Forgotten Pleasure

Given the American love affair with coffee, it's surprising more people don't roast their own beans at home.

Not only does home roasting ensure the freshest, most splendid cup of coffee, it's also a money saver and takes just minutes to prepare enough beans for several pots.

"Almost everyone knows how exquisite fresh bread is," says Kenneth Davids, author of "Home Coffee Roasting." "But the flavor and fragrance of coffee one day out of the roaster is a virtually forgotten pleasure."

Here's what you need to know to roast at home:

All coffee starts as green (unroasted) beans, which are the seeds of the coffee fruit. Taking those seeds from the plant to the coffee pot involves roasting them for several minutes between 400 F and 500 F.

During the first few minutes of roasting, green beans begin to turn yellow and develop a vaguely grassy or grainy smell as their water content causes them to steam from within.

As the internal temperature of the beans rises, the coffee gives off a fragrant smoke and begins to make a crackling noise as the sugars caramelize and the essential oils are released.

The beans puff up to almost double their size and the roast becomes darker until a second more volatile phase of crackling begins. At this point, the beans are done, or can be roasted further for a "dark roast" variety.

Green (unroasted) coffee beans are widely available, though you may not find them at the grocer.

Most coffee shops and roasting companies, such as Green Mountain Coffee and numerous other online retailers, will sell green coffee beans, often for several dollars less per pound than roasted.

Businesses, such as Sweet Maria's, offer as many dozens of varieties of green coffee beans, including decaf, at prices 20 to 50 percent lower than the same coffees would cost roasted.

According to Maria Troy, who started Sweet Maria's with her husband Thompson Owen about 10 years ago, green coffee beans will keep for up to two years if properly stored.

Keep green beans in paper or cloth bags (which allow them to breath) in an area with no more than moderate heat and humidity. In short, if your comfortable, your beans are comfortable, says Troy.

Once roasted, beans (whether roasted at home or by a company) reach their peak in about 24 hours, then begin to lose flavor. For the best taste, coffee beans should be ground and brewed within two weeks of roasting.

As with any hobby, it's easy to spend plenty of money on coffee roasting equipment, but it's hardly necessary.

Home roasting machines start around $75 and go as high as $900. These machines usually involve some style of hot air chamber that circulates and roasts the beans while removing the chaff (the papery outer skin of the bean). But there also are plenty of low-tech home roasting methods that are less expensive. These may produce less consistent results, but are an affordable way to test whether home roast is for you.

Internet sites such as CoffeeGeek.com and HomeRoaster.com offer detailed instructions for home roasting, which can be done with cast-iron skillets, in the oven, with a stovetop corn poppers, or a hot-air corn popper.

There also are plenty of sites for building a roaster, such as converting a gas barbecue grill into a drum roaster.

The hot-air corn popper is probably the best bet for an affordable, easy low-tech home option with good results.

It is important to use a machine with good side and bottom airflow. A machine that blows air from only the bottom won't properly agitate the beans, which could catch fire.

Hot-air corn poppers can roast enough coffee for about two pots of coffee in about

5 minutes.

Once you've decided that home roasting is the way to go, you'll probably want to invest in a real roaster, which takes much of the guesswork and mess out of roasting.

There are two main types of home roasting machines (widely available online or at kitchen supply stores).

Fluid bed coffee roasters use a strong current of hot air to roast the beans and move them around for even results. These roasters have a small glass chamber that holds the beans over a heating element with a fan.

Fluid bed roasters produce a bright-

tasting roast in anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes, plus an added cooling period of several

minutes.

Two popular fluid bed roasters are the Fresh Roast Plus ($75), made by FreshBeans, Inc., which is relatively quiet and simple to use, and Hearthware's i-Roast 2 ($179), which has more sophisticated electronics for controlling the roasting process.

Both have effective chaff collecting systems but do produce quite a bit of smoke as the beans darken.

The Fresh Roast Plus can produce enough coffee to brew about 16 cups, while the larger (and noisier) i-Roast 2 produces about twice that amount.

The second type of machines are drum roasters, which use a mechanical rotating cylinder to move the coffee beans either next to a heating element or through a stream of hot air.

These machines tend to be larger and more expensive, but can roast as much as a pound of coffee at a time. These also offer more sophisticated controls. These can roast a batch in about 10 to 20 minutes plus cooling.

Genesis' Gene Cafe Drum Roaster ($495) and the HotTop Drum Roaster ($730), made by HotTop USA, can roast about a half pound of coffee, have sophisticated controls, and effectively deal with chaff.

The less pricey Behmor 1600 Drum Roaster ($299) is about the size of a large toaster oven, is quiet, can roast up to a pound of coffee, and an after burner system that suppresses most of the smoke.

Davids says the drum roasters tend to produce coffee with more depth and body because of longer roasting times, but recommends starting with a less expensive fluid bed model which can produce bright, complex flavors.

There are some downsides to home roasting. The process can be smoky and should only be done in a well ventilated kitchen or outdoors when weather permits. A strong stove hood vent will help.

The other inconvenience is that when beans roast they release chaff, which tends to blow around, especially in low-tech roasting methods such as hot air corn poppers. Be careful to clean the chaff away from heating elements to prevent fire.

Hot-air corn poppers also have a tendency to spit coffee beans out. Be careful; these are very hot.

Ready to give home roasting a chance? This technique uses a hot-air corn popper to roast about 1/2 cup of green coffee beans in about 5 minutes. Hot-air corn poppers can be purchased for about $25.

It is important to use a machine with good side and bottom airflow. A machine that blows air only from the bottom won't properly agitate the beans, which could catch fire.

Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area. If possible, do it outside or near a stove with a running hood vent.

For more help roasting coffee beans with hot-air corn poppers, visit the Web sites CoffeeGeek.com and CoffeeReview.com, which even include tips on tweaking the popper for better performance.

Start to finish: 10 to 15

minutes

Makes about 1/2 cup roasted coffee beans

You will need:

Hot-air corn popper

Large stainless steel bowl

Large metal colander

Wooden spoon

About 1/2 cup green (unroasted) coffee beans

Prepare the corn popper according to manufacturer directions. Fill the hopper to the fill line with green coffee beans. Place the top on the corn popper and place the bowl in front of the chute.

The bowl will catch the chaff, which will blow out of the chute as the beans roast. Occasionally, coffee beans also may blow out of the machine and into the bowl. Do not touch them; they will be very hot.

Turn on the machine and begin roasting. Depending on the depth of your machine's hopper, you may find it necessary to carefully tip it backward just a bit to prevent beans from spilling out at the circulate in the hot air.

After about 3 minutes, you will start to hear crackling from the beans and they will begin to brown. Watch the beans closely at this point, as they will darken quickly. Fast crackling means the beans are roasting too quickly.

Roast the beans until they are just slightly less dark than your desired color; they will continue roasting even once the heat is turned off. Transfer the beans to the colander.

Stir the beans vigorously with the wooden spoon to help speed the cooling process.

Once the beans are cool to the touch, they can be stored in an airtight container. The coffee will be at its peak about 12 hours after roasting, but will still taste good if used immediately.

The beans will stay fresh for up to two weeks. Grind them only when you're ready to brew the coffee.

For a grander take on this drink, substitute a mug of coffee for the espresso and top it with whipped cream spiked with coconut milk and garnished with chocolate shavings.

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Servings: 1

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon coconut milk

1 ounce Irish cream liqueur

1 ounce chocolate liqueur

3 1/2 to 4 ounces freshly brewed espresso (about a double shot)

Cocoa powder (optional)

In a small glass, mix together the heavy cream and coconut milk. Set aside.

In a small, heat-safe serving glass, combine the Irish cream and chocolate liqueur. Microwave for 1 minute, or until hot.

Add the espresso and stir gently.

Float the cream mixture on the top of the drink. To do this, hold a spoon upside down directly over the drink. Slowly pour the cream mixture over the back of the spoon.

If desired, dust with cocoa powder.

Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours (20 minutes active)

Servings: 4

1 1/2 cups cold coffee

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 tablespoons honey

1/2-inch chunk fresh ginger

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Four 8-ounce bottom sirloin steaks (or other tender, broiler-friendly cut)

2 tablespoons canola or

vegetable oil

In a blender or food processor, combine the coffee, pepper flakes, peanut butter, honey and ginger. Puree until smooth, then taste and season with salt and pepper.

Pour half of the marinade in a baking dish. Set the steaks in the baking dish, then pour the remaining marinade over them. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

When ready to cook, preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the steak, in batches if necessary, and sear until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Transfer the steaks to the prepared baking sheet. For medium-rare, broil for 7 to 8 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the steak reads 135 degrees.

Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Baklava with

Rich Coffee Syrup

This recipe produces a crunchy, somewhat dry baklava, a refreshing change from the more traditional gloopy version. If you want a stickier baklava, double the syrup ingredients.

Start to finish: 2 hours (45 minutes active)

Makes about 25 pieces

1 1/4 cups pistachio nut meats, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups walnut meats, finely chopped

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

10 1/2 ounces phyllo pastry, thawed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

4 tablespoons freshly brewed espresso

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the pistachios, walnuts and cinnamon. Set aside.

Lay a sheet of phyllo on the counter. Use a pastry brush to brush it with butter. Set the sheet of phyllo, butter side down, in the prepared baking pan. Let the excess phyllo hang over the sides of the pan.

Repeat with another 5 layers of phyllo. Brush the top of the final layer with butter.

Sprinkle the nut mixture over the phyllo, then fold the excess pastry over the top.

Use a knife to carefully cut 8-inch squares from another 6 sheets of phyllo. One at a time, butter the squares and layer them, buttered side down, over the nut mixture.

Use a knife to cut the baklava into small squares or diamonds. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden.

Meanwhile, make the coffee syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the espresso.

Remove the baklava from the oven and drizzle with all of the syrup. Let cool completely before serving.

- Recipe adapted from

Susannah Blake's "Coffee

Indulgences," Ryland, Peters and Small, 2007