11-12-2011, 02:33 PM
I have been doing it for about a year, with a $10 eBay popcorn popper (West Bend Poppery II). It's been a lot of fun, and I suggest sourcing your beans from Sweet Marias.
I like a few things about it:
1. You can't get beans any more fresh.
2. You can store green beans for a couple of years, so you can build up a bit of a coffee cellar.
3. Green beans are generally cheaper, although shipping costs can mitigate that. If you can find green beans locally, all the better.
4. It's a lot of fun.
I'm not a fan of a couple of things:
1. Roasting coffee doesn't smell like coffee (although it is a nice smell, I think), and it can produce a lot of smoke. I try to roast on my balcony, but in cold weather I do it inside and have to deal with smoke detectors.
2. I've never been able to get roast quality like you can get from professional roasters, although I never expected to. Roasts with a popper take 4-7 minutes, while professional drum roasting takes >20 min (I think).
3. I have to run at least one batch a week, and although it only takes 10 minutes of my time, it is a bit of extra time.
Bottom line: if you want to dabble, find a cheap popper and some beans and give it a go!
I like a few things about it:
1. You can't get beans any more fresh.
2. You can store green beans for a couple of years, so you can build up a bit of a coffee cellar.
3. Green beans are generally cheaper, although shipping costs can mitigate that. If you can find green beans locally, all the better.
4. It's a lot of fun.
I'm not a fan of a couple of things:
1. Roasting coffee doesn't smell like coffee (although it is a nice smell, I think), and it can produce a lot of smoke. I try to roast on my balcony, but in cold weather I do it inside and have to deal with smoke detectors.
2. I've never been able to get roast quality like you can get from professional roasters, although I never expected to. Roasts with a popper take 4-7 minutes, while professional drum roasting takes >20 min (I think).
3. I have to run at least one batch a week, and although it only takes 10 minutes of my time, it is a bit of extra time.
Bottom line: if you want to dabble, find a cheap popper and some beans and give it a go!