As with most household gadgets, coffee roasters come in many shapes and sizes. Like the design, home roasters vary widely in price from under a hundred dollars to several thousand. Here are a few tips to remember if you are considering purchasing your own coffee roaster.
The first thing to consider is how much you want to be involved in the process. Simple stove top coffee roasters are comprised of a sauce pan with a special handle and a tight lid.
The handle in these models usually contains a crank that allows the user to stir the beans during the process. Stirring is vitally important for keeping the beans from burning and to keep the hot air circulating evenly.
This simple design is often aided by a thermometer mounted in the lid. Proper coffee roasting depends on good temperature control.
The other extreme in home coffee roasters contains models that do all the work for you. All you need to do is place the correct volume of raw beans in the machine, flip a switch, and walk away.
These high end roasters have built in temperature control mechanisms, proper air flow techniques, and timers that automatically shut off the machine at the right time. Coffee roasters at the upper end of the price range do everything but capture the resulting smoke!
The next thing to consider is how efficiently does the roaster heat and circulate the hot air. As mentioned above, the process of roasting coffee depends greatly on this characteristic.
The typical roaster is an air type that works much like a popcorn popper by circulating air and agitating the beans continuously. This technique ensures a uniform finished product.
Drum roasters are a popular type because they continuously rotate and drop the beans instead of relying on a stirrer in the bottom. Air is then circulated correctly through the system.
Manual roasters, except for the saucepan type, have windows so you can observe the roasting process and stop it if needed to produce the desired degree of roasting.
Coffee roasters were once only available for commercial use. These days, home versions are readily available to anyone interested in trying their hand at this timeless craft.
