Wednesday, February 02, 2005


home coffee roasting

"as more and more Americans grow concerned about what they put into their bodies, he said, home roasting has taken off as a hobby."

what a very nice article on the continuing trend: experienced home coffee roasters turning pro.

if i stop and think about it, i must know 6 people myself who've followed this path now. but before you decide to join the home roasting roster, stop and think about it for a minute.

how will you:

  • vent the smoke? while roasting, coffee doesn't smell like fresh roasted coffee quite yet. unless you use a zach & dani's, you will generate more than enough smoke to set off your smoke alarm and permanently perfume the drapes.
  • are you prepared to make your cars homeless? if you have an attached garage, you may think this will do. but do you really have enough room and adequate ventilation in your garage? it's hard to freeze outside in your cold garage only to discover the smoke has leaked into the house anyway under the door!
  • are you committed to freezing on your backyard patio and deck? how will your neighbors feel about the ribbons of interestingly scented smoke drifting over the fence?

as long-time readers know, i live in a snooty building in noo yawk where roasting is impossible. plus, i have easy access to many sources of great, fresh-roasted specialty coffee.

but i understand that not every place has a specialty roaster, and those mail-order costs can quickly add up! if so, ken davids' far-famed home roasting book is what you need. . .

posted by fortune | 7:09 AM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments