Quote:
Originally Posted by kenstogie
I will definatley try it also. I didn't know it was an option but will definately give it a shot. What kind of beans should I get for the first attempt?
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It is worth a try since almost everybody has the equipment to pan roast anyway.
As for selecting beans... I think sweet maria's descriptions can help to find a flavor you like to help choose.
http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.greencoffee.mvc.php
I would suggest for new roasters to look for beans that can handle a variety of roast levels as well. By choosing a bean that can take city+ to full city+ will let you discover the sounds and smell and colors and still have a drinkable cup. To roast a coffee that is limited to a smaller window of roasts before you even know what the level of roasts look, smell, and sound like is more likely to give a bad cup.
As for peaberry beans SM's has 4 of them right now. Peaberry is just a bean that is easier to roast in a pan but is also a tad more expensive so it may be worth picking as I suggest above for a while.
Btw I am not saying pop corn poppers can't do the trick and with simple mods like a couple of 100 foot extension cords you can play with the voltage to the heating element or to add a dimmer switch would improve what it is capable of. Every popper even the same ones will vary so some that love this method and moding will buy 6 poppers to pick the one that best fits their needs.
Roasting your own opens up the entire world of beans you can get and allows full control of the roast level. There exist roasters that will roast this way for you but it costs a pretty penny. Hell I still buy roasted beans once in a while to keep me honest about my own roasting so I don't mind paying $38 plus shipping for 2lbs.