Thursday, May 14, 2009

Coffee Bean Roaster

By Matt Hellstrom

Most people are so used to the bitter taste of coffee, even when prepared using freshly ground coffee beans, that they don't realize what a sublime experience a cup of freshly brewed coffee from just-roasted coffee beans can be. Sadly, even those expensive gourmet whole coffee beans you purchased weeks ago might not meet the taste test. That being said, did you know you can easily roast your own coffee beans at home with a coffee bean roaster just like the pros?

Within a day or two after being roasted, coffee beans start to lose their flavor and tantalizing smell. Storing your freshly roasted coffee beans in an air tight container helps somewhat, but won't prevent them from developing the bitterness or even rancid taste we've come to associate with the usual store-bought whole coffee beans. On the other hand, upscale coffee bars know that roasting green coffee beans in small batches as needed is what keeps bringing their customers back.

Life is too short to drink nasty, bitter asting coffee.Don't let some invisible hand get in the way of your enjoyment or consumption of your favorite energy and spirit booster.You can easily learn how to roast your own coffee beans at home and savor a true fresh flavorful and aromatic cup of coffee using even plain, non-gourmet, non-exotic green coffee beans.

If you've got a bit of time and patience, you can learn to roast your own coffee beans using a stovetop popcorn maker with a crank, lke the ones you used to see when you were a kid. While they work well enough, you need to know how to judge doneness by the sound of the beans cracking and their aroma. That's not always a sure bet, so using a coffee bean roaster is the better way to go. There are two types that are geared for the home market, fluid bed roasters and radiant drum roasters.

For the most part, fluid bed coffee bean roasters are a great choice for home use. The typical fluid bed roaster operate almost like a hot air popcorn machine. The air is first heated and then blown over and around the coffee beans, keeping them in constant motion to roast evenly and quickly. Most models come with a roasting chamber made from glass so you can actually watch the beans roasting and of course, stop the machine once you've reached your favorite level of darkness.

For more die-hard coffee lovers, the radiant heat drum roaster is more like what professional coffee roasters use. One drawback is that these can produce quite a bit of smoke and get quite hot. However, the quality of the roasted beans is excellent, rivaling that of professional, master roasters.

Coffee bean roasters range in size from industrial down to personal and have parallel price points, so it's best to shop around for your perfect coffee bean roaster before you decide.You can find coffee bean roasters in retail shops all around the country as well as online.

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