papajim2jordan wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 1:50 pm Corn poppers, both air and the whirl-pop can do a pretty decent job of roasting coffee, south of $650. That's nearly my monthly critter feedin budget! Good ventilation keeps the smoke detector quiet.

I've used the air popper and the rotating basket in the air fryer. The fryer takes MUCH longer, about an hour while the popper takes 6 or 7 minutes, but the fryer tastes MUCH better. Still, I've not gotten to the point where it yet rivals Swings but it's pretty good. While Ethiopian Yergacheffe and Guatemala Antigua have long been our gold standard, this new Malawi from Swings looks like it's going to raise the bar, it's SOOOO good!

Get your morning jolt with the help of SpongeBob.

https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/stir-popcorn-popper

More toys.

https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main ... cts_id=482

Getting ready for my annual St. Paddy's Day celebration. Made a round of Irish soda bread today (first attempt) and it tuned out great. Now to find a good sized corned beef, Irish spuds, cabbage, Guinness Stout and another round of soda bread (this one won't last until 17th). Baked in a CI Dutch oven. Really quick to make mixing dry ingredients, adding buttermilk with 40 minutes baking time start to finish less than one hour.
Also had an unopened bag of roasted Columbian Supremo that has been languishing around for months since I started roasting my own. Decided it would get stale so using it up and blending in with some of my roasts. Having entirely too much fun - just hope I can stay out of hospitals for awhile. LOL

Did a couple of batches this morn. Costa Rican Terrazu and Guatemalan Antigua. The latter I blended two separate roast - medium just into second crack and dark well into second crack. Will see how it goes after a day of degassing before brewing.
My coffee consumption has dropped off due to warmer weather, but green beans I'm down to 2 lb. Guat HueHue, 1 lb. Costa Terrazu, 3 lb. Nic. Maragogipe (Magagog so hard to find I hoard as long as possible and only use for special occasions). Anyway open to suggest for something new to try.

Anyone interested in getting started into home roasting


https://www.sweetmarias.com/summer-spec ... r-kit.html

papajim2jordan wrote: Sat May 20, 2023 7:22 am Anyone interested in getting started into home roasting


https://www.sweetmarias.com/summer-spec ... r-kit.html

Has anyone tried this? I've had moderate success roasting with an air popcorn popper and rotating basket in an air fryer, but while the coffee is pretty good and drinkable, it doesn't match up to the Swings coffee I buy on-line.

YankeeTarheel wrote: Sat May 20, 2023 9:14 am

papajim2jordan wrote: Sat May 20, 2023 7:22 am Anyone interested in getting started into home roasting


https://www.sweetmarias.com/summer-spec ... r-kit.html

Has anyone tried this? I've had moderate success roasting with an air popcorn popper and rotating basket in an air fryer, but while the coffee is pretty good and drinkable, it doesn't match up to the Swings coffee I buy on-line.

I tried coffee roasting and wine and beer making and determined that none of them would ever make something half as good as what I can buy for half the costs.

What with summer/hot weather approaching, plan to buy a second Presto PopLite so I can alternate between the two when roasting in the event one overheats and needs cool down. So far, has only been a problem on occasion as I have a stand fan blowing across popper when roasting to blow chaff away and help cooling popper, then use fan to enhance cool down as I pour from one wire basket to another for rapid cool and remove more chaff. A second unit also insures I can finish a roast should one crap out beyond use. Do all my roasting on covered patio outdoors. The final cooling before cannistering/degassing is done in kitchen. My house smells wondrous on roast days.

I enjoy coffee roasting same as I do baking bread and cooking 99% of my meals at home. Doubt I save any money on coffee, but it sure beats what I can buy commercially and fun to experiment with different roast for various coffees. My blend of medium and dark roast of Antigua mentioned in previous post had a positive change in character and flavor.

Probably, roasting your own coffee isn’t cost effective, but it can be fun. While in theory, reloading should offer savings, most (not all) will spend more on equipment, supplies, doo-dads, and the like, and defeat the more bangs for your buck angle.

Some will have good results with home roasting, others may like Starbucks, still others simply don’t like coffee (but do like the caffeine) and add stuff to alter the taste. I’m not ever going to play my trumpet and have people pay me to hear it, although they may offer money to have me not. There have been suggestions as to where I might painfully place it. That won’t stop me from sending the cats running and start the dog howling.

As for bread, once you’ve got the hang of baking your own, you can’t go back to the tasteless store bought junk in the plastic bag, even though it will likely cost more.

Coffee roasting on a "budget" is possible. I spend no more than I would buying good coffee previously roasted, for premium green beans; and less than fresh roasted premium coffee would be purchased from a good roaster.
I spent maybe $300 on my first two roasters, the first purchased in 2004; and as I already stated the range top roaster I'm currently using cost the grand total of $45. And I get to have a delicious fresh roast premium coffee every day.

papajim2jordan wrote: Sat May 20, 2023 12:19 pm Probably, roasting your own coffee isn’t cost effective, but it can be fun. While in theory, reloading should offer savings, most (not all) will spend more on equipment, supplies, doo-dads, and the like, and defeat the more bangs for your buck angle.

Some will have good results with home roasting, others may like Starbucks, still others simply don’t like coffee (but do like the caffeine) and add stuff to alter the taste. I’m not ever going to play my trumpet and have people pay me to hear it, although they may offer money to have me not. There have been suggestions as to where I might painfully place it. That won’t stop me from sending the cats running and start the dog howling.

As for bread, once you’ve got the hang of baking your own, you can’t go back to the tasteless store bought junk in the plastic bag, even though it will likely cost more.

Groucho: How much do you charge to play?
Chico: $10 an hour.
Groucho: How much not to play?
Chico: $12 an hour. But you know we have to rehoise.
Groucho: How much to rehearse?
Chico: $15 an hour.
Groucho: And how much not to rehearse
Chico: You couldn't afford it!