Roasting: A True Art Form

Roasting coffee is a true art form that demands continual refinement. The secrets of mastering a fine roast occur before the cooking process really even begins. First, a successful roast requires that the "green", or uncooked coffee beans are of the highest quality. This is no easy accomplishment in a world where there are 120 million bags of coffee produced every year. We reject a lot of coffee that eventually ends up in the bags of our competition. Second, the roastmaster must have an accurate grasp what will unfold during the roasting process. In this way the proper roast type will be produced from the variety of coffee being roasted.

Roasting greatly alters coffee composition and appearance, producing dramatic changes in its normal taste, texture and aroma. Temperature and roasting time are the two necessary variables that are controlled to ensure a very successful roast. A number of changes occur within the bean as heat is slowly introduced to it. When the temperature increases, basic chemical components of the green coffee transform, including starches, water, sugars, flavor oils, aromatic oils and proteins. Changes also occur in cellular structure. This is what causes the first "crack" during a roast. Similar to popcorn, the beans almost double in size, while at the same time their weight decreases 11-20%.

Despite other seemingly radical chemical changes, the caffeine content remains relatively stable, with only a slight decrease of caffeine in darker roasts. As the coffee beans begin to darken, the essential oils are driven outward to the surface of the bean, resulting in a second "crack" sequence. At this point, the pace of the chemical and physical changes in the beans increases quite dramatically. This is a critical time for the roastmaster, requiring their constant attention to the roast in progress. The roasting decisions and procedures undertaken here will greatly impact the final outcome of the particular roast.

The roastmaster must be familiar with all of the taste and roasting characteristics of each variety of coffee they encounter. Cup quality varies widely with the particular coffee type, country of origin, region, climate, soil conditions and other important factors, as well as how the beans are handled during processing. Some coffees are very high in acidity and have a finer taste when light roasted, such as Guatemalans and Costa Ricans. Other coffees are known for their chocolate character, winey flavor, fruit or floral nuances, and are best developed as medium roast coffees. such as Kenya AA or or Ethiopian Natural processed coffee. The roastmaster, in addition to having very much a true love and admiration for roasting quality coffee, is constantly testing and tasting his coffees.. Learning and adapting to technology and differing roasting styles and processes are most important to the roaster's flexibility. As every roast is slightly different, all five senses are used: constantly viewing bean appearance, listening for the cracking sequences, smelling for the various aromas produced throughout the process, touching the beans for smoothness, and tasting the final product to assure the desired quality has been achieved.

Although the basics of coffee roasting are mechanical, such as learning to use the equipment properly, the actual roasting process is very subjective. The ability to produce quality roast types with a variety of green beans over a period of time requires patience, diligence, attention to detail, and passion for excellence.