achieve excellent results.There are many varieties of roasters available, but it
can be done in a popcorn maker or frying pan. However, you must assure that
your equipment is spotlessly clean. There is nothing worse than coffee infused
butter or fish oil.Get good quality beans. Darker roasts have a lot less
caffeine than the lighter ones, but they are not as acidic.Heat your beans
between 223°C to 262°C, and be fully prepared to have plenty of smoke. Ventilate
your room using a fan or your stove's exhaust. There should be no real odour,
but you may also want to open your windows wide and make sure no one else is
home.Add your beans, espresso maybe and turn the heat up. Don't forget to
disable any smoke detectors.Some roasters have thermometers, but having a
portable one is best for using a frying pan. Try a candy thermometer.As the
roasting progresses, your beans will start to turn a yellow colour and then go
brown. How dark they get is your choice. As your beans get hotter, they
release water and oil. This will cause pressure within the bean. You will hear
loud cracking sounds. This perfectly normal, but to ensure perfect roasting, to
not over roast or burn some of the beans, continuously stir them. This will
happen after about 4 to 7 minutes.Your beans will start caramelising inside as
the sugars begin to burn. Check the colour about every 30 seconds, but the
degree of brownness is up to your personal taste.If you keep roasting for enough
time, you may hear a second very loud crack. The beans will be overdone and
very dark. If you continue you will not be roasting, but burning them, removing
the sugars. Most of us would not be able to stomach coffee made from this.Empty
your roasted beans into a colander, preferably metal to cool down. Jostle them
a little to help cool them. You will notice that the beans' thin skins will
detach as you jostle them. These will need to be removed, usually using a
cooking screen (meshed).Experiment a little with small amounts of beans at a
time to get varied levels of darkening and time. This will help you to develop
the flavour that you prefer. However, stop the roasting process early, as the
beans will continue to roast due to the heat that they still contain inside.If
you opt for the popcorn maker, get a machine that lets you jostle the beans to
keep the air circulating and prevent them from sticking to the sides.
Alternatively, use a cast iron frying pan for stovetop roasting. However, this
method requires lots of watching and stirring. Once the roasting begins, it
will continue rapidly. However, once your beans are cooled you can throw them
into your coffee grinder and prepare that perfect homemade cup of delicious
coffee.