For most coffee lovers, coffee is more than just a drink to get you out of bed. There’s a certain passion behind it - and the more you get involved with preparing your coffee, down to sourcing and roasting your own beans, the more passionate you’ll become about it.
Sure, a bit of work is involved, especially when you choose a method like oven-roasting, but you'll be rewarded with the excellent taste of home-roasted coffee. There are various methods for roasting coffee beans. Oven roasting is a convenient and accessible way to start as a beginner, as you'll likely already have everything you need at home.
This guide will explain the art of roasting coffee beans in your oven with step-by-step instructions on bringing out the best flavors from your green coffee beans. We'll also have a brief look at other roasting methods.
What You Need For Roasting Your Own Coffee Beans in Your Oven
Before roasting coffee beans in your oven, you'll need good-quality raw coffee beans. Check out articles about coffee beans on our blog to learn more about origins and flavor profiles if you aren't sure about which beans you want for your home-roasted coffee yet. It's important to ensure you choose beans that match what you love in a cup of coffee.
To begin coffee roasting, you'll need a few essential supplies. Most households will have much of this already. Here's a list of what you'll need:
Raw coffee beans
A baking tray
A wooden spoon or wooden spatula
An oven
A timer
A metal colander
Baking paper or cookie sheet
Understanding the Roasting Process
It’s important to have a basic understanding of what happens when you roast a coffee bean. Otherwise, you will likely have less-than-ideal results (like over-roasted beans, underdeveloped roasts, or baked beans instead of roasted beans).
During roasting, the green coffee beans undergo a series of chemical reactions that transform them into aromatic brown beans. We’ll keep it simple for this article. The process involves two main phases: the first crack and the second crack.
The first crack occurs as the beans expand and release moisture in the form of steam. You'll usually hear a sound that's very similar to popcorn popping. The first crack tells you that your beans are a light roast and soon ready to become a medium roast.
The second crack, which happens a few minutes later, is less like a loud cracking/popping but still audible. If you keep roasting after the second crack, your beans will continue to darken and turn into darker roasts. Be careful now because you'll have charcoal if you keep roasting for too long.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Oven Roasting Beans
You can get started once you have all your tools and preferred green beans. But make sure your windows are open or have a working extractor fan because there'll be quite a bit of steam and smoke from your oven.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). It's important to have a hot oven to ensure an even roast. You want to roast your beans, not bake them!
Step 2: Spread an even layer of fresh coffee beans on a baking tray with a cookie sheet. Avoid overcrowding to allow for even roasting. To achieve an even roast, leave an empty circle in the middle of the sheet. If you add more coffee beans than necessary, the beans won't roast evenly.
Step 3: Place the tray in the preheated oven (in the middle) and keep a close eye on the beans as they roast.
Step 4: As the beans heat up, you'll hear the first crack, usually after 6-8 minutes. This stage signals that your beans are now a light roast and enter the medium roast stage. If you want a light roast, take them out and continue with step 7.
Step 5: If you want a medium roast, continue for a few minutes, up to the second crack, but not after. Continue with step 7 after removing the beans from the oven.
Step 6: If you're after a dark roast, you must keep roasting a bit after the second crack (it'll sound softer than the first crack). But be watchful; you don't want to keep the beans in too long; otherwise, you'll end up with burnt beans and a bitter taste.
Step 7: Transfer the beans to a metal colander to stop the roasting process and cool them quickly. Gently shake the colander to remove any remaining chaff (the thin, papery skin that detaches from the beans during roasting).
Step 8: Let the beans cool completely and store them in an airtight container. Ideally, invest in containers specifically designed to store coffee beans, as these will have one-way air vents to release the gasses that escape from the coffee.
Alternative Roasting Methods
Oven roasting is just one of many methods for roasting. While it's easy to start with domestic oven roasting because you don't need any special equipment, it may not be the roast method you want to use in the long run. Once you discover your love for roasting your own coffee, you may want to check out some other roast methods.
Finding the best method for you is important, and nobody can tell you which method you'll enjoy most. Here are a few other popular methods to give you an idea about your options:
Popcorn Popper
Yes, you've read that right. A hot-air popcorn maker can be used to roast coffee beans. This method is affordable as you can get suitable popcorn machines for under $25 second-hand.
It's a fast method and usually results in fairly even roasts, so it's a favorite among home coffee roasters. However, you need to get a popcorn popper with the vents on the sides, not on the bottom. Also: By using popcorn poppers for anything else but popcorn, you'll automatically void the warranty.
Home Coffee Roaster
Today, there's an interesting variety of specialized coffee roasting machines on the market. From ones that look like rice cookers to high-tech machines: Many home roasters provide precise control over the process but also give you the option just to press a button for "light", "medium", or "dark" roasts so that you can sit back and just don't worry about anything.
While these are ideal for people with little space, they often require you to buy some extra equipment like a cooling tray or bowl.
Drum Roasters
Drum roasters are where things get serious and a bit more expensive. They come in various sizes. The bigger home machines can roast up to 1kg of green coffee and are often popular with professional roasters (for sample roasts). The bigger ones aren't suitable for small kitchens, but there are also smaller drum roasters that roast smaller batches, which is good enough for home roasters.
These machines are great if you want to take your coffee roasting journey more seriously in the future - but they are quite an investment.
Tips for Oven Roasting Coffee at Home
Home coffee roasting in your oven is a great way to have control over your coffee. You can experiment with different beans and roast levels and even create your blends to create the coffee of your dreams. You might not get there immediately, but don't be discouraged because every roaster has to start somewhere!
Here are a few tips:
Experiment: Don't be afraid to try different beans and roast levels. However, you also want to be consistent, so only change one aspect at a time until you're comfortable with what you're doing.
Keep a journal to record your findings and adjust your process accordingly.
Don't get distracted: Your raw beans need your full attention while roasting. If you have family around, set some boundaries and tell them you need half an hour without being disturbed.
Don't think the roasting time is set in stone. Some beans may roast faster, and others might take longer because they have a different density and moisture level. There's also a difference in size (e.g., elephant beans) and shape (peaberry beans). That's another reason why it's important to monitor what's happening to your beans during roasting constantly.
Be mindful of safety measures. Roasting produces smoke, so ensure good ventilation and have a smoke detector handy.
Store your roasted beans in an airtight container to preserve their freshness.
Enjoy the Journey: Home-roasting coffee is fun, and you'll learn more about coffee than you probably imagined.
Conclusion
Home-roasting coffee is usually a rewarding experience. Nothing can beat the taste of truly fresh coffee. With just a few supplies and a bit of practice, you can become a home coffee roaster - and you can always upgrade to other coffee roasting methods later when you’re 100% sure that you want to keep roasting your own coffee at home.
