Coffee Roasting: Roasters

Today, we're going to talk about roasting, which significantly impacts the taste of coffee.

Roasting, the process of applying heat to coffee beans, involves various types of roasters, ranging from household to commercial use. I will introduce some of their characteristics, including both Japanese-made and imported models, along with a few personal observations.

Home Roasters

First, I'll introduce roasting tools that allow you to easily start roasting coffee at home.

Home roasters use your stovetop to apply heat. As the temperature gradually rises, the thin skin (chaff) on the green coffee beans will peel off, potentially leaving chaff all over your stovetop.

If you can imagine spending more time cleaning than roasting, but are still determined to try roasting, why not attempt hand-roasting? It's the easiest and most affordable way to start roasting coffee.

Hand-held type

Keep the green coffee beans inside moving constantly, slightly away from the stovetop flame. Shake it horizontally and vertically, trying to apply heat as evenly as possible to all the green beans.

For more on roasting and how to tell when it's done, please refer to the article below.

https://basecoffee.jp/column/coffee/506/

Hand-crank type

This type involves cranking a handle over the stovetop to apply heat. It's recommended because it allows for more uniform heat application than the hand-held type.

The price exceeds 10,000 yen, so it's for those who are serious about roasting.

Commercial Roasters

Next, let's discuss commercial roasters.

The one we use at our shop is Japanese-made, from a company called Fuji Koki. We diligently roast small batches daily using their 5kg semi-hot-air roaster.

I'll introduce three types of roasters based on how they apply heat, as follows.

Direct-fire Roaster

As the name suggests, this roaster directly exposes green beans to fire for roasting.

Specifically, the drum has holes (perforations), so the fire directly hits the drum, hence the term direct-fire. A characteristic feature is that controlling the heat directly and significantly alters the coffee's flavor.

Semi-hot-air Roaster

While direct-fire roasters have holes, semi-hot-air drums do not. The heat source is below, but the fire does not directly reach the green beans. Instead, as shown in the diagram, heat enters through the drum's inlet, applying caloric energy.

Although there's a slight time lag when adjusting the heat, making calorie control a bit difficult, the fire doesn't directly hit the green beans like in a direct-fire system, preventing scorching and allowing for a gentle flavor.

Hot-air Roaster

In this method, the heat source and drum are completely separate, and heat is forced in by air, applying caloric energy.

Since the fire doesn't directly hit the drum, controlling the heat source is easy, making this method often used for automatic roasting. Roasting time tends to be shorter than with the previously mentioned types.

Recommended Home Roasting Methods

Using a commercial roaster at home isn't very practical, so I'll introduce some recommended home roasting methods.

First, hand-roasting is the easiest and most recommended way to start. However, cleaning can be quite a hassle, so I think it's best suited for outdoor activities or enjoyable roasting in the garden.

Second, there are hand-cranked (or automatically rotating) roasters that come with a chaff collector. The ability to collect chaff is an important point, as having to clean every time can make it difficult to continue the hobby.

Finally, there are electric tabletop roasters. Major manufacturers have released the latest roasters, and some even offer complete systems from roasting to coffee dripping. While the price significantly increases, if you are particular about coffee bean freshness, it might be worth considering.

How to acquire green beans

Obtaining green beans is essential for roasting coffee. Unfortunately, our shop does not sell green beans, so I would like to introduce some websites where you can purchase them in small quantities.

◇Namamame Honpo (https://www.namamame.jp/)

This is one of the few sites where you can buy from 100g. They also send out regular newsletters, which I personally find to contain a lot of interesting content.

◇Wild Coffee Store (http://www.wild-coffee-store.com/)

They also sell roasters, so it can be helpful for gathering various information.

The quality of coffee is almost entirely determined by the quality of the green beans. For home use, it's difficult to get truly high-quality beans, but since it's the best way to enjoy coffee with a focus on freshness, why not try home roasting?

Apparently, roasting starter kits are also available.

Hand-roasting outdoors is sure to create a truly exceptional cup of coffee.