Hi everyone, My names James and I slowly but surely getting to know more and more about coffee everyday. Im an 18 yr old college student living at home and currently my coffee setup is a cheap french press bought at Starbucks( not that i drink there coffee ) A Bodum burr electric grinder, and Single origin coffee beans from fairway bought once a week. Usually a different origin every week but I'm starting to lean towards Guatemalan beans. I figured the next step to getting the best coffee i can get at home is roasting fresh once or twice a week. I plan on buying the Behmor 1600 from sweet marias, for 299 which comes with an 8 pound sampler off greens. My question to all of you home roasters, is there anything specific i should know about the origins of the beans i buy or the site which i order them from? Im on LI and shipping from SM is almost as much as a small order but i haven't been able to find another site like sweet marias to order from. Also do you think there is a better option then the behmor? to me it looks like a great beginner drum roaster and i only consume about 2 cups a day so 1/2 pound batches are perfect. Also i tend to go for medium roast in ether direction which i read a drum roaster does well. I know there are pop corn machines that will work well but as im doing this in my kitchen i don't want melted plastic lids or smoke everywhere as my parents would likely have a stroke. Thanks in advance for any advice
Looking for tips in the home roasting department
- Thread starter angelino
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I order from Sweet Marias about every 2-3 months. The $9 shipping option's fine with green beans, and a cheap option for 10-15 pounds of coffee. It takes just under a week to get to NYC. Lately, I've gravitated to just looking at the what's new section, and only delving elsewhere when the selection's not all I want. So, basically, I gave up trying some, then going back for more of what I like. Instead, I treat it as a perishable treat and wait to see what's new. If the crop's off one year, that's part of the fun, too. I also usually throw in one treat: either an expensive coffee or a coffee toy.
The only advice I'd want to give is to be open to trying different things. There was a fantastic Indian coffee this year that I probably would have passed up picking out specific origins. You can pretty much count on not getting anything really bad from them, though you might not like everything. Hint: fresh roasted coffee makes a great gift, and is still probably way better than anything your canned friends or neighbors are drinking.
The only advice I'd want to give is to be open to trying different things. There was a fantastic Indian coffee this year that I probably would have passed up picking out specific origins. You can pretty much count on not getting anything really bad from them, though you might not like everything. Hint: fresh roasted coffee makes a great gift, and is still probably way better than anything your canned friends or neighbors are drinking.
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Firstly, buy some more beans to go along with the 8lbs sampler that comes with...why? because you'll want to play with it, and you'll want to do some extra batches to get the hang of using it, timing, where to dump and cool (if you don't use the built in cooling), etc.
I think I roasted 5lbs in 10 batches my first day of roasting (when I used a home machine)...this gives you the ability to play with the P1/2/3/4 and see which you like...also, do some searching and read how others have improved their process/technique.
If you are interested in green coffee from other homeroasters, visit greencoffeebuyingclub.com and join the forum...lots of good coffees go through that site (Cup of Excellences, Geisha's, etc.). There's also a really nice Guatemalan currently being offered by yours truly (full disclosure).
I think I roasted 5lbs in 10 batches my first day of roasting (when I used a home machine)...this gives you the ability to play with the P1/2/3/4 and see which you like...also, do some searching and read how others have improved their process/technique.
If you are interested in green coffee from other homeroasters, visit greencoffeebuyingclub.com and join the forum...lots of good coffees go through that site (Cup of Excellences, Geisha's, etc.). There's also a really nice Guatemalan currently being offered by yours truly (full disclosure).
Another site is Caracolillo Coffe out of Florida.
https://www.ccmcoffee.com/index.php?cPath=21
The 'details' button on their green coffee page gives some quick info on the bean, roasting, etc... I'm doing the Brazillian now, and it's really a smooth bean. I've also really liked their Costa Rican, and Sumatra.
Just roasting in a corn popper now, and the smoke is a bit more than you'd want in your kitchen, but I'm not sure how it compares to the drum roaster.
And BTW... There really is no other site like Sweet Maria's as far as information on top of the gear and coffee.
https://www.ccmcoffee.com/index.php?cPath=21
The 'details' button on their green coffee page gives some quick info on the bean, roasting, etc... I'm doing the Brazillian now, and it's really a smooth bean. I've also really liked their Costa Rican, and Sumatra.
Just roasting in a corn popper now, and the smoke is a bit more than you'd want in your kitchen, but I'm not sure how it compares to the drum roaster.
And BTW... There really is no other site like Sweet Maria's as far as information on top of the gear and coffee.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks for the responses guys!
I don't know of any specific business on LI or NYC, but I would expect to find a number of local roasters who also sell green coffee beans. Getting to know one or two of them might come in handy if your local stock runs low, or you just need an excuse to get out and see a different part of the city.
FYI I've never been able to use my Behmor indoors without setting off the smoke alarm. I've never been that impressed with it and wouldn't recommend it to a beginner because it is very difficult to get consistent results from it. I'd start with Ken David's book and the right kind of hot hair popper. Sweet Maria's is an excellent vendor. I've been there many times.
that and its a extra $180 to spend on coffee.
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