You Can Roast Coffee at Home!

If you are interested in a more hands-on coffee drinking experience, then why not try roasting coffee beans at home? This is not as complicated a process as you may think, and you can also buy small home roasters that are affordable and easy to use. Otherwise, you have the opportunity to learn how to home roast coffee in a number of different methods, including with a hot air popcorn popper, on the stovetop, or even in the oven.

Again, many of these methods are quite simple to try, especially using a hot air popcorn popper. This will provide an even roast to the beans, and there are also small coffee roasters for sale that work in the same manner. Using a hot air popcorn popper will take less than 10 minutes, and it provides an even roast to the beans without burning them.

One of the main benefits to home roasting coffee is the sweet fragrance that it will provide to your home. If you are roasting a lighter roast for your coffee beans, then you will be pleased with the subtle aromas that are characteristic to the region that the beans were grown in. If you are roasting a darker roast, then it will have a smokier charcoal smell to the beans. It is always best to roast in a well ventilated area or on a porch to prevent excessive smoke within your home.

Keep in mind that roasting coffee beans will produce chaff, which is the skin that is removed from the beans during the roasting process. It is important to collect this chaff to prevent a mess, but if some gets ground up with your coffee beans, that is not a big issue. To begin roasting at home, make sure that you are completely organized in the process. You need items to cool the coffee beans after they have been roasted, such as a colander, so make sure that you have all of your supplies on hand before you get started.

There are many different methods that you can use to roast, and it can be simple or quite complicated, depending upon your goal. It is relatively easy to roast on the stovetop, or you can also purchase a professional roaster to cultivate different flavors and tastes in the beans. Make sure to always clean hot air popcorn poppers and roasters well to remove the essential oils of the coffee beans that can easily build up. One thing to keep in mind if you decide to use a hot air popcorn popper to roast is that it completely voids the warranty when you use it for that purpose!

When you begin roasting, you can expect the beans to turn from green to yellow and have an astringent aroma. The beans will soon start to steam, and you will hear them crack, which signifies a lighter roast. When the beans get to the second crack, that will offer a darker roast and have a deeper and smokier flavor.

By Mark Ramos

Coffee - Why People Love Espresso Coffee So Much

If you are a coffee drinker then chances are that you have some sort of an opinion about espresso. Many caffeine drinkers love espresso, but then there are some other folks who can not stand the taste of it. All in all, though, there are probably more espresso drinkers in the world today than there are regular coffee drinkers. In fact, however, espresso is actually the main coffee drink in many parts throughout Europe today! There are plenty of reasons why there are so many espresso drinkers throughout the world. Here are just some of the many favorite reasons that a lot of people cite when discussing why they love espresso.

One reason is because it is very tasteful. Many people simply love espresso because it has been known to have more of a flavor than regular coffee or cappuccino. There are many reasons for this, too, but one of the main reasons that espresso is more tasteful than regular coffee is because it is thicker and it usually contains a lot more flavor as well as well as a high content of other ingredients like caffeine! In addition, many people like to sip the foam, or cream, that sits right on top of the coffee drink, oftentimes sprinkled with a little bit of cinnamon or other sweet herb on top of the espresso drink!

There are many variations to espresso coffee. Perhaps another reason why many people love espresso throughout the world is that it has so many variations, thus is more appealing to a wide variety of people. For example, did you know that some of the variations of espresso include Alexandrino, Affogato, Americano, Cafe Bonbon, and Breve? In fact, there are actually well over 20 different kinds and variations of espresso to choose from depending on what part of the world you live in, but these are some of the more popular ones. Affogato is an espresso drink that is typically served over a type of gelato, like vanilla, and Alexandrino is one of the variations of espresso that includes a layer of condensed milk, and this type of drink is actually served with a fresh cinnamon stick to add more flavor to the drink!

One serving of espresso is called an espresso shot. This shot, though, packs a wallop, especially if you are the one drinking it! The Shot of espresso is actually about a 1-ounce size drink. Many people say once they have had 2 or 3 espresso shots then they are all ready for the day to start! Unlike regular coffee, espresso actually has a lot more caffeine per ounce, which makes the shots a perfect start for your morning or a perfect end to your evening!

These are only just some of the reasons why, of course, people love to drink espresso all over the world. The reasons vary from person to person about why they love espresso, but you can definitely be sure that espresso has been popular and loved for many centuries and will continue its popularity throughout the years.

By Samantha G

Antique Coffee Grinder - Topping the Coffee Making Competition

The antique coffee grinder is a very important piece of the entire process of making great tasting coffee, in which there are many steps including the sorting, roasting, grinding, and brewing. By using a grinder you are releasing the maximum amount of freshness in order to make the perfect cup of coffee each and every time.

One of the important factors of grinding coffee successfully with an antique coffee grinder is knowing how long you should allow the coffee beans to grind and the method which is used to do so. The amount of time used to grind the beans will determine the blend of coffee that you are going to produce, and it sill also determine the richness of your coffee to some degree.

If you want to be able to brew your coffee in less time, then you'll want to grind your beans for a longer amount of time. This will produce finer coffee grounds which will shorten the brewing process substantially. This is a popular technique that is often used when making espresso. On the flip side, if you want to brew your coffee a little slower, then you would take less time to grind the beans which would result in a much more coarse grind.

The couple tips mentioned above are just the starting point of grinding coffee beans with an antique coffee grinder. There are a number of different strategies that you can make use of when grinding your own coffee beans, so it will be up to you to explore a little and discover what your grinder can do for you. The important thing to remember is that your efforts of grinding coffee beans will pay off in that you will be able to produce fresh, great tasting coffee with the aroma that simply can't be beat with other methods of coffee making.

If you're looking to produce fresh great tasting coffee, but don't want to use store bought grounds which loose flavor the minute you open the package, then you'll want to look into making your own grounds with an antique coffee grinder.

By Matt LeClair