How to Roast Your Own Coffee Beans in 8 Easy Steps

Author: Jessica Dillon

Updated: October 19, 2022

Sometimes it’s just more convenient to do things at home. Roasting your coffee beans at home can help you have more control over the flavor of your beans.

Buying unroasted beans can also help you save a bit of money since you’re doing some of the process yourself.

What You Should Know Before Beginning

To begin with, roasting at home will let you make your coffee just the way you like. It can be a fun hobby, and trying different roasts can expand your coffee horizons.

Before you just buy some beans online though, you should research the different types of beans to get a scope of just how many different flavors there are in the coffee bean world.

If possible, pick a few small batches of beans so that you can try out multiple types. Once you have your beans, make sure you have a good place to store them. If you buy green beans, you will have around a year to cook them. Just make sure to store them in a sealed container, preferably in a temperature and moisture controlled area of your home.

Finally, roasting coffee beans does create a ton of odor. If you are going to roast them in your kitchen, then be aware of this and open some windows if possible.

Roasting 101

There are four different types of roasts you should be familiar with. Each roast type will affect the overall flavor of your coffee. The first is a light roast, the beans for this roast will be a light brown color and few if any oils will be released from the beans. The second is a medium roast, the beans will be slightly darker in color than the light roast and will only release light oils.

Next, you move on to the medium-dark roast; this roast will have a dark oil, and you will begin to notice more oils being released by the beans. Finally, you have the dark roast, as the name implies the beans will have a dark coloring, and you will notice a significant amount of oil in your water.

Equipment and Coffee Bean Selection

You will need a few different tools in order to properly roast coffee beans. To begin with, get a proper measuring cup and scale for your beans. You will also need a bean roasting tool. The tool will need to handle water temperatures of at least 400 degrees and a bowl for them to cool in.

You should also pick out a tool to stir the beans with. If you plan on using a pot on your stove, know that your beans have a higher chance of burning and will smoke a lot.

As for coffee bean selection, be sure to choose an easy bean to start with and try to create a roast close to the coffee you currently drink. This will help you practice roasting beans and know how close you are getting to making your favorite coffee.

8 Easy Steps to Roast Coffee at Home

Here is a step by step process of how to perfectly roast coffee beans at home.

Buy unroasted green beans: You can find these beans online, at your local supermarket or even at a farmers market.
Preheat the oven: Heat your oven up to a temperature of 450 degrees and get your roaster ready.
Lay out the beans: Figure out how many beans you need to roast and measure them out. Now is a great time to use your scale for accuracy.
Roast for 5 minutes: Make sure to have a timer on hand and roast your beans for exactly five minutes. This may need to be adjusted depending on the type of roast you like.
Cool the beans: Take the beans out and place them on a separate bowl or pan. You will need to leave them for a few hours until they are done cooling off.
Allow the beans to rest and degas: During this stage, your beans will expel carbon dioxide, put them in a mostly sealed container and leave them for a couple of days.
Grind your coffee beans: Once your beans are done processing, it’s time to put them in the grinder. Decide what type of coffee you are going to make and grind the beans to the proper consistency.
Steep and press: All you need to do after grinding is get them ready for the coffee machine and make your favorite cup of joe.

Coffee Roasting Levels Compared

Below is a list of common coffee roasts, some that you may have even had before at your local coffee shop.

Cinnamon Roast- a dry, non-oily, light-brown roast that tastes like bread and is slightly sour.

New England Roast- A little darker than the previous roast, but without the bread taste.

American, Light roast- A medium tasting roast that is often light brown in coloring.

City, Medium Roast- This roast will remind you of the color of chocolate.

Full City Roast- These taste similar to chocolate and will have a darker coloring, with a slight bit of oil release.

French, Espresso Roast- These beans will be covered in oil and start to look dark with a burnt taste.

Italian, Dark French Roast- A step up from french roast in coloring and oil, it does taste a bit more burnt than the previous roast level.

Spanish Roast- These beans will appear to be black in color.

Top Reasons to Roast Your Own Coffee

There are three major reasons that I recommend you make your own roast at home. The first is being able to have the freshest cup of coffee possible.

The second is being able to save money by doing some of the work yourself. The third is being able to ensure that you have perfectly roasted beans.

Summary and Conclusion

Roasting your coffee beans at home can be a fun learning experience. Not only does it have a ton of benefits, but you may even be able to find a new favorite coffee bean.

There are tons of different roasts, and once you get the practice in, you will be making perfect coffee in no time.

FAQ

How to roast coffee beans at home?

Roasting coffee beans at home is based on how much you want to make and how much money you are willing to invest in your project. Before deciding on the equipment needed for roasting, you need to choose a green coffee that suits your palette. Try a test batch by roasting them in your oven before upgrading to an air or drum roaster to create larger, more consistent batches.

How to roast coffee?

Commercial roasting of coffee involves roasting green coffee beans at temperatures as high as 500°F initially before being roasted at lower temperatures for an extended period to get the desired type of roast. Dark roasts typically occur above 395°F and can go up to 420°F in order to fully develop the characteristics of the coffee.

How to roast your own coffee?

Before you begin you need two key items: green coffee beans and a roaster. The roaster that you choose can be a DIY solution (your oven or an electric popcorn popper) or it could be a roaster specifically made for roasting coffee beans. Set up your roaster in a well-ventilated area and roast the beans to your liking (this may take a few attempts before you find your ideal roast!)

How long does it take to roast coffee beans?

Roasting beans depends on the temperature used and the desired intensity of the roast. If you’re roasting your beans in an air roaster or popcorn machine, a mild roast will take 8-12 minutes whereas roasting beans in your oven will depend on the type of oven that you have. Roasting times will depend on manufacturing instructions as well as trial and error to get to the roast that you prefer!

How to roast coffee beans in the oven?

When roasting coffee beans, it is important to have a constant airflow around the beans and for them to be agitated regularly to make sure that they are roasted evenly. To do this, place the beans in a perforated vegetable steamer in an oven with the temperature turned up as high as it can go. Open the oven every two minutes to agitate the beans and to check the color of them. You should hear the first crack of the beans at about 5 minutes and you should continue to monitor the beans every minute after this to remove them once they are just before the color you desire.