Roasting your own coffee

[Bender]

Want to roast your own coffee, but reluctant to spend big $$$? Here's the solution - use a hot-air popcorn popper!

This only works with certain types of popcorn poppers; what you need is the type where the hot air is forced into the popping chamber through a series of vents around the sides at the bottom of the chamber, creating a vortex effect. This makes the popcorn swirl around as it gets heated up, and if you're roasting coffee it swirls the chaff upward and out of the popper into your chaff-collecting bowl. DO NOT attempt to use a popper where the hot air enters the popping chamber through a mesh covered orrifice on the bottom! This design could ignite the chaff.

How to do it:

• Set up the popper in a ventilated place near a kitchen exhaust fan or window, if possible. It's nice to have strong overhead light so you can look down into the popper chamber to accurately judge the roast as it progresses. Have all your supplies within reach.
• Put the same amount of coffee in the popper that the manufacturer recommends for popcorn.
• Put the plastic hood (including butter dish) in place, and a large bowl under the chute. You could put the popper by the sink so it blows chaff right into the basin. Turn the thing on.
• Watch for fragrant smoke and the "first crack" of the beans in about 3 minutes. Wait another minute, then start to monitor beans closely for desired roast color by lifting out butter dish and looking into popping chamber, or, better yet, by smelling the smoke and listening to the crackling.
• Total time for a lighter roast should be around 4 minutes, full city roast around 5, and darker roasts closer to 6.5 minutes. Roasts develop quickly, so be vigilant.
• You want to pour the beans out of the popper when they are a tad lighter than the color you desire, since roasting continues until beans are cool.
• Agitate beans in metal colander with a big spoon or toss between 2 colanders until they are warm to your touch. You may need oven mitts for this.
• Coffee should be stored out of direct light (and not in a fridge or freezer) in an airtight glass jar, but with a fresh roast, wait 12 hours to seal the jar tightly; it needs to vent off C02.

Warm, fresh roasted beans are wonderful, but the coffee attains its peak 4 to 24 hours after roasting. If you store it as recommended, it should stay fresh for 5 days. When you open that jar in the morning, you will know what fresh coffee truly is.

[Fresh Mint]

I can confidently say I don't know a single person on the planet who owns a "popcorn popper", nor have I ever seen such a device.


Americans are ridiculous.

[Burbage]

Americans are ridiculous.

But there is a certain madness that can only be achieved by the isolation of living in the southern Pacific, miles from any form of civilisation (when your nearest civilised country is Australia, you know you're in trouble):

http://www.asciimation.co.nz/beer/index.html

[Bender]

I can confidently say I don't know a single person on the planet who owns a "popcorn popper", nor have I ever seen such a device.

Americans are ridiculous.

Common as anything, and cheap, in Oz. They make great popcorn, and it's cheap! A quick poll around the office finds that the majority here have one.

Agree with you on the second point.

[Fresh Mint]

A quick poll around the office finds that the majority here have one.

A large pot with a lid is all you need.

[Bender]

A large pot with a lid is all you need.

Where's the fun in that? And do you suggest roasting coffee in it?

[Fresh Mint]

Only idiots would roast their own coffee.

[Aliya]

Then you grind it with a bit of fresh cinnamon stick, divine.

[Kooky]

D'you think that's what Toby uses?

[canuck]

have to agree why roast your own when there are people to do it for me, to my liking?

I like Movenpick's espresso, chocolaty...

[Bender]

Didn't think I said anything that could be read as "you should roast your own coffee"...?

But if you haven't made your own popcorn, I reckon you should try it, in a pot if you are pragmatic, or using a popcorn maker if you have a sense of fun. Big advantage of electric corn poppers: kids can safely use them and there's nothing to wash up afterwards.

[Tas]

Pop Corn maker was a standard christmas or b'day present at one point in the 80's the old popcorn maker. (back when watching the Friday night movie was still a big deal). Still see in shops all the time...

[slinky]

I remember having a hot air popcorn popper - likely in the 80's But now, microwave popcorn is easier than even those were

[Kooky]

Neo almost set fire to BoD's apartment a few years ago, microwaving popcorn.

These days we buy it ready popped (and organic, and sort of salty-sweet - it's actually very nice, and I don't usually like popcorn).

[Burbage]

Or you could just put salt and melted butter onto cardboard.

[azzam]

Kooky has an intolerance to cardboard