Roasting Coffee Yourself: How to Roast Your Own Coffee

Do you love the smell of freshly roasted coffee? Have you ever thought about roasting your own coffee yourself?

Not only the preparation of coffee, but also coffee roasting is a very special craft. Because coffee lovers know, the roast is particularly crucial for the taste of the popular hot beverage. Especially coffee drinkers who can no longer stand conventional store-bought coffee beans should dare to try roasting coffee themselves. We explain, step by step, how it works and how your coffee unfolds its true aroma. Discover 157 coffee class in Germany and Austria.

What makes a good coffee roast?

If you are looking for good and high-quality coffee, you should make sure when buying that the coffee was roasted in a drum roaster and rather avoid industrially processed coffee.

In the drum roaster, the coffee is roasted gently over a longer period. In addition, the maximum temperature during coffee bean roasting is significantly lower than in industrial coffee production. Due to the gentler roasting of the coffee beans, acids are broken down and significantly fewer bitter substances are produced.

In industrial production, on the other hand, the coffee beans are often heated to maximum temperatures of up to 700 degrees Celsius for a few minutes. As a result, the coffee beans are already very dark on the outside after roasting, but still partly raw on the inside, which makes the acid value of the beans higher. The high heating over the short period ultimately ensures a bitter coffee taste. For truly high-quality coffee, you should therefore pay attention to an ideally even roasting of the coffee beans.

How does roasting coffee work?

You want to roast your coffee yourself? Roasting coffee at home is a real craft and an art in itself. With a little practice, you can also roast coffee beans yourself. We explain what options you have and how it works step by step.

How do you roast coffee yourself?

To roast coffee at home yourself, there are several options:

• Roasting coffee in a pan
• Roasting coffee in the oven
• Roasting coffee in a popcorn machine, if you have one
• Roasting coffee in a home roaster

What do you need to roast coffee?

Depending on which variant you choose, you need different tools and ingredients to roast your coffee yourself. These include:

• Green coffee: raw coffee beans
• A pan, an oven, a popcorn machine, or a home roaster
• Infrared thermometer to measure the temperature
• Something to stir the coffee beans in the pan
• A sieve to cool down the coffee beans
• An airtight container for storage

Roasting coffee yourself in a pan

What you need to roast coffee in a pan: Green coffee, pan, infrared thermometer, a wooden spoon for stirring, an airtight container for the coffee.

Instructions – This is how you roast coffee in a pan:

1. Put the green coffee into the pan.
2. It is important to stir the coffee continuously.
3. The heat in the pan should be 200–220 degrees.
4. Make sure that the beans are roasted evenly. This is difficult with this method, however. While some coffee beans are already turning dark, others might even remain raw.
5. Attention: The coffee beans burst open when heated, this is also called "cracking". When heated, high pressure builds up in the beans, causing the hot coffee beans to crack open after about 5 to 10 minutes and pop into the air like popcorn. So please be careful if you try this method. It is best to even wear safety goggles.
6. After about 15–20 minutes, the beans should be roasted and you can take them off the stove, depending on the desired degree of roast.
7. Then take the coffee beans out of the hot pan and let them cool down on a surface.
8. Once the coffee beans have cooled, pour them into an airtight container.
9. Enjoy your self-roasted coffee :)

Good to know: Coffee roasting is definitely a matter of practice. In our coffee workshop on coffee roasting, you will learn from a real professional what is important.

Roasting coffee yourself in the oven

What you need to roast coffee in the oven: Washed green coffee, an oven, a wooden spoon for stirring, a sieve

Instructions – How to roast coffee in the oven step by step:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Spread the green coffee evenly on a baking sheet. It is best to use washed green coffee beans, as there are fewer bean skins that fly through the oven when roasting.
3. Put the baking sheet into the oven.
4. Turn the coffee regularly so that the roasting result is even.
5. After some time in the oven, you will notice the "cracking" of the coffee beans.
6. Depending on the desired roast, you take the coffee beans out of the oven after 10-20 minutes.
7. Take the coffee beans off the hot sheet and let them cool down completely – e.g. in a sieve.
8. Pour the coffee beans into an airtight container and enjoy your self-roasted coffee! :)

Roasting coffee yourself in a popcorn machine

Coffee can also be roasted at home yourself using a popcorn machine. Just like in the oven, it is best to use washed coffee.

Instructions – How roasting coffee in a popcorn machine works:

1. Put the coffee into the popcorn machine in small portions – a maximum of 100 grams.
2. Turn on the popcorn machine.
3. After 15-20 minutes, you should notice the "crack" of the coffee beans. You can then remove your coffee beans.
4. Let the self-roasted coffee beans cool down on a cold surface and pour them into an airtight container as soon as they have cooled.
5. Enjoy your self-roasted coffee!

Roasting coffee yourself with a home roaster

Meanwhile, there is also a selection of home roasters that you can buy if you want to roast coffee yourself regularly at home. The coffee roasters are usually equipped with an electric coffee roasting program, which means even beginners can use the home roaster safely to roast coffee themselves.

Instructions – How coffee roasting works in a home roaster:

1. Preheat the home roaster to the desired temperature. A temperature of 200 °C is suitable for roasting coffee.
2. Put the coffee beans into the designated container.
3. Set the desired program and roasting time.
4. The roasting machine dries the coffee beans completely and then proceeds to roast the coffee.
5. The typical cracking of the coffee beans cannot be heard with all home roasters. However, you should smell it when the coffee is finished roasting.
6. Wait until the desired roast is achieved.
7. Then remove the coffee beans from the container - careful, hot!
8. Pour the beans into a sieve to cool and store the coffee in an airtight box.
9. Enjoy your self-roasted coffee! :)

What happens when roasting coffee?

Roasting the coffee beans sets various reactions in motion:

• Drying the coffee beans: The coffee beans dry out due to the heat and thereby lose weight.
• Increasing pressure: As the temperature rises, the coffee bean gains volume. The pressure increases.
• The Maillard reaction: The Maillard reaction sets in when the coffee beans slowly turn brown. In addition to water, the coffee beans also lose CO₂ and other substances. As soon as the pressure inside the beans reaches a certain level, they pop open – you might know a similar process from popcorn. With coffee beans, this first pop is referred to as the “First Crack”.
• Development of the roast: From now on, the coffee beans no longer absorb heat, but release heat. Oils also form on the surfaces of the coffee beans, and the beans turn darker.

Tip: Do you love good coffee? In our barista workshops, you will learn how to prepare the perfect coffee. From the perfect coffee roast to latte art. Discover coffee classes near you.

How long should coffee be roasted?

While industrial coffee roasting takes little time due to the hot air method, coffee is roasted more gently with other methods.

Depending on the desired degree of roast, the optimal duration varies, after all, every coffee drinker has their own taste.

Who invented coffee roasting?

For many of us, freshly brewed coffee in the morning is indispensable. But how did coffee actually find its way to us, and who came up with the idea of roasting coffee beans?

You will encounter many myths in the history of coffee beans. According to stories, the coffee plant originally comes from Ethiopia. Coffee was mentioned in writing for the first time as early as 900 AD. At that time, however, the beans were not yet roasted. The red fruits and the leaves of the coffee plant were dried and infused with hot water – just as we still do with tea today.

It was only when coffee reached Istanbul via the Arab world that the coffee beans were removed from the fruit and dried. Subsequently, the coffee beans were roasted, ground, and boiled with water.

The first coffee houses were opened in Istanbul as early as the 16th century. However, coffee drinkers in the Ottoman Empire were even persecuted in the meantime, as the ruler simply banned the caffeinated beverage.

In the 1580s, a physician from Augsburg finally traveled through the Arab region and eventually brought coffee back to Europe as a souvenir. In the 17th century, the first coffee houses were then opened in major European cities such as Venice, London, Vienna, and Paris. In 1673, the first coffee house opened in Bremen.

Why should you roast coffee yourself?

With self-roasted coffee, you can customize the aroma of your coffee and tailor it exactly to your preferences. Roasting coffee is a fascinating process. The task of the roast master is to bring about the processes that shape the coffee to taste good. Through the craft of coffee roasting, you have it in your own hands and can shape your coffee just the way you love it.

Moreover, by roasting coffee beans yourself, you have the certainty of drinking truly fresh coffee. You know exactly what is contained in your coffee.

Good to know: Roasting coffee beans yourself is fascinating, but not necessarily easy. You can learn it, though. In our workshop on coffee roasting, you will learn step by step how to do it, and can get answers to all your questions.