How to Roast Coffee Beans?
Not happy with the
flavor of your Folgers or Nescafe instant coffee? Want to learn the art of
roasting coffee beans at home, for that perfect coffee-licious taste? Here are
some home coffee roasting tips.
Ever since Satori
Kato, the Chicago-based Japanese scientist came up with the idea of making and
using instant coffee in 1901, home roasting coffee has become an obsolete art.
Thank goodness for the new generation, who, unsatisfied with the standardized
versions, decided to resurrect the dying practice of roasting coffee at home.
Those who are under
the impression that home roasting coffee beans is a tiresome and arduous task,
think again! It is actually quite a simple task and hardly takes a few minutes.
But the result of this relatively uncomplicated procedure, is simply, a good
coffee, that answers to your taste buds! Besides, the taste is delightfully
fresh with a stronger flavor. Overall, a good investment of your time!
Roasting Coffee Beans at Home
All you need is some
dry, fresh green coffee beans available in almost any store, and an oven. Don't
have an oven? No need to fret! It can even be done on a modest frying pan.
After procuring the apparatus, pre-heat your oven/pan, put on your mittens and
place the beans on the heat. The next, very important step is to take in the
delectable aroma as the beans roast. But mind it, do not lose yourself or the
beans may burn! Within 10 - 20 minutes, depending on how you like 'em, the
beans will be ready and look the familiar brown color. Once they start becoming
greasy, releasing the oils, you know that you're almost there! Take them out of
the oven, and once again, you have to exercise a good deal of self-control to
prevent yourself from touching those tempting beans. Wait for them to cool,
clean out the excess oil, and ground them. And voila! Your beans are ready to
brew!
You initially will
have to go through the 'trial-and-error' method to get to the coveted cup. The
experimentation can be with the origin of beans and with the amount of roasting
you need. Simple difference really. For general knowledge purpose, there are
two main kinds of beans, the ones that are grown in the highland areas and the
ones grown in lowland areas. Highland area beans tend to be more aromatic,
milder and have a better flavor than those grown in the lowlands. Lowland grown
coffee beans are stronger and have a slightly less aroma. Secondly, the taste
also depends upon how much you roast it. The more the roast, the stronger it
is. So if you're a greenhorn dabbling with coffee beans for the first time,
you'd want to do a bit of playing with the coffees. But don't forget to keep
notes, or you might end up losing your secret formula!
Home coffee roasting
is an art, practiced all over the world by the connoisseurs, who can only be
satisfied with the perfect cup. All you need is a handful of raw beans, a pan
and just a few minutes.
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