Everyday Cheapskate: A robust idea for coffee lovers

I learned I could roast green coffee beans (half the price of commercially roasted beans) in a frying pan, although that is not the most desirable. There are two methods of roasting: with hot air or on a hot surface. Hot surface allows for a darker roast, which for many tastes is preferable.

At Dax's suggestion, I purchased an old-fashioned-style popcorn popper, the Whirley Pop (everydaycheapskate.com/whirley), a high-temp candy thermometer, a simple food scale and a couple of pounds of green coffee beans (about $4.50 a pound). My total investment including beans was less than $40.

I preheated the popper to 400 F, and then dumped the green coffee beans into the roast chamber (popcorn popper) with the kitchen exhaust fan on high. I began to turn the crank immediately and continued at a steady pace (one revolution per second) until the roasting was complete. The roasting chamber cooled as the green coffee beans absorbed the heat. When it reached 350 F, I turned the heat down to medium-low and continued to roast until I achieved my desired roast color (light, medium or dark). Dax said a dark roast would take from 9 to 11 minutes, and through the "first crack." Coffee beans "pop" as the moisture is released and sound a lot like popping corn.

I dumped the hot beans into a metal colander and swirled them gently to allow the heat to escape and to allow them to cool quickly. That's it! Roasting complete.

It took me a couple of tries to achieve a roast color that met my particular preference (I like it dark). I was too overly cautious in the beginning and ended up with a very light roast. But practice does make perfect, and I'm happy to say I am enjoying the best coffee of my life. My only regret is that I may have turned into a coffee snob, finding ordinary coffee to be woefully unacceptable. Freshly roasted coffee is to store-bought what vine-ripened garden grown tomatoes are to grocery or Wonderbread is to homemade bread.

For detailed information on every possible question you might have about home-roasting coffee, go to Dax' favorite website, SweetMarias.com, a one-stop store with great prices and an online library of how-to's, articles and tips for home-roasting coffee beans. Or look for "Home Coffee Roasting: Romance & Revival," by Kenneth Davids (St. Martin's Press, 1996, $15.95).

By the way, for surface-heat roasting, the inexpensive Whirley Pop popcorn popper is a great option. But check the garage first. You might already have one.

Mary Hunt is founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@everyday

cheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA 90630.