Like we said on a previous page, roasting methods can be divided into 2 basic categories: Manual and automated. You can further break up the automated category into 2 divisions: Air roasters and drum roasters. Most professional and commercial roasters use a drum roaster because it can develop the flavors in the bean to a greater degree, and they are able to do much more volume then the air roasters. But for most home roasters the cost of buying a small drum roaster is considerable.  On this page we will look at a couple of methods from both categories and give you a brief overview of them so you will be able to make a decision on what kind of method you would like to use.

The first method which we will introduce  is the most basic and rudimentary of all, the pan method. It requires no special equipment. Just a stove, a pan, a wooden spoon, a colander, and some green coffee. You can use a variety of different kinds of pans such as a skillet, a sauce pan, a deep fryer, even a wok. It is better to use a higher quality pan that will have even heat distribution. I prefer a wooden spoon with a flat straight edge as opposed to a rounded one because of better bean movement.  Using this method will create some smoke so make sure you have your overhead fan turned on, and be prepared for any smoke detectors that might go off. This method may require some practice before getting an even roast the way you would like it. The whole process should take between 6 and 10 minutes.  
Make sure you have your fan turned on and have a colander ready to go.
The amount of beans to roast depends on the size of your pan but a rule of thumb is try to make it a single layer in the pan (1/2 cup to cup)

Here are some simple steps to follow: 

• preheat your pan to med heat
• pour in your beans and cover for about a minute
• then take cover off and use your wooden spoon to keep the beans moving
• wait for your color changes and listen for your cracks..when the beans look like they are 1 stage before you want them to be, take them

           off the heat and put into the colander and shake so they cool down. These beans will continue to cook even off the heat so it is            important to take them off early and get them cooled down.

Please Take note...the beans carry what is called 'momentum' ...if you roast them to long and take them off the heat and do not cool them down, they have the potential to ignite and cause a fire even after they have been removed from the stove! This is no joke so do not take your eyes off your prize!

The following links will give you a visual idea of what it is to pan roast:
PAN ROAST EXAMPLE 1                                                           PAN ROAST EXAMPLE 2                                     PAN ROAST EXAMPLE 3

The second method we will demonstrate is with a Whirly Pop popcorn maker. There are several brands of whirly pops all of which will get the job done. If you need to purchase a whirly pop, you can find them online at (whirly pop) (Ebay)  or at several common stores from $20- $30. (Bed & Bath, Target,
Walmart) ect...The Whirly Pop method is basically one step up from the pan method because you have a mechanical advantage for getting a more even roast. Some people like to drill a hole in the top and add a thermometer. The whirly pop is an economical solution if you want to gain a mechanical advantage for a more even roast. It does have its disadvantages such as smoke, and its a little harder to get a lighter roast. Sometimes the smaller bean coffees (under a size 16)  tend to jam it up. Here are the basic steps to roast:

• Preheat the pan on medium heat.
  pour in about 8 oz of green coffee  (up to a pound is possible...maybe even more with a stainless)
• Start turning the crank and start listening...look in on the beans occasionally
• keep the beans moving until your color is starting to show...
• remember to take off the heat early and dump into a colander for the cool down process

                                   The following links will give you a visual idea for roasting with the Whirly Pop:

                              Whirly Example 1                                        Whirly Example 2                            Whirly Example 3

The next method we will demonstrate is using a regular air popcorn popper. As a beginner or even if you have been roasting your own coffee for years, the air popper has many positive advantages along with the fact that the cost is very minimal. We recommend the popcorn popper  because you can achieve a very even roast without much practice. In fact when our family first started roasting many years ago with a big commercial roaster, we would still sample many batches of beans at home with a popper!  One of the keys to a air popcorn popper is getting one where the air blows from the sides and not from the bottom. Not to say you can't use a bottom blower (one of the videos demonstrates that) but the side blowers move the coffee better and are less prone to getting to hot. One of the drawbacks to an air popper is that you are limited to smaller batches when you roast. Perhaps 4-6 oz per roast. But on the whole, with very little mess, smoke, and low cost, the air popcorn popper is a great way to roast your own coffee.

Here is a list of some recommended models:

 West Bend Poppery II (1200 watt is better),  West Bend Air Crazy , Popcorn Pumper ,  Nostalgia , Presto Poplite, Toastess TCP-388 & TCP-1 , Toastmaster 6203

There may be other brands that have the air coming in from the sides, these are just some we are aware of.

Some home roasters even modify their popper to make it perform better, but you can achieve a great cup of coffee with out getting technical. Of course if that is something you would like to pursue, go for it....its all part of the fun!

Using the popper is just like popping pop corn except that you still have to watch and listen. The coffee will not come out by itself like popcorn so it is important to watch and dump it out into a colander when it is almost to where you want it.

The following links will give you a visual idea for roasting with an air pop corn popper:

Popcorn Popper example 1                 Popcorn Popper example 2            Popcorn Popper example 3              Popcorn Popper example 4       

The fourth method we will discuss is using an air roaster by Fresh Roast. This method is a great method for a home roasters who doesn't mind spending between $150 and $200. The SR500 has a variable timer, heat control, and fan. The sight glass is great, and it has a chaff collector. The smoke output is minimal, it has a cool down fan, and it can put out a roast in 8 minutes or less depending on how you like your coffee. The one downfall might be the volume that it can put out. If you drink a lot of coffee each week you will be doing a few roasts every week which is not a problem because once you get your roast times down, the roaster pretty much does all the work for you with minimal mess and hassle. This unit comes with directions which are very easy to follow. Here are a couple of links of where you can buy a Fresh Roast.   Link1     Link2 


The following links will give you a visual idea for roasting with the Fresh Roast:

Fresh Roast Example 1                           Fresh Roast Example 2                              Fresh Roast example 3

The final method we will briefly touch on is the home counter top drum roaster. There are several choices when it comes to a counter top drum roaster, and the prices can differ greatly. The rule of thumb is that the more bells and whistles the roaster has, the greater the price. A few advantages the drum roaster is having full control of your roasts with little or no smoke. You can set profiles and do them consistently over an over again. They come with detailed instructions so there is not a lot of trial and error. Besides the cost, and some minor maintenance, They tend to take up a bit of counter space. If you are considering a drum roaster your best bet it to investigate the different models and all their options and decide what is really important to you as you are roasting. Here are a couple of sources for the drum roaster:  Amazon     Ebay

We have included a couple of videos showing drum roasters in action:

Drum Roaster 1                      Drum Roaster 2