We all love coffee. For most of us, it is a beautiful hot beverage in a nice coffee shop or a bag full of chocolate brown beans with an incomparable aroma. But only few of us think about how the coffee made it into this bag – even though the choice of coffee beans and the roasting process influence the taste of the coffee at least as much as the coffee preparation. Nevertheless, the group of people who roast coffee at home is strongly growing at the moment and a home roasting community is evolving all over Europe. 

We asked Ingo Albrecht, the founder of Roast Rebels, how easy it is to roast coffee at home, what we need for roasting and why we should roast our own coffee:

 

Brewls: What do I need for roasting coffee at home?

I.A. : Basically, only green, unroasted coffee beans are needed. Roasting is simply heating without oil and water. Many home roasters make their first attempts, for example with a pan, in the oven or in a similar way. 

However, if you want to roast a really good coffee, it is important that the beans are roasted evenly on all sides and as evenly as possible on the inside and outside. Therefore, a roasting machine is highly recommended, as it is specially designed for this purpose. Usually, you can roast about 250 to 300 grams per batch within 15 minutes with such a home coffee roaster.

But much more important than the equipment is the enjoyment of coffee and the interest in getting involved in a diverse world, because the choice of bean and the way it is roasted have a massive influence on the taste of the coffee. 

 

 

Brewls: What education or talent do I need to roast coffee?

I.A. : I keep hearing from my customers how surprised they are that even their first roasts taste better than all the coffees they have bought so far (which is mainly due to the freshness of the coffee and the quality of the beans we offer). The coffee roasting machines are designed to make roasting easy, but we also offer help and have instructions and profiles for each bean and roaster on our website to help you get started. 

At the same time, I recommend everyone to experiment and go to the limits, which of course means that there will be roasts that you don't like - at the same time, this is the chance to experience flavours in coffee that you may not have known before and that you suddenly may like very much. Coffees, for example, can develop a pronounced sweetness or even fruity and floral flavours.

 

Brewls: What possibilities do I have to influence the coffee with home roasting?

I.A. : The possibilities are almost limitless. On the one hand, the choice of the right bean is crucial. It can be nutty, fruity, spicy, with a pronounced acidity or completely low in acidity, sweet, balanced, complex, full-bodied or with a fine body. The decision can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, so we have compiled a lot of information on our website. 

The second is roasting - on the one hand the degree of roasting, i.e. how light or dark the coffee is roasted, but on the other hand also the exact profile of the roasting, which can emphasize certain components and notes in the bean. The profile is influenced by the energy supply and the air supply during the roasting process. 

 

 

Brewls: What are the advantages and the watch outs for roasting coffee at home?

I.A. : I see the biggest advantage in the freshness of the coffee. The coffee is perfect within a time window of about five days to three weeks after roasting. Such fresh coffee is difficult to find in shops. 

Another big advantage is the fact that you can develop the coffee according to your own taste. Of course, you also save a lot of money in the long run when you roast yourself. We did a survey of home roasters a few months ago and as one of the most common reasons for roasting ourselves, they cited the joy and interest in coffee. 

But - and here I come to the "disadvantage" - self roasting needs time and some dedication. If you don't like it, you're probably better off with a bought coffee. But whoever takes the 15 minutes to roast the coffee himself will be rewarded with an incomparable coffee enjoyment.

 

Brewls: Ingo Albrecht, who are you?

I.A. : I am Managing Director of Roast Rebels, an online shop for home roasters. My wife Nina and I founded the platform together in 2016, since we are home roasters ourselves and there were hardly any offers to roast coffee at home. Meanwhile Roast Rebels has grown considerably and we are a leading shop for home roasting in Europe. 

Since we love roasting at home and have been roasting our own coffee for years, we have put together an assortment behind which we can stand completely and which we use ourselves day after day. We maintain personal contact with our customers, offer tips and knowledge and also know most of our suppliers personally.

I am also a SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) trained roaster and member of the Roasters Guild of Europe.