FRESH COFFEE SHOULDN'T BE A LUXURY!

Like Coffee??Roast Your Own Delicious Coffee Here we will show you the tricks, tips, and sheer, delicious SIMPLICITY of roasting your own coffee beans -- on the cheap, at home. TA DA!

Drip, French press, cold press, Turkish, Mokapot, espresso... Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee! If you consider yourself a true coffee connoisseur, you might want to consider roasting your own coffee beans!

It's easy, it's quick, it's fun and it's cheap -- and you won't get a fresher, tastier cup of coffee ANYWHERE. Why buy expensive, OLD coffee from the grocery store when you can roast your coffee beans fresh at home whenever the mood strikes? There's just no excuse for a less than outstanding cup anymore!

Home coffee roasting is EASY and you really don't need any special equipment to get started, although you can and will probably work your way quickly up to a piece or two of specialized equipment. But like I mentioned above, this is a hobby you can get going in for an initial investment of under twenty bucks! Get back to basics, learn a new-old skill, start your own morning ritual and savor the flavor of really fresh home-roasted coffee!

DIY -- It's the only way to go for really fresh coffee!

**QUICK**Roast your own beans in under ten minutes! Average roasting time is 4-7 minutes.

**EASY**Anyone can do it. Use your senses...you're listening for the crack, smelling for doneness and eyeballing for color. By your third batch, you'll be an absolute pro. Really!

**FUN**Entertain yourself, amaze your friends with your cool talents, tantalize your spouse/lover/roommate with the smell of roasting coffee, etc. And just wait until you sit down to a REALLY fresh cup...

**CHEAP**Tired of paying twelve bucks (you read that right, 12 bucks; this is the Bay Area, folks!) a pound for organic, fair trade, shade grown joe? Me too. So pay $5 a pound (yes, even for organic, fair trade, shade grown!) and roast it yourself. You'll bask in DIY satisfaction AND you'll save a bloomin' bunch. And as for the 'specialized' coffee roasting equipment, try these two economical options to start:

A) CHEAP: an air pop popcorn popper, (you can pick one up for about $10 new, less at a thrift store), OR

B) CHEAPER: a cast iron skillet (something you might already have at home).

The Coffee Roasting Scale

I would estimate we're looking at roasting times in an airpop popcorn popper of approximately 1-2 minutes for 'Cinnamon' to approximately 6-8 minutes for 'Italian'.

Read on for more information about "crack" and how this roasting noise can help you determine your perfect coffee roast!

It's all about the Crack- Use your Ears

Questions like these are common:"How long will it take?""How will I know when it's done?""Will one type of coffee take longer to roast than another"What if I do it WRONG??!""Argh!"

RELAX! Roasting coffee beans really IS easy, and YOU control the process -- from a Light City Roast for one type of coffee bean to a Dark French for another -- it's ALL ABOUT THE CRACK.

Huh? Hang in there... let me explain.

The FIRST CRACK (the sound is like 'pop', as in snap, crackle and) occurs as the coffee beans begin to warm up and expand. The water within the coffee bean begins to steam, the sugars begin to caramelize, and oils deep inside start to move outward. This usually occurs within 2-3 minutes.

The SECOND CRACK (which can sound more like 'sizzzle') occurs as the coffee roast begins to develop and is quickly approaching doneness. Sometimes during the second crack, small particles of the bean will actually be blown off. Kapow -- it's an energetic process!

At any rate, keep your ears open and begin to notice these two important coffee roasting stages. The timing will differ for each type of coffee, as well as different harvests of the same type.

As you get to know your green coffee beans and log more coffee roasting time, you'll soon be an expert crack identifier and will be home-roasting (and drinking!) the coffee of your dreams.