Investing in a coffee bean roaster means that you'll be making more decisions about the final brew of your coffee. Home roasting coffee in small doses for personal consumption is vast becoming popular around the the world and roasters for personal use are widely available.
Of course, people have been roasting coffee at home for centuries, using various methods, such as roasting over a coal fire. But in modern days, as large-scale manufacturing companies were able to process coffee from harvest to grind, people stopped roasting coffees. Today, there is real return back to the times of old and coffee lovers are wanting to increase their involvement in the process of their coffee.
As such, a coffee bean roaster is becoming a real ?must have? for coffee lovers.
Why invest in a personal roaster?
It is a known face that coffee is susceptible to oxidation. This means that once it is opened is starts to be affected by the presence of oxygen, which ages it. You can tell when a coffee has been stored for too long when it tastes stale and flavorless.
Roasting your own coffee then, allows you to keep your coffee fresh and enjoy the full flavor it should give you. Moreover, roasting at home is surprisingly easy and very practical. And once you experience the revived flavor in your home roasted coffee, you'll never go back.
Home roasting means freshness
Coffee flavor reaches a peak four days to two weeks after it has been roasting. After that, the flavor continues to deteriorate. When a coffee is roasted, the process produced carbon dioxide and this gas helps to preserve the coffee. But when the coffee comes into contact with oxygen, that is when you open the packet, then the coffee begins to age and very quickly starts exhibiting flavor and aroma loss.
Other ways of preserving freshness and extending your coffee's shelf life is to refrigerate (though not everyone agrees on that) or to keep in an air-tight container.
But the best way is to roast your own coffee. This means that you only roast as much as you need, so you never have coffee beans waiting on the shelf for you to grind and brew them.
Your home roaster will roast only the amount of coffee that you need, at any given time. Buy as many green or unroasted coffee beans as you like, because unlike roasted coffee beans, green beans have a shelf life of at least one whole year, if stored in a cool, dry place in an air-tight container, of course.
The home roasters
The are essentially two varieties of roaster which you may purchase for use in your home: fluid bed roasters and electric roasters.
The first variety, the fluid bed coffee bean roasters, are very similar to the popcorn popper machines. They consist of a glass-roasting chamber and work just like the popcorn machines work.
The electric or radiant heat drum roaster is a little different. Actually, it's more like the professional roasters used by coffee industry experts. This coffee bean roaster is for the more experienced coffee aficionados. If you're a beginning roaster, then try the fluid bed roaster. In fact, even your popcorn machine can roast your coffee beans
Written by Samantha Evans, Ezine Articles Expert Author
The majority of coffee production in the regions of Ethiopia is from the wild coffee tree forests and from there has spread across the world. However, because of the necessary growing conditions, which require plenty of sunshine and rain, the coffee trees are only found in tropical or sub-tropical locations. There is a narrow strip of about 25 degrees both North and South of the equator where basically all of the coffee in the world is produced. It is incredible that so much product can be produced from such a small amount of eligible environment. Coffee actually is the second highest commodity in the world next to oil when measured in dollar value. This lucrative product does come from some of the world's under-developed and poor countries oddly enough.
Brazil is still the largest producer of coffee. Brazil produces about 28% of all the coffee. Colombia is next at about 16% followed by Indonesia with about 7%. Mexico trails with about 4%. Coffee trees have adapted to different environments but the best coffee still comes from the high altitudes.
Brazil has huge coffee farms that employ several hundred workers to look after care of the trees. Colombia because of its mountainous terrain and low economic conditions involves transport by either mule or Jeep. Hawaiian coffee producers use Mauna Loa volcano slopes to plant their coffee trees. The location is perfect for both sunlight and precipitation.
Indonesia is comprised of numerous islands and this is where coffee has grown since the 17th century when the Dutch colonists arrived. Indonesia is known to have the perfect climate for coffee although other countries definitely have higher forms of technology. The most farms are found on the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi.
The Mexico coffee farms are rather small farms in comparison to Brazil, but there are about 100,000 of them. The majority are found in the south around the Vercruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Mexico is also known for its Altura beans which are grown at the highest of altitudes. Vietnam has been gaining in coffee production rapidly and quickly approaching Indonesia's position. Although the country originally was farming Arabica beans, it known produces Robusta beans.
Africa is known for its dark and large coffee beans, although they are rather a small producer of coffee. In Kenya the beans are one of the largest in the world and therefore have resulted in the well known fruity taste. The Ivory Coast is known for its production of espresso blends. Regardless of where the coffee comes from, there are plenty of coffee drinkers around the world to enjoy each and every one. Each individual coffee lover most definitely has a favorite, however, finding a favorite can only come from trying many different kinds.
Article written by Vince Paxton
When you want to get the best of your coffee then you should know about the different blends of coffee. You should also understand about acidity, aroma, bitterness, and nuttiness. Knowing these differences will make a big difference about how you pick your coffee.
There are many different types of coffee from all over the world. Coffee tastes differently from each of the different countries. Some of the most well known coffees are from Columbia, Mexico, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauna Loa, Europe, and Italy.
Columbia is known for their coffee. The best coffee in the world comes from this country and they are the second largest producer of coffee in the world. Columbian coffee is sweet and light and available in blends that are supreme and excelso.
Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world and has been for over one hundred years. Brazilian coffee is famous for the wonderful blends.
Mexico produces coffee beans that are considered to be light and delicate. Some people say that the coffee in Mexico is very acidic and noticeable. However, it is enjoyed by many people.
Indonesian coffee is another well known blend because they are the fourth largest producer in the world. The coffee in Malaysia is brewed in a muslin bag that filters the grounds. Malaysia is known for an extremely strong cup of coffee. Thailand is known for fabulous blends of coffee also that is enjoyed when it is poured over ice.
When you are thinking about coffee you should consider the differences in the different blends. You should consider the acidity of the coffee. If you cannot handle the acidity then you might not want to consider a blend from Mexico because they tend to be very tart and acidic. The roast varies with the beans the most.
Some people choose their coffee based on the aroma of the beans. Coffee from Kona has a fruity aroma. Columbian beans have a strong aroma to them. The aroma of the coffee beans is very important when you are choosing which coffee you will drink. You can get a good idea how the coffee will taste by the smell of the coffee beans.
When you are checking out coffee beans then you also want to think about the bitterness. Many people say that you can put an eggshell in the coffee grounds when brewing coffee to take away the bitterness from the blend. However, if you properly choose your coffee beans then you won't have to worry about taking away the bitterness. Arabica coffee is known to be extremely bitter. The bitterest coffee blend is the Robusta. One way to figure out the bitterness of the coffee is that you can swill the beans in your mouth and taste any bitterness.
As a coffee lover, you should know the differences of the coffees from different countries. You should also know the type of coffee it is that you favor the most. You should know if you are looking for an acidic, aromatic, or bitter blend of coffee.
This article was contributed by Paul Simon, a regular contributor to Coffee Maker Review.
