Choosing a good Coffee Roaster

Posted on Tuesday, November 11, 2008 at 5:40 am
by Marc Warren

Coffee roasters vary in almost every way from extremely technical to very simple. The cost varies as greatly as the styles you can choose from. Certain manufactures are trusted to make a quality product and these are not always the most expensive. But in addition to quality and cost there are other factors to be considered.

What part will you play in the process?

Some roasters are designed very simply and leave more of the technical work to you. They merely serve as the heating device while you are responsible for measuring and mixing to get the desired result.

The handle contains a crank that allows the roaster to stir up the beans during the process. Stirring is essential to keep the beans from burning on the bottom as well as to keep the hot air inside circulating evenly.

Even in this simple set up, be sure to look for ones that have a thermometer in the lid. Temperature control is important for proper roasting.

Other roaster models need almost no help from you. The instructions give you the amounts. Then you simply attach the cover and wait.

These deluxe models have inbuilt thermometers, thermostatically controlled heating mechanisms, clever air-flow control geometry and rotating canisters and a timer to automatically shut off the device at the proper time.

At the upper end of the price range, these rocket ship roasters do everything but eliminate the smoke that invariably accompanies the process.

Efficient air circulation and heat

Air roasters work by rotating hot air in through the beans while also keeping the beans in motion. This will roast your coffee beans evenly and in some models even clean away the unwanted residue left over when the shell of the bean expands and bursts.

Many models are made of glass so that you can see what is happening and roast to the extent that you want. On many roasters you can make that determination before you begin to roast because they have settings where you can indicate whether you want a dark roast or a light roast.

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