Home brew: For freshly roasted coffee all you need is a corn popper

Tag : fresh roasted coffee

Given the American love affair with coffee, it's surprising morepeople don't roast their own beans at home.

Not only does home roasting ensure the freshest, most splendid cupof coffee, it's also a money saver and takes just minutes toprepare enough beans for several pots.

"Almost everyone knows how exquisite fresh bread is," says KennethDavids, author of "Home Coffee Roasting." "But the flavor andfragrance of coffee one day out of the roaster is a virtuallyforgotten pleasure."

Here's what you need to know to roast at home:

The basics

All coffee starts as green (unroasted) beans, which are the seedsof the coffee fruit. Taking those seeds from the plant to thecoffee pot involves roasting them for several minutes between 400degrees and 500 degrees.

During the first few minutes of roasting, green beans begin to turnyellow and develop a vaguely grassy or grainy smell as their watercontent causes them to steam from within.

As the internal temperature of the beans rises, the coffee givesoff a fragrant smoke and begins to make a crackling noise as thesugars caramelize and the essential oils are released.

The beans puff up to almost double their size and the roast becomesdarker until a second more volatile phase of crackling begins. Atthis point, the beans are done, or can be roasted further for a"dark roast" variety.

The beans

Green (unroasted) coffee beans are widely available, though you maynot find them at the grocer.

Most coffee shops and roasting companies, such as Green MountainCoffee and numerous other online retailers, will sell green coffeebeans, often for several dollars less per pound than roasted.

Businesses such as Sweet Maria's, for example, offer as many dozensof varieties of green coffee beans, including decaf, at prices 20to 50 percent lower than the same coffees would cost roasted.

Green coffee beans resemble gray peanuts and lack the distinctivecolor and aroma of roasted coffee.

According to Maria Troy, who started Sweet Maria's with herhusband, Thompson Owen, about 10 years ago, green coffee beans willkeep for up to two years if properly stored.

Keep green beans in paper or cloth bags (which allow them tobreathe) in an area with no more than moderate heat and humidity.In short, if you're comfortable, your beans are comfortable, saysTroy.

Once roasted, beans (whether roasted at home or by a company) reachtheir peak in about 24 hours, then begin to lose flavor. For thebest taste, coffee beans should be ground and brewed within twoweeks of roasting.

Low-tech options

As with any hobby, it's easy to spend plenty of money on coffeeroasting equipment, but it's hardly necessary.

Home roasting machines start around $75 and go as high as $900.These machines usually involve some style of hot air chamber thatcirculates and roasts the beans while removing the chaff (thepapery outer skin of the bean).

But there also are plenty of low-tech home roasting methods thatare less expensive. These may produce less consistent results, butare an affordable way to test whether home roast is for you.

Internet sites such as CoffeeGeek.com and HomeRoaster.com offer detailed instructions for home roasting, which can be donewith cast-iron skillets, in the oven, with a stovetop corn popper,or a hot air corn popper.

Plenty of sites will also tell you how to build a roaster, such asconverting a gas barbecue grill into a drum roaster.

The hot air corn popper is probably the best bet for an affordable,easy low-tech home option with good results.

It is important to use a machine with good side and bottom airflow.A machine that blows air only from the bottom won't properlyagitate the beans, which could catch fire.

Hot air corn poppers can roast enough coffee for about two pots ofcoffee in about 5 minutes.

High-tech options

Once you've decided that home roasting is the way to go, you'llprobably want to invest in a real roaster, which takes much of theguesswork and mess out of roasting.

There are two main types of home roasting machines (widelyavailable online or at kitchen supply stores).

Fluid-bed coffee roasters use a strong current of hot air to roastthe beans and move them around for even results. These roastershave a small glass chamber that holds the beans over a heatingelement with a fan.

Fluid-bed roasters produce a bright-tasting roast in anywhere from5 to 15 minutes, plus an added cooling period of several minutes.

Two popular fluid-bed roasters are the Fresh Roast Plus ($75), madeby FreshBeans, Inc., which is relatively quiet and simple to use,and Hearthware's i-Roast 2 ($179), which has more sophisticatedelectronics for controlling the roasting process.

Both have effective chaff-collecting systems but do produce quite abit of smoke as the beans darken.

The Fresh Roast Plus can produce enough coffee to brew about 16cups, while the larger (and noisier) i-Roast 2 produces about twicethat amount.

The other type of machine is the drum roaster, which uses amechanical rotating cylinder to move the coffee beans either nextto a heating element or through a stream of hot air.

These machines tend to be larger and more expensive, but can roastas much as a pound of coffee at a time. They also offer moresophisticated controls. They can roast a batch in about 10 to 20minutes plus cooling.

Genesis' Gene Cafe Drum Roaster ($495) and the HotTop Drum Roaster($730), made by HotTop USA, can roast about a half-pound of coffee,have sophisticated controls, and effectively deal with chaff.

The less pricey Behmor 1600 Drum Roaster ($299) is about the sizeof a large toaster oven, is quiet, can roast up to a pound ofcoffee, and has an after-burner system that suppresses most of thesmoke.

Davids says drum roasters tend to produce coffee with more depthand body because of longer roasting times, but recommends startingwith a less expensive fluid-bed model that can produce bright,complex flavors.

The downsides

There are some downsides to home roasting. The process can be smokyand should be done only in a well ventilated kitchen or outdoorswhen weather permits. A strong stove hood vent will help.

The other inconvenience is that when beans roast they releasechaff, which tends to blow around, especially in low-tech roastingmethods such as hot air corn poppers. Be careful to clean the chaffaway from heating elements to prevent fire.

Hot air corn poppers also have a tendency to spit coffee beans out.Be careful; these are very hot.

Though it calls for potent ingredients, this marinade impartssubtle savory, almost creamy notes to the steak. If you want moreheat, increase the pepper flakes. The acid in the coffee also helpstenderize the meat.

COFFEE MARINATED SIRLOIN

1 1/2 cups cold coffee

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 tablespoons honey

1/2-inch chunk fresh ginger

Four 8-ounce bottom sirloin steaks (or other tender,broiler-friendly cut)

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

In blender or food processor, combine coffee, pepper flakes, peanutbutter, honey and ginger. Puree until smooth, then taste and seasonwith salt and pepper.

Pour half of the marinade into a baking dish. Set steaks in bakingdish, then pour remaining marinade over them. Cover and refrigeratefor 1 hour.

When ready to cook, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheetwith foil.

In large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add steak,in batches if necessary, and sear until lightly browned, about 3 to4 minutes per side.

Transfer steaks to prepared baking sheet. For medium-rare, broilfor 7 to 8 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer insertedat the thickest part of the steak reads 135 degrees.

Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

This easy, espresso-spiked shortbread comes together quickly andgoes well with coffee. Be sure to cut the shortbread while stillwarm, and be careful not to overbake.

MOCHA SHORTBREAD WEDGES

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch round cake orspringform pan with parchment paper.

In small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt. Stir inespresso powder. Set aside.

In medium bowl, use electric mixer to beat butter on medium untilpale and creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat well. Add flourmixture, then beat on low speed until well combined.

Pat dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, oruntil puffed at edges and dark all over the top. Remove from oven;let sit 5 minutes.

Cut into 8 wedges. Let cool completely on a rack. Sprinkle withpowdered sugar just before serving.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperatureup to 1 week. Makes 8 wedges.

---- Recipe from Martha Stewart's "Cookies," Clarkson Potter, 2008,$24.95

This recipe produces a crunchy, somewhat dry baklava, a refreshingchange from the more traditional gloopy version. If you want astickier baklava, double the syrup ingredients.

BAKLAVA WITH RICH COFFEE SYRUP

1 1/4 cups pistachio nut meats, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups walnut meats, finely chopped

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

10 1/2 ounces phyllo pastry, thawed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

4 tablespoons freshly brewed espresso

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch square bakingpan with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, combine pistachios, walnuts and cinnamon. Setaside.

Lay a sheet of phyllo on the counter. Use a pastry brush to brushit with butter. Set the sheet of phyllo, butter side down, inprepared baking pan. Let excess phyllo hang over sides of the pan.

Repeat with another 5 layers of phyllo. Brush top of final layerwith butter.

Sprinkle nut mixture over phyllo, then fold excess pastry over thetop.

Use a knife to carefully cut 8-inch squares from another 6 sheetsof phyllo. One at a time, butter the squares and layer them,buttered side down, over the nut mixture.

Use a knife to cut the baklava into small squares or diamonds. Bakefor 30 minutes, or until golden.

Meanwhile, make coffee syrup: In small saucepan over medium-lowheat, combine sugar and water. Stir until sugar dissolves. Increaseheat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10minutes. Stir in the espresso.

Remove baklava from oven and drizzle with all of the syrup. Letcool completely before serving. Makes about 25 pieces.

---- Recipe adapted from Susannah Blake's "Coffee Indulgences,"Ryland, Peters and Small, 2007

For a grander take on this drink, substitute a mug of coffee forthe espresso and top it with whipped cream spiked with coconut milkand garnished with chocolate shavings.

COCONUT CREAM MOCHA ESRESSO

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon coconut milk

1 ounce Irish cream liqueur

1 ounce chocolate liqueur

3 1/2 to 4 ounces freshly brewed espresso (about a double shot)

Cocoa powder (optional)

In a small glass, mix together the heavy cream and coconut milk.Set aside.

In a small, heat-safe serving glass, combine the Irish cream andchocolate liqueur. Microwave for 1 minute, or until hot. Add theespresso and stir gently.

Float the cream mixture on top of the drink. To do this, hold aspoon upside down directly over the drink. Slowly pour the creammixture over the back of the spoon.

If desired, dust with cocoa powder. Serves 1.

Associated Press Food Editor J.M. Hirsch contributed to this story.