The Ins and Outs Of Coffee Bean Roasting

How many mornings do you wake up to a fresh pot of coffee? Or maybe you stop at the local coffee shop for a special blend that you like? Either way, we drink a lot of coffee, but many times we do not realize everything that goes into the process. With an automatic compact espresso machine you can still create the same taste and flavor found in many coffee shops. It is not always the machine you are using that makes that happen, but the roasting process the coffee beans went through. Here are some interesting facts and information on how coffee is commercially roasted.

What is roasting:

When coffee is roasted, the physical and chemical composition of the coffee changes. Unroasted beans have proteins, acid and caffeine, but there is no flavor. By roasting the beans the necessary chemical reactions take place to create a deliciously smelling bag of beans. Heat during roasting will turn the carbohydrates and fat into oils and then the moisture and carbon dioxide is burned off and the acids break down. At this point the common coffee flavor is created.

Determining factors:

After coffee is roasted, the less time the coffee spends being distributed, the longer the shelf life will be. Most of the coffee we drink is roasted in large batches on a commercial basis. However, consumers can roast coffee themselves, which means they have more control over the flavor and freshness of the coffee and beans. Also, now that the coffee has been roasted to perfection, you don't want it to be ruined with packaging. Before coffee can be vacuumed sealed, it needs to de-gas first for several days to make sure that the CO2 is gone. There are special canisters with pressure release valves and foiled sealed bags that work as well, so that the coffee can be packaged sooner and still release the necessary gases.

Coloring of beans:

There are 8 main stages to the coffee bean process. The coffee beans start out green and end in a light to very dark brown.

  1. The green beans are raw as they are put in the roaster.
  2. As the roasting process begins the beans start to pale.
  3. Next they turn a yellow color as the beans are losing water in the form of steam.
  4. When they are tanning and starting to turn brown, there is a cracking or popping noise heard, known as the crack.
  5. Beans begin to turn a darker brown, from the sugars and the browning reaction.
  6. The first crack is complete and the coffee bean is smoother now.
  7. The bean has darkened considerably and the second crack is heard. The bean is very smooth.
  8. If roasting is continued, all the sugars caramelize and the bean becomes very dark, almost black.

Types of coffee depending on when the roasting process is stopped:

  • at stage 4, this is considered a City Roast, which is mild, because of the shorter roasting process. Depending on how long stage 4 is, there can also be a City Roast plus. This variation depends on how long the roasting takes.
  • at stage 5 a Full City roast occurs. A stronger flavor, since the bean is darker now.
  • by stage 7, you have a Vienna or Light French Roast.
  • by stage 8, the bean is dark and this is a Full French Roast.

Remember, every time you go to your favorite coffee house, they may have a professional coffee cappuccino espresso machine; however the beans are just as important. No matter what type of coffee you like, the roasting process is an integral part of receiving that delicious taste you are looking for in every cup you brew or buy. Even when doing an espresso machine comparison and deciding which machine to use, having the best roasted beans will increase the chances of every cup being a pleasure to drink.

Article by Andréanne Hamel

brewed on Dec 21st, 2008

Saeco on brewed on Dec 21st, 2008

Thanks for the article. One thing I always wondered was when you have a blend of coffee beans, are they blended before or after roasting?

Fairtrade Coffee Beans on brewed on Sep 28th, 2009

Thanks for the thorough and concise info.

Espresso Coffee Machines on brewed on Dec 6th, 2009

This is a really great post! Very informative - thanks!

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