Good, Cheap Coffee

I use an old hot-air popcorn popper. There are dozens of WWW sites that cover the "how to" aspect of it, I was a little intimidated by the idea at first but it is really a lot easier than it sounds.

The hot-air poppers force enough air though the system to keep the beans moving around so you don't have to do any stirring. I roast to a Medium-dark or "full city-roast" level. The first batch (you can roast about 1/2 cup of beans per batch in my popper) takes just over 7 minutes. Subsequent batches take less time since the popper is already heated up. As soon as the batch is done I dump them into a large baking pan so they can cool quickly (if you don't do this they retain enough heat that they continue to roast themselves a bit more until their temp drops.)

Roasting produces a bit of smoke so I try to do it outside as much as possible (otherwise the smoke detectors go off! ) and I roast up a pound or so each time. Takes about 45 minutes to roast an entire pound. Then I let them sit for a week in an air-tight canister before using them. Their flavor builds during the first few days after roasting.

You can find a lot of places selling green beans on the web. I buy 25lb bags so the price drops down to about $4/lb for Columbian Supremo beans which is about 1/2 the current price of low end ground coffee (Folgers, Maxwell House, etc..) in local supermarkets.

diane wrote :



my dad had the coffee-roaster handmade by one of the shopworkers ,
but it looked somewhat like the last item on the attached webpage - it was certainly not made of stainless steel - just plain sheet-metal .
hbg


see here >>> HOME-STYLE COFFEE ROASTER

Thanks, fishin'!

That doesn't sound too bad as long as I can find one of those old hot air poppers.

I'll bet the aroma is incredible, when all the smoke dissipates.

We would never go through that much coffee, except when the Germans are here--Europeans in general. It's surprising they all aren't shaking from so much caffeine. And they like it strong!

It was surprising how calm and quiet Thomas and Walter were during the time they spent here with us. Dys and I wouldn't have been able to sleep for several nights after consuming that much coffee. They must have cast iron stomachs.

diane wrote :



i bet they were able to fly home without using an airplane !

there used to be a german saying : "this coffee is strong enough to make the dead jump off the gravedigger's shovel !"

I've a friend who roasts his own beans, back with info on what he uses.

Friend emailed back, and this could be useful for anyone interested in roasting their own --

Osso wrote:

Trying to remember what you use to roast your coffee beans...



Friend wrote:

I did a lot of research at the time I bought my 1st one.
I ended up getting a HearthWare I-Roast.
http://www.i-roast.com/
I had some problems with it. They replaced it once. Then the 2nd time, they offered me a deal (pay the difference & get the newer model).
SO, now I have the HearthWare I-Roast 2. No problems. I roast 3 batches every 3 or 4 days.

Here are a couple reviews:
http://coffeegeek.com/proreviews/firstlook/iroast2/details
http://sweetmarias.com/prod.hearthwareiRoast2.shtml

You pretty much have to roast outside (like I do most of the time). It puts out a lot of noise & smoke.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUHF-nsdW7I

I have been trying to reduce the amount (and amount of caffeine).
I drink 2 mugs per morning. I figure each costs me 35¢ (in green coffee beans, which I buy by the 20 lbs. burlap bag).

At the time I got my roaster, Bald Mountain had it cheapest. That may not be true now.
http://baldmountaincoffee.com/page/BMCC/CTGY/Coffee_Roasters
After bouncing around the Internet, I buy my coffee from Sweet Marias in/near Oakland.
http://sweetmarias.com/
Sweet Maria's French Roast Blend $77/20 lbs.
http://sweetmarias.com/coffee.other.blends.html


I've just read the coffeegink link, useful. Well, to me.

Aha, so that's their secret! Although Thomas was so tired from work and crazy flight scedules that he amazed me by being able to visit and party with us.

Luckily, we were't a talk--through--the--wee--hours kind of group.

BTW, I loved your link--it had all sorts of interesting products and links to dozens of other, food related, items.

If Osso has found the Philly Italian Market link, she will be in heaven for hours.

That Fishin', he's one schmart cookie . . . even if his kitty is a drunkard . . .

What? Does fishin' put Baileys in his coffee and let the kitty drink out of his mug? I know he wouldn't do such a thing, but if it has happened, I want pics.

Have you ever tried a store brand? We get the Columbian Supremo with the Meijer store label and two pounds costs about $8. Costco sells one too, 3lbs for $9, but it's too dark a roast for me.

Cjsa, we buy store brands occassionally, but I don't think I've ever seen the Meijer brand. We do prefer the Columbian coffees.

Has anyone heard of some parts of Africa that are so polluted by major industries that their tea and coffe grown on plantations there have also been polluted, simply by being in the proximity of the industries?

Meijer is a midwestern "hypermarket". They were one of the first to adopt the term "Supermarket". It is now simply called Meijer, though 90% of Michiganders will put an "s" at the end for some inexplicable reason. Some get mad when you tell them there's no "s" in Meijer.

Side note: As a boy, my Dad got rides from Fred Meijer, who had an eye for the older girl my Dad walked to school with.

Hmmph, the old dog.

I've tried some piñón recently. Not as bad as I thought. :wink:

LOL, Walter. I like the flavor of pinon, but with Columbian coffee as the main amount.

BTW, Pinon seeds were a major food source for Indians in the general area, used both as a nut and as flour.

Pine nuts in coffee? Crap, they cost like $1/oz.....

Put 'em in pesto and drink your coffee straight.

New Mexico and Colorado are loaded with pinon pine trees.

Dys and his grandfather went out and spread a blanket under a tree and shook it to makes the nuts fall off. They are very nutritious and good tasting to most people, but not necessarily in coffee. I like it, Dys, being a coffee purist, doesn't.