Roasting

When it comes to converting the green coffee beans into the delicious cup of cappuccino that you enjoy at home while reading the newspaper, the most important stage in the coffee preparation process is roasting.  The roasting process will have a profound effect on the flavor of your coffee and can also be performed at home.

Roasting coffee is one of the best ways to become familiar with all of the different flavors and varieties of coffee that is available throughout the world.  The roasting process takes the green coffee bean that has been produced on a coffee plant and changes it so it is nearly ready for consumption.  The green coffee bean expands during the roasting process to nearly double its original size.  Additionally, the color and density of the coffee bean changes while it undergoes the roasting process.  As the bean absorbs heat during the roasting process, oils will appear on the surface of the bean.  In addition, the color of the coffee bean will darken until it is removed from its heat source.  The color of the coffee bean will shift from green to yellow, as it absorbs heat.  The coffee bean will then change from a yellow color to a light, cinnamon brown to a deep brown.  The changing colors of the coffee bean is a great way to measure the roasting process and the degree that you roast the coffee bean will have a great effect on the flavor of the coffee bean.

For gourmet coffee that comes from famous coffee growing regions like Java, Mocha, or Kenya, it is best to create a light roast.  The longer that you roast a coffee bean, the more original flavor of the coffee bean is replaced by the flavors created by the roasting process.  For high quality gourmet coffee beans that are renowned for their unique flavor, it is best to preserve the original flavor.  The natural flavor of coffee beans is largely determined by the soil and weather conditions of where they have grown.  As a result, gourmet coffee beans from renowned coffee growing areas should be roasted lightly so their distinct flavor are kept for your enjoyment.

If you are purchasing coffee beans that are labeled Light Cinnamon Roast or French Roast, you are purchasing coffee beans that have undergone a dark roasting process.  In these darker roasts, the green coffee beans have now darkened to a deep brown and the original flavor of the coffee bean has been lost to the flavors created during the roasting process.  Considering how little gourmet coffee is actually produced throughout the world, this is not a particularly bad thing.  Often dark roasting of coffee beans is the most recommended course of action because it creates a far more flavorable cup of coffee.

For centuries, coffee lovers took a great role in the roasting process.  During the 19th century, coffee was usually made by first roasting green beans in a frying pan.  However, the rise of specialty coffee led to the decline in home coffee roasting.  Things have changed in recent years and it is now easier than ever to purchase a top of the line home roasting machine.  The way that home roasting machine works is by blowing hot air up through the coffee beans.  Consisting of a built in timer and a chaff collection device, roasting coffee beans from the comfort of your own home has never been easier.

Roasting your own coffee beans has its own set of advantages that will satisfy any coffee lover.  By performing home roasts, you are able to guarantee freshness.  This is because coffee beans tend to be at its best between eighteen hours and a week and a half after roasting.  By being in control of the roasting process, you will be guaranteed to be able to drink your coffee made from coffee beans at its absolute peak.  Additionally, buying green coffee beans allows you to have as much choice as you want over the coffee you make.  As green coffee beans tend to last for several months, you will be able to stock up on different varieties of green coffee beans and roast whichever coffee bean you feel like at the time that you want it.