Get your roast on! 

Roasting your own coffee at home can be loads of fun. It can also be incredibly satisfying to create the perfect roast that’s flavour and taste is just right for you. You can even combine different coffee beans from around the world to create your own signature masterpiece! It’s cheap, easy and can be done in less than the time it takes to boil pasta! And you’d surprised at what roasting tools you’ve already got in your kitchen!

If you’ve got an interest in doing things yourself, then roasting your own coffee might just be for you. Our range of green beans are cheap to buy and have a much longer shelf life than coffee that’s already been roasted. And the internet – being the internet – means that there’s a world of online advice; videos, articles and tips to help you on your way. 

Shop the Podly green bean range

Roasting at home 

Roasting coffee at home can be as simple as using a wok, saucepan or frypan. Stirring the beans around as the heat intensifies will see them gradually change colour and after a few minutes you’ll hear what’s referred to as the “first crack”.  This is the early stage of the roast. From this point it’s important to keep the beans moving and circulating to allow them to roast evenly. 

Keep an ear out for the “second crack” which indicates that you’re getting into the medium roast territory. At this point, you can experiment with how much longer you continue to roast, but commonly 30 – 60 seconds is considered the appropriate length of time. After this point beans can quickly burn and potentially become unusable as their taste will deteriorate and become bitter. But trial and error is all part of the fun!

Cooling down

During the roasting process the beans will have separated from the dried husk of the coffee bean, which is called the chaff. It’s important to remove the chaff before you grind or use your freshly roasted coffee. The best way to do this is to pour your beans from one colander (any non-plastic one is recommended) to another continuously to remove the chaff. This will both cool the beans and remove the chaff. Tip# this can be a little messy, so doing this outside or over a sink is probably best. 

What else can you use?

One of the simpler methods to roast coffee is to use a popcorn maker. Popcorn makers are affordable, easy to source and extremely quick, and the methodology is the same as roasting on a hotplate; keep the beans moving, listen for the first and then second cracks, and take in the wonderful aroma of freshly roasted coffee. 

Other methods to roast at home are in the oven, although this tends to take a little longer and has a tendency to be a little smokey. The internet will be able to shine a light on some other less conventional – but still clever –  ways, from rotisseries on BBQs to heat guns and bread makers. There are plenty of fun (and unique) ways to roast coffee. 

You can also find some really easy to use and affordable roasters online too, and for under $100 you’ll find a range of options on eBay and Ali Express. 

There’s a wonderful and fun world of coffee roasting waiting for you to explore, and the best part is you don’t even need to leave your house to get started… so get roasting today!