prof_stack wrote:I mostly agree with this. Roasting became my hobby two years ago after homebrewing beer for 20 years lost its hops and fizz, so to speak.

I lose 15-20% mass each roast, depending on how far I take it. Roasting is ridiculously easy and the freshness of the beans is the clincher. Start cheap with a hot-air popper and learn the craft from there, adding equipment and technique when you are comfortable to do so. Money saver? Probably not, but then buying a fancy espresso machine is not cheap...

You'll be hooked once you grind the beans for the first time. Its addictive, so watch out!

I went to roasting because it was nearly impossible, if not just frustrating, to buy roasted coffee in small enough quantities to keep it fresh. And I started doing it almost at the same time I moved up from a cheap grinder and dept store espresso machine. I've never regretted it and I get coffee that is absolutely wonderful. Not to mention the big variety that I keep on hand these days.

I mentioned the cost, but it wasn't the reason I went to roasting. But literally from a cost standpoint, once you take out the cost of whatever roasting device you use, you end up with top quality gourmet beans for a Folgers price no matter how you calculate it.

John,

I'm of the school of trying a lot of different roasts. I burned a lb. of one type when I first got my new toy, then I ordered different blends from this sites sponsors plus Stumptown. I have not been disappointed with any of them. I have been dialing in my palate at the same time as my technique. Both still suck but, I have time. The joy is in the journey.
i suppose you, like me, will quickly discover the stronger/more pronounced differences between blends and roasts, then w/time explore the nuances.

Enjoy and congratulations on your new equipment. Has it arrived yet?

lparsons21 wrote:But literally from a cost standpoint, once you take out the cost of whatever roasting device you use, you end up with top quality gourmet beans for a Folgers price no matter how you calculate it.

Only if you enjoy the time spent on roasting, or else value it at slave wages.

signguy wrote:I'll be receiving my new espresso machine & grinder tomorrow. There are two coffee roasters in my town, so I'll definitely buy some of their beans. I'd also like to have a benchmark or two that I can use to compare the local beans to. I would welcome any & all suggestions on beans to buy over the internet.
1) Your dropdead best choice, possibly too expensive to brew every day. (kinda like Johnny Walker Blue Label)
2) Your every day brew, (more in the Dewars- Johnny Red class)

Thanks for the input.

John

This is a great time to get into espresso (or any kind of coffee). I think it's a golden age of roasting. It is almost head spinning how many talented and committed roasters are out there today, compared to 5 or 10 years ago.

Watch out for the home roasters . They love to evangelize and want everyone to join their hobby. I did it myself for a while. But the truth is that very few home roasters have the time, equipment, experience or talent to get the very best out of a bean. If you can afford shipping charges, go with the pros. If you have a great local roaster, even better. You'll save shipping charges. But, if you feel you need a new hobby and want to put more attention into roasting than brewing, be my guest!

I'm also a firm believer in keeping things simple at the start. Learn to grind and pack one (hopefully inexpensive) blend before trying to keep track of how to brew 5 different blends. You'll waste many pounds of coffee before you do a half-decent pour. Maybe I'm a cheapskate. But, tossing $18/lb. coffee down the drain would break my heart. I'd start with something from Trader Joe's (or Costco, if they roast in your town).

another_jim wrote:Only if you enjoy the time spent on roasting, or else value it at slave wages.

What? 20 minutes to do 1/2 lb?

1/2 pound green -- $2.50, 1/2 pound roasted -- $5.00. Value added $2.50. Time spent roasting 20 minutes, time spent setting up, breaking down, digging out greens, weighing etc, 10 minutes. Value added per hour, $5. Minimum wage, $5.15.

I'm a fairly fanatical homeroaster, but even the fairly flimsy justification one has for an espresso machine replacing those $3 cappas simply doesn't fly for homeroasting.

Roasted for $5? What are you using, Folgers?

And you don't 'justify' roasting, espresso machines or grinders, you 'rationalize'!

Typical for me when I roast. Same time for setup and teardown and all that maintenance stuff. 20 minutes to roast while I read the paper. You don't have to watch that close. Well not unless you are using the dog-bowl/heatgun approach.

The biggest plus for me is that I have a wide variety of coffee at any given time to select from. I can roast as small as a 2.5 oz. batch to a 1/2 lb and everything in between. It is normal for me to have 3 or 4 different coffees roasted in various batch sizes at any given time.

Of course the fact that I'm retired and haven't hit a lick for a year might have some bearing too...

signguy wrote:Your dropdead best choice, possibly too expensive to brew every day

I've said this before (in other threads): if you're not prepared to roast your own (not everyone is) .. then opt into a roaster "subscription" service -- like Sweet Maria's -- you won't be sorry.

You'll get (within a day or two of roasting) the finest beans on earth to load into your grinder. It just doesn't get any fresher! Now, you'll have to consume a pound or so of beans in a week or two -- far beyond my consumption limits -- but if it matches up with your consumption, more power to you! (If you're willing to throw away perfectly good beans then keep reading!)

You'll get the freshest coffee on earth, with copious notes on what to expect on taste, and each week you'll receive another dose to try. Where's the harm in that?!

Go for it And don't look back.

t++


'

tmaynard wrote:I've said this before (in other threads): if you're not prepared to roast your own (not everyone is) .. then opt into a roaster "subscription" service -- like Sweet Maria's -- you won't be sorry.

You'll get (within a day or two of roasting) the finest beans on earth to load into your grinder. It just doesn't get any fresher! Now, you'll have to consume a pound or so of beans in a week or two -- far beyond my consumption limits -- but if it matches up with your consumption, more power to you! (If you're willing to throw away perfectly good beans then keep reading!)

You'll get the freshest coffee on earth, with copious notes on what to expect on taste, and each week you'll receive another dose to try. Where's the harm in that?! Go for it And don't look back. t++'

Although I first have to say that nothing in the mail matches the freshness of your own roasted beans, I will admit to the allure of having REALLY good stuff coming on a regular basis. As long as they don't start stacking up.

If nothing else, seeing/smelling/tasting what the pro's do can only help motivate the passionate home-roaster IF they want to spend the time learning and roasting.

Very few home roasters will ever attain the same end result as a professional, experienced, artisan roaster. I never expect the exact same cup from a home roasted bean vs. the same bean roasted by a pro. Close, yes, but never the same. I home roast just because I enjoy it and I can play with bean combinations that I could not get from other roasters.

But to the OP question, Paradise Roasters and Caffe Fresco are good. A sample pack, like the one offered by Rocket Coffee Roasters is also a nice way to sample a roasters wares. Another favorite of mine is Metropolis Coffee.