Good to know – myths about the green coffee
The internet is rife with offers of green coffee that claim to have health benefits or aid in weight loss. In our view, green coffee is not suitable for consumption – it tastes dreadful (reminiscent of chlorophyll, somewhat like a blend of mud and straw with a hint of green tea) and offers no health properties beyond what regular roasted coffee possesses (antioxidants, metabolism benefits, etc.).
Raw coffee beans are exceptionally hard and not easily brittle – do not attempt to grind them with regular coffee grinders. Grinding them requires professional, industrial-grade mills or a mortar and pestle (or hammer), as well as a fair amount of patience.
We’ve introduced green coffee to our offering for individuals who either have home coffee roasting equipment or are interested in experimenting with roasting beans on a pan, in the oven, or over the open flames of a fire pit!
Although we don’t believe you’ll find such coffee enjoyable, we encourage you to experiment! Roasting coffee at home can be a gratifying experience, filling your home with a delightful aroma that lingers for days.
However, it’s important to keep a few crucial aspects of home coffee roasting in mind, which we’ve outlined below. By adhering to these guidelines, you’ll avoid unpleasant surprises and disappointments, and perhaps even come to prefer home-roasted coffee over our pre-roasted offerings!
Home roasting – how to roast coffee at home?
Below, you’ll find a straightforward, universal recipe for roasting coffee at home. You can start with this and adjust individual parameters based on your taste preferences.
- Preheat a pan/oven to approximately 200°C (though we discourage using an oven, as explained below), and avoid using any fats.
- Evenly spread the raw coffee beans across the entire surface to ensure all beans make contact with the pan/oven surface (avoid stacking them).
- Stir the beans continuously and evenly.
- After about 4-5 minutes, you’ll notice the distinctive aroma of roasting coffee, and the beans will begin to turn a gentle shade of brown.
- After another 2-4 minutes, the beans will shed their silver skin, a very thin membrane surrounding the beans. This should be removed or blown away (it’s highly flammable).
- The beans will continue to darken, becoming progressively browner – remember to keep stirring continuously with gentle movements.
- After about 15-18 minutes of roasting, you’ll hear the holy grail of all coffee roasters – the “crack.” This is the internal popping of beans due to increasing pressure. From this point, you determine the final taste of your coffee, as the beans will expand to nearly twice their original size.
- When you achieve your desired bean color, transfer them to a heatproof container (a large steel pot works excellently) and vigorously shake, toss, or stir the beans to rapidly cool them to room temperature – but never use a fridge or freezer. If you leave the beans uncooled, they might ignite spontaneously!
- Allow the cooled beans to rest in a well-ventilated area for at least 3-4 days to degas.
- Enjoy your freshly roasted coffee!
Additional tips for home coffee roasting
- Constant Stirring is Key: It’s crucial to stir the beans continuously. Leaving them on the pan for even half a minute during roasting can result in burning or uneven roasting.
- Choose the Right Pan: If you use a pan, heavy, thick, and large ones, preferably cast iron, with high sides work best. Avoid small or shallow pans, like pancake griddles, as they distribute heat poorly and hinder comfortable stirring.
- Using an Oven: If you use an oven, it should have a convection setting, and you must regularly check and remove silver skin (detached membranes from the beans). Why do we discourage using ovens? Two main reasons: It’s challenging to stir the coffee regularly without temperature fluctuations, and silver skin can become airborne in a convection oven, occasionally catching fire or clogging the oven’s filters.
- Resting the Beans: Roasted beans should rest for at least 2-3 days to fully develop their flavor. However, for curiosity’s sake, try them immediately after roasting and again after two weeks – you’ll understand why they need that resting period through sensory experience.
- Document Your Roasts: Record the entire roasting process – what happens in each minute and what you do. Each coffee bean roasts differently, produces different aromas, and produces varying amounts of silver skin. These notes will make it easy to revisit previous roasting attempts and adjust your procedure based on what you’ve learned.
- Stop Roasting Just Before Your Desired Color: Remember that beans continue roasting after being removed from the pan. Stirring and rapid cooling are essential to prevent over-roasting.
- Home coffee roasting is an endeavor that’s intimately tied to the intense aroma of roasting, akin to the scents emanating from a traditional bakery. We adore this aroma, but it may not be to everyone’s liking, and you should be prepared for the need to thoroughly ventilate your home.
- Avoid letting the coffee roast too long or burn. Aside from being unusable, overly roasted (or burning) coffee emits such a dreadful odor that it can be unbearable to stay in the room and will linger for an extended period.
- If you accidentally overroast the coffee, promptly douse it with water (and discard it). Coffee beans brought to around 200°C without consistent stirring and cooling can self-ignite.
Home Coffee Roasting Equipment
If you find the home coffee roasting process enjoyable and investing several thousand zlotys is not an issue, you can explore devices designed for home roasting.
These devices typically start at a few thousand zlotys, but more expensive options are also available. Lower-end models provide fewer options and require close monitoring during operation.
We discourage experimenting with toasters, popcorn machines, thermo mixers, etc. While initial attempts may yield success, keep in mind that the manufacturers of these devices did not design them for coffee roasting, and they may react differently to prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
Home coffee roasters are usually electric (230V) and have a capacity of several hundred grams. They eliminate the need for constant stirring and remove silver skin, collecting it in a dedicated container. The pricier models offer more control over the roasting process.
It’s challenging to compare such devices to regular, artisanal coffee roasting machines with cast iron drum chambers, like the ones we use in our roastery (for those who paid attention in physics class, you can guess why). However, they certainly have a significant advantage over pans or popcorn machines, offering greater control over roast time and temperature, allowing you to influence and regulate the coffee’s roasting level.
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