Coffee Coffee Coffee
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Hi Stacy,
Have you checked out www.coffeegeek.com ? you'll find some more coffee enthusiasts there.
I myself am a fully committed coffee freak; proof: my business card says 'Espresso Preparation Specialist' and I work for the importer of Brasilia espresso machines.
You can roast at home very easily. Check out your nearby Goodwill or other thrift store and pick up an old popcorn popper (make sure it has side vents). Find a place that roasts their own, buy some 'green' coffee from them, and get to it. You can learn more about that at www.sweetmarias.com
Greg
I thought the question might come up.
For a very good online intro to home roasting, including roasters and green coffee beans, I recommend Sweet Marias. They have excellent writeups on the coffees and regions, and top quality beans. Prices are fair.
Home page: http://www.sweetmarias.com
Roasters: http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.roastkits.shtml
I use a wirley pop hand crank popcorn popper on a stove, with a thermometer inserted in the top for temp control. The down side is you gotta turn the crank for about 15 minutes, but can roast 2.25 cups of green beans by volume (approx. 1 lb I think) per session. More than that and there's too much resistance and the plastic gears wear out quickly. Sweet Marias sells these with an 8 pack coffee sample. I got mine from Amazon on sale a long time ago.
I also have a couple hot air popcorn poppers that I got used 10 years ago for $1-3 US each, back when everyone was dumping those in favor of microwave popcorn bags. The old ones are easily modified to hot air coffee roasters and work great, though only 1/3 cup of green beans by volume per roast. Less time too though, about 7 min per roast. They have to have the slots in the sides at the bottom of the hot air cup that the air blows through, not the screen in the bottom. The reason is the air has to rotate and mix the beans well and blow the chaff out the top. You can get a fire in the screen bottom type. I think Sweet Marias still has information on this. If the popper isn’t hot enough, you can open up the bottom on some models and disable the thermostat (do at your own risk.) Do some googling on combinations of words like, “home homebuilt popcorn popper modified coffee roaster” Leave out popcorn popper to get ideas on other roasters.
If I were starting again, or to get something automated, I’d take a serious look at the stir crazy popper described partway down the thread at this link, compete with pictures. There may be more recent info.
http://coffeegeek.com/forums/coffee/homeroast/11160
Here’s another link with a lot of homebuilt home roaster ideas, mostly for the more gear head inclined. Some links are broken.
http://www.homeroaster.com/intro1.html
I used to buy my beans from heritage when they were not very strict on the commercial requirement. I bought 20 lbs which has held me for a while. Their web page reads now like they have a lot less selection and now a 30 lb minimum and are checking that you have a commercial license.
http://www.heritage-coffee.com/GreenCoffeeOfferings.htm
There’s also Sivetz right in the next town, where I work. That guy really knows his coffee, and is an excellent roaster. So I’m lucky to be able to pick up fresh roast (literally) or green beans there.
I’d go with Sweet Marias, overall, to get into it. If you want to go frugal on the roasters, the popcorn popper if you can find one, or wirley pop. Or just spring for one of the retail roasters. I’m sure they’re a lot more convenient.
For grinders I have a Solis Maestro. $100 US back in the day, but well worth it. Very good quality screw type grinder. Just keeps on working. Can set it for a wide range of grind from fine (for espresso) to coarse (for drip or French press brew.)
Also, there’s a very enjoyable book on the subject; Home Coffee Roasting, Romance&Revival, Kenneth Davids. Sweet Marias web site has the essentials, though.
chessfreak79 wrote: to Aquaman: This is not HTML
Not sure what you mean. Is my text not readable? Or too long?
gregspresso wrote:
Hi Stacy,
Have you checked out www.coffeegeek.com ? you'll find some more coffee enthusiasts there.
I myself am a fully committed coffee freak; proof: my business card says 'Espresso Preparation Specialist' and I work for the importer of Brasilia espresso machines.
You can roast at home very easily. Check out your nearby Goodwill or other thrift store and pick up an old popcorn popper (make sure it has side vents). Find a place that roasts their own, buy some 'green' coffee from them, and get to it. You can learn more about that at www.sweetmarias.com
Greg
Yup, Greg, you got it. I think I was writing my longer version while you were posting.
Paul
WOW! What a lot of GREAT information. You guys are serious. Way serious. We're going to look into all those possibilities.
StacyBearden wrote: I have fond memories of waking up at my grandparents' home when I was very young, maybe 3 or 4, and hearing my Grandfather getting ready for work. I would make my way down the cold, wooden floors to the kitchen. He would be in his khaki work clothes sitting in his same chair as always with a tiny metal percolating coffee pot behind him. He would always offer me some, straight up black, and I would talk with him until he left for work and then go back to bed. Now that he's 93 and recently had a stroke those memories are becoming more clear for some reason. We still have coffee together once in a while because up until last month he was still in great health - nothing wrong with him. Now he's in a rehab hospital. We're supposed to be bringing him home on the 18th. I'll get the coffee ready.
I read this over a half dozen times just to feel its full bittersweet impact.
I'm not allowed to drink coffee anymore, but I'll drink a beer in his honor.
I'll drink to that!
Here another coffee lover! De Colombia el mejor!
molo1 wrote:
tea is better
I like tea aswell. However, you can't compare tea smell and taste with coffee's. Not even close
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#33
woollensock wrote:
Ah ! at last someone with taste.......tea is infinitely better !
Why do British cats love the taste of tea so much?
bump
Coffee, yeah!
woollensock wrote:
Green tea, yeah ! .........more healthier than coffee
Tea is like dirty water, puajj!
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Being from the UK and saying that, you've obviously never had my brand: Community. Made in New Orleans, Louisiana. Unbelievably good. You're missing out.
http://www.communitycoffee.com/
You're right, I haven't tried your brand. But my experiences with what Americans label as 'coffee' lead me to believe that it would suck! However, if I was ever down in your neck of the woods, I'd certainly try it.
The best place I've ever had coffee was in The Netherlands. They take their coffee so seriosuly there, that it is not considered unusual for a Dutch familty to pack coffe beans and a grinder when they go on vacation abroad!
Where's the best place you've had coffee outside the USA?
We bring our own coffee and maker with us, too. I've been to France and didn't care for the coffee much.