I have absolutely no extra money to spend on a coffee roaster, but I'm a darn good cook, with good instincts. I have a good heavy cast-iron skillet, a fan over the stove, and a handful of green beans (bought on a whim a few months ago). I read lots of the instructions about home-roasting, what to do, what to watch for, what to listen for, popping, timing, etc. From reading here and there (library books, internet sites), I got a general understanding of how home-roasting coffee should be, look, feel, smell, etc. So, with no fresh coffee anywhere in the house I pulled out those green beans, and I decided to go at it in the primitive way. The fan wasn't quite in the perfect position. It's in the wall just behind and over the stove. I already know from past experience that it pulls only part of the smoke when I'm working on the front burner. So I set up a second small fan on the back burner, put it on small cookie sheet that sat on top of a larger pot. It pulled the smoke from the front burner, and pushed it further along towards the fan in the wall. I guess it's my "relay" fan setup. Perfect. All smoke went exactly where it should. Overall it took me a little longer than I expected, about 30 minutes, but still not bad.

I cooled the coffee in a couple of colanders, and cleaned up the chaff (wow, it really does go all over the place!). A few hours after I finished, I brewed a cup. Nothing very exciting, and I wasn't sure if I'd done it right, or if the skillet method would ever yield anything drinkable. Or I thought maybe I had the beans too long, or perhaps I should try some different types of green beans before giving up. The beans I had on hand are a blend that typically aren't the type that are roasted so dark. But I also knew to wait until the next day to decide once and for all. So the next day I brewed another cup. Oh wow. I'm sure my palate isn't as sophisticated as others, but mmm-mm, it turned out pretty darn good after all. Now I'm feeling quite encouraged by the results. Yum.

Even though I roasted toward the very dark end I managed to not burn it at all (yay!). I did notice some unevenness (as to be expected with this method), but I'm thinking that probably made it a bit more interesting cup. And it did take a little longer, but that just takes a little extra patience.

Maybe one of these days I'll finally get more money and splurge on a dedicated roaster, but I know that anyone who can cook (especially anyone who cooks from scratch), really should be able to roast coffee without necessarily spending a lot. And besides, it's fun doing it the primitive way, to be so intimate with the process. Or, I might splurge in a very tiny way and try using a cast-iron pot or dutch oven (instead of the skillet). But hey, I had to at least try the skillet first.

Anyways, many thanks to all of you who have shared your roasting experiences. Some of the information I read at this site as been very encouraging and helpful. Cheers.

There is another option that is incredibly cheap! Go out to your local thrift store and find a popcorn popper. It is a very simple method that won't break the bank. You can often find West Bends for a couple bucks this way. This link has a pic of the correct air popper vents.
http://www.coffeegeek.com/guides/popperroasting

There are also many other options out there for low expense, build it yourself roasters. Another great one that is pretty popular is the Bread Machine/Heat Gun. Find a bread machine. Get a heat gun for around $15-30. You are in business. Or instead you could just get the heat gun and a decent sized stainless steel bowl.

Another useful site is http://www.homeroasters.org/php/forum/index.php There are lots of people who built their own roaster on the cheap over there. Many of the threads have pics and even a few How-To's.

Hi dripper,

Have you checked Tim Egger's website: http://www.angelfire.com/pro2/pan...roastcoffee2.html/ ?

Javier

I am currently using the 'skillet' method about twice a week right now and have been for a couple months. I'm getting decent roasts that are very drinkable. I did burn a batch pretty good once, but after the first couple times I was able to get decently consistent roasts. If it works for you, keep at it .

Thanks all, for the links. I've been scrounging around looking for exactly these types of links, and wow, these are really great ones! Somehow I never get tired of reading each of these detailed roasting instructions, because everyone adds a little more to my knowledge and understanding. This is such a fascinating craft that is many centuries old, and still today there are people skillfully roasting beans in a skillet over a wood fire, because that's all they have, and that's all they know. And they do a good job of it too, because they have to.

I was once feeling sorry for myself that I couldn't afford the fancy roasters. But now I've shifted into a certain fascination with getting a good roast with primitive methods. It's certainly possibly, and also fun and satisfying in a certain way. No matter what method we use we still have to pay attention to certain clues and cues, constantly tweaking here and there. Skillet roasting just requires paying attention to different clues/cues than the others. I really love high-tech gadgets, but sometimes it's also satisfying to be less dependent on the new technologies. I was just tickled and pleased to have something so deliciously drinkable on my very first try.

But I'm sure I'd like to at least upgrade from the skillet to a cast-iron sauce pot with the high sides. The skillet really worked great, and the uneven roast (toward the dark side) was lovely. But I know I'd really prefer a very even dark roast.

And for a while I'll be reading more at these links. Especially interesting is the homemade soupcan roaster as described by Tim Eggers. It just so happens that I had already been forming an image of something just like that in my head, ha! I do love fiddling around with clever ideas that don't cost much. Until the upgrades, I'll be catching up on reading about others who are a few steps ahead of me.

Thanks again!

Here's an idea to try that might make your skillet roasting a bit easier and more controlable. Take two small wooden rods. One thin and one a little larger. The larger one should be cut to allow it to spin in the bottom of the pan without rubbing the sides much. In the larger rod drill a hole into the center of it of the same size as the thinner rod. Once the hole is drilled insert the tinner rod, so that the end is not sticking out of the larger rod. At this point you have an efficient stirring mechanism. If you spin it somewhat slowly throughout the roast, you will have an easier time keeping the beans moving.
I have used something like this when I was playing around with skillet roasting, and it did a great job at agitating the beans and cutting down on the number of scorched beans.

Hey Kaffee Bitte, that's also an good idea. I wouldn't have thought of something so simple. Did you go as far as to pop a hole in a lid and spin the rod through that hole? (a throwaway lid that I don't care about would be easy to find.) I do like that idea, another "cheapie" alternative. But I'd probably go further and put another handle on top of the stirrer, to make it easy to crank. And seems it would also work in a taller pot. Hmm, now I'm getting even more ideas...

That is a good idea. I hadn't really played around with skillet roasting to much. Maybe a few pounds total, just to see what it was like. With an easier to grasp top it might be much less of a pain to use that stirrer. Give it a try!