Sep 21st 2007 11:33 am A Buyers Guide to Coffee Roasters
Coffee roasters are available in all various styles and sizes and are priced at about £150 although can rise to a couple of thousand. Price however doesn’t always correlate to quality. Other than looking for a good brand, here’s some tips for buying a coffee roaster.
How “Hands On” Do You Want To Be?
Experimenter - Some people love to experiment with finding the perfect roasted coffee. They like to mix and stir, whir and measure. Some simple stove top models are basically just a sauce pan with a tight lid and a special handle.
The machines allow the beans to be stirred during the process to prevent the beans at the bottom from burning. It also helps the hot air circulate through evenly.
When comparing models of roasters ensure that the one you buy has a thermometer in the lid as controlling the temperature is important.
Laid Back – Other people prefer to let the machines do all the hard work instead. Simply place the desired amount of green beans in, close the lid and let it do the business for a few minutes.
These deluxe models have inbuilt thermometers, thermostatically controlled heating mechanisms, clever air-flow control geometry and rotating canisters and a timer to automatically shut off the device at the proper time.
At the upper end of the price range, these roasters do everything but eliminate the smoke that invariably accompanies the process.
How Effectively do they heat and Circulate Air?
Most of the roasters available work in a similar manner to popcorn poppers. Hot air circulates round the coffee beans giving them a consistent roast. You may find some models can filter out the chaff caused by the beans bursting from their skins.
With most models you’ll be able to watch the beans roast so you can judge the desired amount. They often have pre-set amounts on the dial ranging from light to dark.
As mentioned already, even heat distribution is very important for an even roast. If your roaster has the heating source at the bottom and air is restricted, you’ll have disappointing results.
Drum Roasters – You can overcome this problem by buying a drum roaster which uses gravity to move the beans rather than a stirrer at the bottom.
Beware, though. Many don’t have windows for observing the roasting process – a must for those who like to experiment and fine-tune the roast. And, not surprisingly, with the greater quantity of bean comes a larger volume of smoke. Be prepared to ventilate well.
Roasters used to be purely for professional use however they can more readily available for home use. Useful for those large dinner parties where you want the freshest possible coffee. And who doesn’t want that?
Posted by April / Food and Drink
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