How To Roast Coffee Beans At Home: 11-Step Easy Guide

Gone are the days when you had to drink coffee made with the instant mix or drive out to get your daily dose of happiness. Now, you can prepare a cup of coffee roasted with your own hands by following some easy steps.

From selecting the right coffee beans and the equipment to storing the roasted beans well, this article will give you detailed and easy instructions on how to roast coffee beans at home. So, keep reading this blog to have a perfect bowl of roasted beans at the end.

11 Easy Steps to Roast Coffee Beans at Home

There are many ways to roast coffee beans at home.

Here is the step-by-step process of roasting green coffee beans using a coffee roaster.

Step 1: Pick the Right Coffee Green Beans

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Always ensure that the green coffee beans you buy have a uniform size and color to get the best roast. Also, the beans must have a flavor profile suiting your taste.

Step 2: Get the Coffee Roaster

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Though you can use a skillet, pan, popcorn popper, or even an oven, a coffee-specific roaster is best if you don’t want any confusion or hassle. They help roast the green beans evenly.

Take your roaster outside for the roasting process because it needs a lot of ventilation to let out the smoke.

Step 3: Put the Green beans Into the Roaster

While adding the green beans, remember that if you take 4 pounds of green coffee beans, you’ll get 2 pounds of roasted coffee beans. This is because exposing the green beans to hot temperatures will decrease the amount of water in them.

So, take twice the number of green coffee beans to get your desired number of roasted coffee beans.

Step 4: Cover the Roaster Well and Set the Right Temperature

Cover the coffee roaster well with a lid because there are chances that the steam from the coffee beans might pop off. Then, set the heat level to 285 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 5: Initiate the Yellowing Phase

After approximately 10-15 minutes, the coffee beans dry and turn yellow. They give off a grass-like smell at this point.

Wait a few minutes, and you’ll see the steam rising from the yellow coffee beans. By now, they should lose all their water, and the actual roasting will begin.

Step 6: Let the First Crack and Browning Phase Begin

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Now, raise the heat to 355 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll hear a crack or a pop as the coffee beans start turning light brown. The coffee beans taste sour in this phase.

However, let the coffee beans get browner. For more roasting, increase the temperature to 430 degrees Fahrenheit. This phase of roasting will give you light and medium roasts.

Step 7: Set in the Second Crack Stage

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After a few minutes, you’ll hear another crack sound, indicating that the coffee beans are now in the process of dark roasting.

The coffee beans will turn a darker brown shade, filled with an intense aroma and flavor.

Step 8: Cool the Roasted Beans

Once the green coffee beans are roasted, cool them down. For doing so, keep transferring them from one colander to another till the temperature of the beans comes down to a comfortable level to touch.

While you’re cooling them down, try to remove the chaff of the coffee beans as much as possible.

Step 9: Vent Off CO₂

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Before grinding the roasts, wait 1-3 days to vent off the CO₂ gas that builds up eventually. It can decrease the longevity of roasted coffee beans.

Step 10: Grind the Beans and Brew Them

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After degassing, you can grind the roasted beans and brew them for a good cup of coffee. Use them within a week or 10 days to get the best flavor and enhanced freshness.

Step 11: Store the Remainder Roasted Beans Safely

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Store the roasted coffee beans in a vacuum bag or airtight container. Otherwise, oxidation will cause the flavor and texture of the coffee beans to change. Also, they shouldn’t be exposed to heat or moisture.

Conclusion

Thus, now that you know how to roast coffee beans at home, it will be a learning experience for you each time you do so. You’ll eventually learn what flavors you like or the right temperature to roast your green beans.

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FAQs

How to roast coffee in a popcorn popper?

Turn on the popper and add a safe amount of green beans to it. Since it will throw out the chaffs here and there, performing the process in an open space is recommended.
After a few minutes, you’ll hear the first and second cracks of the coffee beans. Then, switch off the popper. Take them out and cool them down. Wait a day or two to let the gas off, and then grind and brew them.

How to pan coffee beans on the stove?

First, place an iron skillet on the stove and pre-heat it up to 350-370 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, add the green coffee beans and keep moving them to get an even roast.
After a few minutes, you’ll hear the first and second cracks consecutively. After that, remove them from the stove, put them in a metal colander, and keep stirring until the roasted beans cool.

How to roast coffee beans on a grill?

Please note that you’ll need a gas grill with a side burner to roast coffee beans. So, first, put a stainless popcorn popper on the grill. After that, preheat the side burner to medium heat.
Now, place the green beans in the popper in an even layer. Stir them with a hand crank for 10-15 minutes. Within 15-20 minutes, you’ll hear the first and second cracks completing the bean roasting process. Let those beans cool down on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes.

How to roast coffee in a cast iron skillet?

Set the heat to 500-550 degrees Fahrenheit and add green coffee beans to the cast iron filet. Use a whisk or spoon to keep moving the coffee beans continuously. You’ll achieve a light roast when you hear the first crack.
After the second crack is heard, take the roasted beans off the skillet and drop them in a strainer. Remove the chaffs and set them aside to allow the gas to escape. After 12-24 hours, you can grind and brew the beans to enjoy a cup of your favorite roast coffee.

How to roast green coffee beans in the oven?

First, preheat the microwave oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Now, place the green beans evenly in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a perforated or regular tray. Then, put it on the middle rack of the oven and note the time.
After 6-8 minutes, you’ll hear the first crack. A few minutes after it, you’ll hear the second crack. As you see the beans reach the right roast style, turn off the oven and cool them by placing them in a heat-resistant bowl. Finally, they’re ready to grind and brew.