A hot-air popcorn popper is convenient for roasting coffee beans at home. It’s an innovative way for coffee drinkers to enjoy tastier drinks. Popcorn popper is safe, and it only takes a few minutes.

What You Need

  • Hot air popcorn popper
  • A bowl
  • Green coffee beans
  • A baking sheet
  • An airtight container
  • Wooden stirring spoon

Steps of roasting coffee with a hot air popcorn popper

Once you have collected these ingredients and equipment, set them on the kitchen counter. If you don’t have unroasted coffee beans in the freezer, you can order them from your dealer. You should ensure the counter has enough space to fit these requirements and the popper. Next, turn the popper on and let it preheat for 30 seconds.

Add your coffee beans

Once the popper is hot, add about 1/2 cup of coffee beans into the vessel. You can continue pouring beans until the machine is barely rotating – that way, you will identify the beans that the popper can roast. The roast takes about 5 minutes, and it’s good to observe the process. Don’t leave the popper during the roasting process.

Stirring the beans

Start stirring the beans right away using a wooden spoon. At this stage, the lid will be off. When the beans start rotating, place the lid to help retain heat in the popper. You will realize that the beans are still green and starting to tan. The coffee beans will have a barely sweet smell.

Chaff collection

After about 2 minutes, you will see chaff coming out of the chute. When you see the chaff, it’s an indication that the roast is in progress. The bean will have a medium-dark tan color. You will also notice a barely sweet smell.

Stages of the Coffee Beans Roast Process

First crack

In about 4 minutes, you will hear a crack sound “first crack.” At this stage, the internal cell walls are starting to fracture due to heat and bean oils.  The beans will have a light-medium brown color.

City roast

After the “first crack,” the beans will reach the minimum light roast. You can choose to stop the roasting process since the beans are ready for grinding and brewing. The stage will be followed by “city plus roast” and “full city roast.” In these steps, the beans will expand in size. Also, the beans will be a bit dark and light.

Second crack

After about 5 minutes, you will hear a more violent sound than the first one. The second crack will also have a high pitch and will also increase in frequency. At this stage, the coffee beans are a “full city” or “medium” style roast. You can also decide to stop the roast at this stage or continue. You will see the surface oils showing up. The beans will have a medium-dark brown color with a burning oil/organic smell.

Dark roast

The beans will have a very dark color and produce a pungent smoke. The sugars will burn completely, and the beans will start to break down. If you don’t stop the roast the beans may become unusable. They tend to lose flavor and become very bitter.

Remove and cool the beans

When the beans achieve your desired roast, shut off the popper and remove the beans. You should be careful to avoid pouring the beans on the floor since they are very hot. Next, spread the beans on the baking sheet to cool them. A baking sheet is ideal since it allows them to cool faster. You can shake the sheet to make the cooling process fast. You have to wait for the beans to cool completely before storage.

If you want to use the beans at a later date, you should store them away from moisture, air, and light. Using an airtight container is desirable since it will protect the beans from these agents. Place the container in the freezer to keep the beans fresh.

However, you shouldn’t store the beans for long. Coffee experts hold that whole beans should be used soon after roasting. Hence, use the beans as soon as possible for better tasting coffee.

 

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