HOME ROASTING
THE HOME ROASTER
* PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING CHANGE *
We have experienced a number of problems with our supply of these home roasters. Some of them have arrived damaged because of poor packaging or from poor handling. Our supplier is not willing to improve the packaging to prevent this damage. As a result we are no longer able to supply them. Currently we don't forsee a way to establish a reliable suppy of these roasters. The only option would be to charge more money to cover the cost of these problems. Such higher pricing would defeat the objective we had to start with so for now we are discontuing the sale of home roasters. For those of you who have one of these roasters, or who plan to buy an home roaster of any type, we will be happy to continue providing you with green beans from our inventory.
In fact we would encourage you to consider sourcing a home roaster that meets your needs so that you can enjoy the benefits of freshly roasted coffee on your own schedule and to experiment with your own blends and roasting recipes.
If you are lucky enough to already have a home roaster you can buy green beans from us starting today! Just browse through our coffee selection and choose which Single Malts you want.
TIPS ON ROASTING
Roasting Variables
- Weight/Volume of coffee: Increasing the quantity of coffee will also increase the roast time because there is more mass to heat. Thus, to get consistant results, always use the same amount of coffee. Weight is a little more accurate than volume, so if you have a kitchen scale, use it. The most common mistake that beginners make when using the Freshroast is trying to roast too much coffee at once. Doing this results in an uneven or incomplete roast, and it also overworks the machine, which may lead to early burn-out. Use the recommended amount of beans, which is 2 rounded scoops (about 2.5 ounces by weight), and you should have great results. Conversely, roasting too small of an amount can also lead to problems such as under roasted or unevenly roasted beans.
- Type of coffee: Coffee beans vary in density and water content, and this has an impact on roasting time. A new crop very high grown coffee will have a very dense bean and a high moisture content and will take longer to roast than an aged coffee that has dried out over time. By keeping a record, or roast journal, you will be able to duplicate results for a particular coffee.
- Temperature: The higher the temperature, the faster the roast. If the temperature is too low, the beans cook too long instead of roasting, and flavor and aroma is lost. If the temperature is too high, the beans roast so quickly that the outside is roasted but inside the bean the flavors have not had sufficient time to develop. The Freshroast is pre-programmed with the optimum roasting temperature for a fast, even roast. The roast chamber temperature can be slightly affected by outside temperature. If roasting outdoors, a very cold day may require a slightly longer roasting time.
- Time: The best coffee is usually roasted for 5 to 15 minutes if using a hot air roaster, which is generally shorter than drum or pan roasting. At the end of the roast the roast color can change very quickly, so accurate timekeeping is essential if you want to duplicate results. Voltage: Although every household outlet looks the same, the actual voltage coming out can vary enough to impact results from location to location. To adjust for this, you may need to slightly reduce temperatures or increase them to adjust for your own particular voltage. To insure consistant results, it is best to use the same outlet every time you roast, if possible.
Roasting Styles
- Light Roast (light brown, surface of bean is dry)—ready after the first crackle. Takes a bit if experimentation; coffee should taste 'bright' with a citrus edge when fresh, ideal for high quality beans where a smooth finish is wanted, but roasted too lightly it will lack taste.
- Medium Roast (medium brown, surface of bean is dry)—you will produce this roast during the first crackle.
- Medium to Medium-dark Roast (dark brown, ends of beans will be shiny)—this style of roast will occur as soon as the second crackle begins.
- Medium-dark Roast (very dark brown, entire bean is shiny)—ater the second crackle, when the first sight of smoke appears from the top of the roaster.
- Dark Roast (bean is almost black, with an oily surface)—you will definitely produce smoke and hear a very rapid crackle.
Storing Your Beans
- When you receive your fresh green beans, leave them in the bag that they arrive in. Do not store in refrigerator or in airtight container.
- The best method for storing roasted beans is in an airtight glass container. Allow beans to cool completely before closing container. There is no need to store in refrigerator since you will most likely be roasting beans every few days if not everyday.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Quick Start Roasting
- Wipe the inside of the glass-roasting chamber with a damp cloth or sponge. Make sure the chamber is completely dry before roasting.
- Fill supplied 43cc measuring cup twice with green coffee beans, then empty measuring cup into glass roasting chamber.
- Place glass roasting chamber on base unit.
- Place basket and top cover on glass roasting chamber.
- Plug roaster unit into wall outlet.
- Turn timer knob to the 5 minute mark.
- When 1 minute remains on the timer before the "Cool" zone, watch your coffee beans for the level of darkness you desire. You should hear a rapid crackle and should see a small amount of smoke. At this point advance the timer knob to "Cool" and allow the unit to shut off.
- Always use handles; some parts of machine are hot.
- Empty chaff basket after every use.
More Tips
- Pay close attention to the entire roasting process. This unit roasts very fast so it is easy to burn the beans the first few times if you are not careful. When the beans have reached your desired roast stage, manually turn the knob to the cool setting and note the elapsed time so you will know it for your next batch. Because of the speed of the roast and the very high temperatures, you should never leave the machine unattended during the roast cycle.
- Never do back to back roasts. Doing this will overheat the machine, possibly burn it out, and certainly it will shorten the life of the machine. The Freshroast puts out a high heat continuously. By giving it a rest of at least 45 minutes between batches you will allow the heat from the first batch to dissapate before adding more heat with the second batch. You will have more consistant roast results and your machine will keep working for much longer.
- Dump the fresh roasted coffee into a metal pan after the cycle completes to speed up the cooling process. The roast chamber and the beans are usually quite warm after the cycle completes which allows further cooking of the beans, which could detract from the quality of the roast. Removing the beans from the roaster and keeping the chamber and chaff collector separate from the base until everything cools will alow the machine to cool down much faster, which may help to prolong the life of the roaster.
- Preferably, let the coffee rest for 12 hours after roasting before brewing it to allow the flavors to fully develop. It is better to roast once a day or every other day (depending on how much coffee you drink), than to roast enough coffee for a week on one day. This approach is better for the longevity of the roaster too!
- Always clean out the chaff from the chaff collector between each roast. The roast jar does not need to be washed after each use. A slight build-up of roasting oils on the surface is OK. Do wash the jar if enough oils build up to become a fire hazard or if it becomes too difficult to see the beans during the roasting process. Wiping the chamber out with a paper towel is also a quick way to clear out excess oils and chaff and will reduce the necessity of frequent cleanings.
- Roasting produces a lot of smoke! If you have a very sensitive smoke detector and you roast indoors, you will need to roast directly under your stove vent hood with the fan turned up high to prevent setting off the fire alarm. Never disable a fire alarm when roasting coffee.
To access a copy of the manufacturers manual click on the image below:
