You’ve started to master every way to grind coffee beans, but what’s the next step? What about learning how to roast coffee beans at home! When you roast at home, you’ll have complete control over the freshness of the beans and be able to customize the exact texture of the roast for your preferred end brew. In this guide, we’ll walk you through different at-home methods, roast stages, and sensory cues that come with roasting beans at home.
Choose Your Method of Home Roasting
In the next section, we’ll discuss the different methods of home roasting, including pan roasting, oven roasting, and using a popcorn popper or home roaster.
Pan roasting
One of the most accessible and labor-intensive methods is pan roasting. Pan roasting is great for small batches and also doubles as a great learning tool, as the coffee maker must watch the whole roasting process. For best results, use a cast-iron skillet with a tight lid to ensure strong ventilation.
Steps:
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Preheat the skillet to 400 degrees, and put your chosen amount of coffee beans in the pan.
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With oven mitts on, repeatedly shake the pan or use a wooden spoon to stir the coffee
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Keep beans in motion and listen for the first crack (distinct, sharp popping sound) and smell for smoke around 5-7 minutes. Wait a minute and lift the lid to check the color. They’ll range from light to dark brown based on roast.
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Pour beans into a colander or bowl and stir until they are warm to the touch. Blow off light-colored chaff.
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With fresh roast, wait 12 hours and store out of direct light in a tightly sealed glass jar.
Length of Time: First crack around 5-7 minutes. Check the color every minute after.
Benefits
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Hands-on learning tool
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No specialized tools required
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Can produce good roasts with practice
Disadvantages
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Easy to ruin the beans and produce uneven roasts
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Needs to be constantly stirred
Oven Roasting
Another easy way to start home roasting is oven roasting, which is inexpensive and convenient. All you need for your coffee beans is a pan with tiny holes or parchment paper, and a regular pan. Then, just preheat the oven, layer the beans evenly on the tray, and stir midway through.
Length of Time: Max of 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees
Benefits
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Large quantity of fresh-roasted coffee
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Less work than other home-roasting methods (occasional stirring)
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No specialized tools
Disadvantages
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Less control can lead to uneven roasts if you’re not careful
Your experience with roasting will depend on your oven and roast preference, but you’re looking for specific color and sound cues based on what you want:
Light Roast: Between first crack and second crack (rolling crackle). Beans are light brown and dry on the surface.
Medium Roast: Second crack has begun, and beans are a deeper brown with a slight sheen on the surface.
Dark Roast: During the second crack, beans are dark brown with shiny surface oils that crack rapidly.
Popcorn popper
Maybe the most unlikely means, a popcorn machine is a surprisingly effective way to get an even roast for a large batch. It’s not a sustainable choice as popcorn machines weren’t made for roasting coffee beans, but it’s a great place to start as a beginner. But make sure that you don’t use one with a mesh screen at the bottom; they can start fires.
Length of Time: 4-10 minutes on medium temperature. 3-5 minutes for the first crack.
Benefits
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More control of temperature with an adjustable gas flame and a handle crank
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Even roast
Disadvantages
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It can only be used a few times for roasting
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Requires constant monitoring
Home Coffee Roaster
If you want to invest in a more consistent product and commit to the process, you should explore home coffee roasters. They’re more expensive, but they offer the most control of any roast option with presets to choose from and a larger bean capacity. You’ll pay for it, but it’s the best way to achieve the most consistent roast.
And when you need other tools to improve your brew, look into the many distribution and extraction tools available from Pesado.
Understand the Roasting Stages
In the next section, we’ll describe what happens in each stage of roasting coffee beans and what to understand about the first and second crack.
Drying and Browning Stages
There are twomain stages of roasting: the drying and browning stages. Let’s talk about each of them:
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Drying Stage - The moisture in the coffee beans starts to evaporate. This is a prep stage that ensures even heat and prevents premature charring
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The beans will turn from green to yellow
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Browning Stage - All the chemical reactions happen that lead to the smells and tastes that you associate with coffee. Ends with the first crack.
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The beans will darken over time from yellow to brown. The smells feel roasted, toasted, and baked.
First crack
The end of the browning stage ends with the first crack. The first crack is when the pressure inside the coffee beans causes them to literally crack open. It’s followed by an audible crack, like popcorn, where the beans are expanding.
This marks the start of a light roast with more acidic and citrus or berry flavors. Light to medium roasts are normally finished between the first and second crack.
Second crack and beyond
Soon after, all the water inside the coffee beans evaporates, and the second crack begins. During the second crack, the beans become darker and have more of a sheen, which is reflective of a darker roast.
The second crack sounds more like a rolling crackle, leading to a roast with more bitterness and body and less acidity. You'll risk burning your beans if you let it go too far. That’s why you’ll want to listen and observe the beans closely.
Here are some common ways to characterize roast profiles
Light Roast - Start with the first crack. Less bitter with hints of fruitiness and acidity.
Medium Roast - Finished between the first and second crack. This roast is a blend of body, sweetness, and acidity. It can have hints of chocolate or nuttiness.
Dark Roast - After the second crack. More bitter, low acidity, and full-bodied with a stronger smell.
For all your roasting needs, explore the many high-quality, precision tools and accessories at Pesado.
Final Tips for Better Home Roasting
Like any aspect of making coffee, roasting isn’t a one-and-done activity. It’s all about finding joy in experimenting and learning the most efficient roast process. It’s a journey, and something you can track through roast times and writing about flavor notes that came through in your brews.
Once you’ve dialed in roasting, there’s no better way to take your coffee-making skills to the next level than upgrading your brewing tools. When you’re ready to take the next step in controlling your coffee process, look into the competitively priced, durable Pesado precision coffee tools and accessories. Known for their premium materials and their superior customer service, Pesado can help you engineer your perfect daily brew.
