Coffee Roasting at Home!

Green coffee beans are roasted in a modified West Bend Poppery II

The papery covering of the bean (chaff) is blown out of the roaster and falls into the bowl while the smoke is carried to the range hood or window by the flexible duct. Roast to 425 - 450 degrees F and my desired City to Full City style roast is reached in about six to nine minutes depending on the bean varietal.  The hot coffee beans can be cooled by continuously passing them between 2 colanders, or see below. 

** I have modified the roaster with a switch that turns off the heating element but the fan continues.  This allows the beans to go through the cooling cycle in the roaster and there is no more need for the colanders.

The Results:

  • Coffee is at its peak flavor 12 to 24 hours after roasting, drip coffee doesn't get any better than this.
  • It looks ridiculous but works great, no venting problems if you have a range hood.
  • Roast at your own Risk! - I have read accounts of people having trouble with the top plastic part melting. I have experienced only minor melting because I don't take the roast past city to full city (just past the 2nd crack). If you roast your coffee to a very dark roast, this venting may cause too much restriction and melt the top of your roaster.
Watch the color and temperature carefully near the end of the roast! I highly recommend this book "Home Coffee Roasting" by Kenneth Davids to anyone that wants to roast at home or just learn a lot more about coffee in an easy and short read.

To Roast, you will need:

  • A Westbend Poppery II
  • A BBQ thermometer and a drill
  • Green Coffee
  • Oven mitts and colanders, (unless you are obsessive like me and want to modify popcorn poppers for fun!)

But this is only the beginning, how would you like to learn about Tamping?
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