Cuppa Joe

I think if I had to put the blame for my neurosis squarely on one person's shoulders it would have to be my sister.  My sister and her damned espresso.  After living throughout Europe for many years she developed a fond affection for her simple espresso maker.  It wasn't much more than an Art Deco-esque hunk of metal that reminded me of a Dalek.  After making her espresso on the stovetop she would froth the milk manually in a small container. 

Way too rudimentary for her high-tech brother. 

And thus the world's easiest Christmas present idea was dropped in my lap.  I'd get her a fancy espresso machine with all the bells and whistles and brass and steam vents and all the latest technology for making a high-tech cup of coffee.  But alas... she wanted to stick with the dark ages Dalek.

"Fine", I thought, "If I can't make your coffee maker better, I'll make your coffee better." 

And I took my first step down the Hard Way road. 

After considerable research I had located a relatively inexpensive coffee roaster and a good source for raw beans.  I purchased the roaster with a few pounds beans from random places around the globe and was good to go for Christmas.  It was a big hit on Christmas day and after all my research I think I was more excited for her to try it than she was.  She eventually got around to roasting some beans and the coffee was delicious.  It's amazing the difference fresh coffee makes. 

A few weeks later I purchased a roaster for myself.  It was larger and programmable and more high-tech which suited me just fine.  I found a great little coffee shop online that was run by a really nice couple who always had time to answer my questions and always included a personal note in every order.  I was ready to hone my skills.

Roasting coffee is actually about as easy as it gets.  Once you have your roaster programmed the way you like you really just have to measure your beans and let the roaster do the work.  The beans will smoke a lot during the roast so you'll want to be outside.  Ambient temperature has a pretty significant impact on your roast so keep an eye on it.  Warm weather will speed the roast up considerably and conversely, cold weather will slow things down.  Beans can go from a mid roast to a dark roast quickly so paying attention to color is important.  After a few tries you'll know just when to start the cooling process to halt the roast and get your beans just the way you like them.  The entire roasting process takes about 8-12 minutes plus about 5 minutes for cooling the beans.  Set up to clean up is about 20 minutes total... yielding about a cup of roasted beans or enough for two pots of fresh coffee.

I've enjoyed coffee from all over the world... heirloom beans from Yemen and coffee grown on the side of an extinct volcano in Australia.  Although when I buy in bulk it's always Kenyan AA.  Large beans that hold up great to a darker roast... and only $6-$8 a pound.  Last year I was lucky enough to find a sale on estate grown Kona and enjoyed fine coffee all winter long.

I share a lot of the coffee I roast and without fault the same thing happens when I give someone beans for the first time.  They inevitably ask "How do I prepare it?" as if I had just handed them a grass fed Kobe tenderloin.  It's coffee.  Make it like you always make coffee.  The only difference between my coffee and your coffee is that mine is freshly roasted (well... and the beans single origin).  Roasted coffee will start to go stale within a weeks time and within 24 hours once ground.  So don't ration it and don't save it for a special occasion.  Just enjoy it... fresh.  I'll roast more.

Sadly, cold weather is here which limits how much I can roast outside.  But the silver lining is that it's getting into prime beer brewing weather.  But that's a story for another day.

For more information on coffee brewing and purchasing equipment and beans online, please visit The Captains Coffee or Sweet Marias.  I've found both to be excellent resources/retailers.