internal temperature of the bean reaches approximately 212-240 deg F. At this point, the outer layer of the bean(s) will discolor, turning a nice cinnamon color. Here, steam will start being released from the bean.

As the bean heats up further (approx 250-300 degrees F, again depending on the variety), the external membrane of the bean will dry up and start separating from the bean itself. At approximately 350 degrees F, the continuing heating of the bean forces a 'first crack.' This cracking occurs as moisture within is released through the existing seam in the bean. This essentially blows this small crack open, forcing the separation of the remaining bean 'chaff'.

Coffee at this stage is a light brown color; entering the 'light City Roast' stage. City Roast is usually achieved at a slightly higher temperature (above 370 deg F), where the sugars within the bean start melting or ‘carmelizing’. This gives the distinctive 'coffee brown' color. City Roasts are usually stopped around 400 deg. or so. At this point, the sugars are not fully carmelized, and flavor of the beans at this stage are very much determined by their origin; not by the degree of roast.

The 'Full City Roast' stage occurs at higher temperatures, just as the bean reaches the 'second crack' stage. This stage happens at different temperatures for different beans based on variety. The second crack comes as the temperatures of the bean reach the point where the cellular composition of the bean starts breaking down. To obtain the Full City roast, roasting is stopped just at the point where this second crack starts (approx 425-435 deg F.) At this point the bean is darker brown, but 'dry' looking, as the oils of the bean have not started to emerge through the molecular breakdown of the bean.

Going into the second crack, we reach the 'Vienna', 'Continental', 'French' and/or 'Italian' roast stages. These are sometimes also referred to as "Espresso Roast", although strictly speaking, there's no such thing. Italian espresso blends actually vary - northern blends are typically roasted to the 'Vienna' stage, well into the second crack, where the sugars within the bean are almost fully carmelized and many beans within the roast will appear dark brown with hints of fissures. Espresso blends in southern Italy are usually roasted into the "French Roast" stage, where almost all of the beans will be about one shade removed from black and oils will start emerging from some beans.

Beyond this point, beans will start releasing oils and their soluble compounds - mainly as a lot of smoke; but the beans will be left quite dark with a very oily sheen. Assuming they have not fully burnt yet, this can be specified as "Italian Roast". I've observed different temperatures (within the roaster) for all of these stages depending on the bean variety - so as my roasts reach the second crack, I tend to trust my eyes and ears more than I trust my probe thermometer.

One interesting note of coffee roasting is that as beans reach into the second crack, they tend to lose any distinctive varietal flavors. Is this a bad thing? Well, for some, perhaps... I for one will mutter a bit if my Ethiopian Yirgacheffe goes past Full City and I lose the distinctive flavor notes; and in my early roasting career I almost cried as a batch of prized Puerto Rican select went unheeded into the Italian Roast realm before I managed to get back to it. But... some varieties do better at the distinctive French Roast stage. De gustibus non disputandum est - it just doesn't pay to dispute the results in the cup!

And that is coffee roasting. I have seen a fair amount of advertising of 'slow-roasted' or 'deep-roasted' coffee, which always gets me to wondering. I suppose if you roast a huge amount of beans in a low-temperature environment... why, yes, that would in fact be a slow process! Certainly for a roaster to get beans to a certain roast point and no further, it does pay to be precise and not rapidly incinerate his product. But I can't say I'd want to purposely take any longer than necessary to do so.

As for 'deep' roasting? Hmm. Can't say as I've ever heard of 'shallow' roasting; but whatever it is, 'deep roast' must be the opposite! Seriously, the only 'trick of the trade' that I can think of runs counter to the notion of holding beans at any given temperature... and that is, once a batch reaches the desired point, get it out of the roaster and cool it down FAST! As described above, the quality of a roast depends on those sugars and soluble materials within the bean getting 'cooked' very specifically. Keeping the beans near additional heat (yes, even other beans nearby, releasing their own heat energy) will continue to cook them.

To some extent this is unavoidable, so the experienced roaster will compensate for this by knowing his roasting environment; and ideally provide a cooling location where beans can cool as rapidly as possible by the flow of cool (i.e., room temperature) air over the freshly-roasted beans. This allows them to 'coast' into their final characteristic color and taste.

How to Roast Your Own Coffee

For years, the idea of roasting your own coffee beans has been kept a mystery by the coffee roasting industry. It had been deemed “too hard” or “too complicated”. Well these are new times and the truth is out; it’s easy, fun and economical and it can be done in a number of ways using items you probably already own!

There is nothing like a cup of coffee that has been freshly roasted, ground and brewed to perfection. There are a growing number of enthusiasts who are roasting their own coffee beans and enjoying the benefits of truly fresh coffee at about one-third of the price of beans from your local coffee shop.

All that is needed to roast your own coffee beans at home is green coffee beans, available from a number of sources, an oven, cookie sheet, oven mitt, metal colander and a wooden spoon. Preheat your oven to 500F, spread raw beans evenly one layer deep on a cookie sheet, place on middle rack of preheated oven and watch them roast. In about 8-10 minutes there will be a crackling noise and smoke with a coffee essence. At this point the roast moves quickly and you need to pay close attention. About 2-3 minutes after the crackling, your coffee beans should be at the shade you like them. Carefully (using the oven mitt) remove the cookie sheet from the oven and pour the beans into the metal colander. Stir the beans with the wooden spoon to help cool quickly. Do this over a sink or outside, as there is chaff that comes off the beans during roasting. And remember: never leave your roasting coffee beans unattended.

Almost any appliance used to pop popcorn can be used to roast coffee beans. The hot air poppers are great, however, you may want to roast outside or in your garage as they blow the chaff out and can be messy. There are a number of manufacturers of home coffee roaster, including several that use a gas grill and rotisserie.

The internet is full of sources to purchase raw beans, but you want to make sure that the supplier you use knows their beans and “cups” their coffee before selling it to you.

Green, raw coffee beans last for years when properly stored. This allows you to build a collection of fine coffees to choose from as well as buy larger amounts of the great coffees and save more money. Keep your bean collection in a cool, dry place out of any direct sun light and they will last until you roast them. As coffee ages it loses acidity and becomes more mellow. Many like the rich mild cup of a coffee that has had a couple years to rest and mellow. More important than the year of the crop is the quality of the bean, the preparation at origin, transportation and warehousing in country of consumption. If all of these things are done correctly, your green coffee will last for years. Suppliers who know how to cup samples of coffee beans are able to determine if all of these criteria are done correctly before they purchase the beans.

Home roasting is one the fastest growing hobbies in the country and for good reason. It’s fun, easy, saves you money and delivers a cup of coffee like you never thought was possible. Join in the fun and start roasting your own coffee beans.

Coffee Bean Roaster, a “Must Have” in Today’s Kitchens

The coffee bean roaster is fast becoming a “must have” in today’s kitchens. The flavor and freshness of coffee is at its best when it is roasted in small batches at home.

Roasted coffee is very susceptible to oxygen damage when it sits on store shelves and in café bins for days or weeks at a time. It spells disaster for specialty coffee beans creating stale, flavorless coffee.

Today, the coffee bean roaster is a coffee enthusiasts dream, bringing the freshness and quality of roasting fresh gourmet coffee at home. It is the beginning of a new era in coffee history and a major step in the return of great tasting coffee.

You'll be surprised to learn how easy and fast it is to roast your own specialty coffee beans at home. Once you experience the flavor of fresh gourmet coffee like this you'll want to share it with everyone you know.

There are basically two types of home coffee bean roasters: fluid bed roasters and electric, radiant heat drum roasters.

Fluid bed roasters work like hot air popcorn poppers. They have a glass-roasting chamber so you can watch as the coffee beans are roasted and stop at the desired roast. These are good for beginners and a great way to get started in home roasting.

The radiant heat drum roaster is more like the professional coffee roasters use. These do not allow you to watch as the beans are roasted so you have to roast by smell or sound.

How about having a roasting party with friends or the family? Home roasting is a lot of fun. You can try some of the best coffees in the world and roast them just the way you like them. What's even more fun and tasty is creating your own custom blends.

So if you haven't tried home roasting, get ready for an amazing treat. Your coffee drinking experience will never be the same once you taste the fresh gourmet coffee you made with your home coffee bean roaster. “Enjoy”

Coffee Roaster

Coffee roasters and those who roast, brew and serve the ultimate cup of coffee are now esteemed professionals within the social fabric of our community at large. A good coffee roaster is a little like a celebrity chef these days, complete with loyal followings, highly descriptive reviews and the ability to command premium prices for their products and services. As coffee continues to grow in elevation from merely a mundane beverage to something of art form, a good coffee roaster has begun to take on a glamorous aura.

But there is a café on almost every street corner or every suburb now and every barista thinks of him or her as the best roaster on the block. The professional barista is a now fiercely competitive industry and cafes and restaurants across the globe fight to retain the barista that can produce a coffee that will have customers returning time and time again. So, because roasting is everywhere, how do you choose the coffee roaster for you?

Your first question is whether you're looking for wholesale coffee roasters to supply your business, or retail roasters to keep you happily supplied with beans at home. But for our purposes, let's say you're looking for a retail roaster to feed your coffee habit because you are a diehard coffee lover.

One approach is to decide exactly which coffee beans you prefer. Once you have found the coffee beans that you like you can then search for that specific bean. It might take you some time to research this and you might want to join a coffee club so that you can do some extensive taste testing. They will send you a number of coffee varieties each month for a small fee and this gives you the opportunity to try out blends and pure coffees to see what you prefer.

But once you know what coffee you are after, the online suppliers can tell you which of the coffee roasters that carry the beans you are looking for, who has the freshest beans and who has most skill in roasting them to perfection. You might also want to look for coffee bean suppliers that are geographically close to you. By doing so you can be confident that the beans can be delivered faster and will therefore be fresher when they reach your door.

But before you make your final decisions, consider organic coffee as an option. Organic coffee is another choice you might want to make. This coffee is certified to have been grown and processed without chemical intervention and is becoming more and more popular with wholesale outlets. It generally has a mild nutty flavor. It is also becoming popular with celebrities who are eager to adopt the coffee cause. Organic coffee, understandably sells very well in Hollywood.

Now all that is left to do is try several brands of coffee to find out which one you like the best. Enjoy your next coffee!

Roasting at Home

Roasting at Home
First, we’ll start with the fact that you can buy green coffee beans and roast them to your liking right in your own home. One way to roast coffee beans at home is to skillet fry the beans until they are brown. They need to be cooked somewhere between 460F degrees and 530F. Beans must be kept moving so it won’t cook them unevenly. The roasting must stop at the right time and cooled down quickly. This is the old method but definitely won’t taste like today’s methods and needs proper venting.

Another way to roast coffee beans is with a hot-air corn popper. Hot-air poppers roast pretty quickly causing a bright, medium roast and strong flavored dark roasts. Giving a clear-cut taste opposite of beans roasted in a gas oven or in a stove top popper. This may be a little easier than other methods. There is less to worry about, such as setting the temperature just right.

Although a great taste, there is a down side to using these poppers. First of all only not all poppers are designed to roast coffee. You should only use the ones with the proper roasting chambers. This way makes a less amount each time than other methods. Roasting with the popper will also cause smoke to be more difficult to vent. Most of these poppers can be used to make French or Espresso coffee, which is darker but are not recommended. This may cause your popper to be over worked and shorten its life.

Roasting beans in a gas oven was also popular. You could roast more at a time and the oven did the venting for you. Just set the ovens temperature like baking. This had to be a much easier way and the results were rather good. Don’t forget the timing and cooling process for all roasting is very important and may be different in other blends to achieving the goal for a great cup of coffee.

The only way you are going to find out which technique you might enjoy to use is to find a whole bean coffee roasted style that you already like, then try to make it yourself at home. Do a little experimenting!

Brewing Methods
Next let’s move on to the many different brewing methods. There are several different ways in which to brew coffee. Before you choose a coffee maker you need to understand first what you demand out of the machine. It will be a question only the person using it can answer. Let’s examine the differences a little closer.

The filter drip is the most popular method used to brew coffee because it is easy to operate and consistent. Water is poured in a chamber where it is heated and slowly poured over the ground coffee. This can be done two ways. It can be electronically dripped or manually poured over the grounds. Some electric machines can be preset to have the coffee ready for you when you wake up in the morning. Others may prefer the taste of hand-brewed coffee for a different flavor.

The French drip is another form of drip coffee making, which is made without paper filters. A separate top sits above the porcelain coffee pot and acts as the strainer as the water soaks into the grounds. Working its way through the strainer, coffee liquid makes its way to the bottom pot for hot steaming coffee.

The Percolator was the preferred way to make coffee in the 1950's. Now coffee drinkers see the light that the coffee made this way was thin, watery and bitter. Most people may remember it by the perking pot and the aroma it gave off.

The Neapolitan flip device is made up of two segment. The whole product comes in aluminum, copper or stainless steel. An area in between the two segments holds the coffee grounds. The lower part is poured with water and put directly on the stovetop to heat. While boiling the steam goes through a hole under the grounds. After that, the pot is removed from the stove, flipped over to drip the water on the grounds, which go into the serving pot. The down side to this is that it only makes about 3 or 4 cups per serving.

There are two different types of espresso makers, stovetop and household electric counter top model. A nice characteristic about the counter top model is it can steam milk for cappuccino and latte’s. Stove top on the other hand have two parts similar to the Neapolitan flip method only no flipping needed.

French Press is a trendy European way that allows for more oils and coffee solids that give you a cup of coffee with a lovely smell and has a dense body. More of your strong coffee drinkers would prefer this technique. Although good and strong, some grounds may enter the coffee during process.

Vacuum procedures are more involved and are used for ceremonies mostly by the Japanese. They are rare and very hard to find.

The Middle Eastern way is popular of course in the Middle East and also Greece and Turkey. Their form of making coffee is also very different and comes out to be dark, thick and syrupy tasting. Because it is so rich, one or two cups a day would probably be all I could drink.

Last but not least on the list, the cold water method Simply soaking the coffee grinds in cold water for about a day, straining the grounds, and storing the liquid in a refrigerator for a few weeks. When you want a cup, boil some water and add liquid to desired taste.

Makes a Rather Mild Cup for Those of You Who Like It That Way
If you’re not into roasting the beans yourself, your choices are still many. Coffee manufacturers have given us an almost unending list of different blends and flavors. How the coffee’s ground after its roasted will have a major effect on the taste of the coffee. There are regular, coarse and finely ground coffees. The taste is also affected by the combination of the type of coffee used. The two categories of trees from which the coffee beans come from are called Arabica and Robusta. The Arabica is a milder coffee and the Robusta a much stronger coffee.

Another important addition to the coffee world has been the addition of many flavorings, and flavored creamers. If you haven’t browsed through coffee selections lately, you owe it to your taste buds to check out the many varieties and flavors of coffee.

Roast Coffee from Italy

One of the things people think of with Italy is the coffee. In fact Italian roast coffee is perfect for bringing a touch of Europe to your home. Can 50 million plus Italians all be wrong? Well, with Italian roast you can't go wrong either.

Generally speaking, Italian Roast coffee is darker in color than most roasted blends of coffee and consequently develops an intense, full-bodied flavor from the blend of Pacific and Latin American origins. It seems to be richer and fuller and has a bit of a bite to it. The aroma is balanced and complex.

Why the name Italian Roast when coffee comes from Brazil?

As is known, most of the coffee we drink today originates from Latin America or the Pacific, so where does the name Italian Roast come from?

Well, the name Italian Roast derives from the dark roasted blend style that is commonly used in Italy. And do the Italians know a thing or two about their coffee? I think they do. Naturally it goes without saying. If you grind your own, Italian roast coffee is perfect for making authentic espresso. If served in Illy Collection cups, for instance, you can’t go wrong.

There is espresso coffee and espresso coffee, but with an Italian roast blend the difference is clear.

In fact, most of today's household names, such as Gaggia, Lavazza and Illy are Italian family companies that have conquered the world with their particular blends of coffee, targeted marketing and wonderful coffee making machines. Gaggia, for instance started business in the 1940's, not so long ago, but they are recognised as a well respected coffee-company in most of the world.

Similar with Lavazza, started in Turin, not only famous for its coffee, but also a prestigious calendar, similar to that of Pirelli. And what espresso lover isn't familiar with the Illy Collection; neat espresso cups with exclusive designs produced in limited numbers.

Do you think all this could have been possible without a deep knowledge and respect for coffee? Italian roast must deserve some of the success of these companies.

The Art of Roasting Coffee

Coffee roasting from light to very dark is an art form in itself. Green beans have none of the flavor we are all accustomed to. Coffee roasting brings out the vibrant flavor from the coffee bean. It is true that before roasting, the 'green' bean contains all the complex acids, protein and caffeine, but just a yukky green-like taste that doesn't resemble coffee.

It is the heat from the roasting process that causes the coffee bean's carbohydrates and fats to turn into aromatic oils. During coffee roasting moisture and carbon dioxide are burnt away, thus breaking down and enhancing the acids and providing the wonderful coffee flavor.

Coffee roasting provides the flavor, but understanding your roast is important too
Coffee roasting is only part of the equation of a true connoisseur. We also have to consider the blend to really reach perfection. It is difficult, if not impossible to describe the taste of a particular roast, as there are so many variants, coffee bean types and roasting times. However as an approximate guide, the following will certainly help you get a better understanding of the coffee roasting basics:

Light Coffee Roasting
It is also known as Cinnamon roast or New England. Set your roaster to about seven minutes. The coffee beans will grow to almost double their size and your light roast is ready. This kind of coffee is very easy to find from mass market coffee roasters. The bean is dry to touch and offers a light bodied flavor that is rather sour to taste.

Medium Coffee Roasting
Your medium roast coffee is also known as Breakfast, American, full City and Regular. To obtain this level of roasting you'll need to set your roaster anywhere from nine to eleven minutes. Perhaps not quite as abundant as light roast in the stores, however it is not so difficult to find. The flavor is sweeter than light roast, and offers a more full bodied cup with a deeper more satisfying aroma.

Dark Coffee Roasting
Also known as French or Continental roasts. In order to obtain a nice dark roast around thirteen minutes are necessary. The beans will start to hiss as the oils reach the hot surface of the beans. Dark roast coffee provides a nice deep taste, somewhat spicy and rather sweet.

Really Dark Coffee Roasting
This is about as dark as it gets before the quality of the beans start to deteriorate. It is also known as espresso, or Italian roast. Depending on the coffee roaster fourteen to fifteen minutes will be enough to provide a nice Italian style roast. As with dark roasting, the beans will hiss (remember the oils?) and then start to smoke. The natural sugar content of the beans will start to carbonize and caramelize. The results will be a smokey, full flavor.