Coffee Bean Roasting Guide_Learn About Freshly Roasted Coffee Beans_What Is Fresh Roasted Coffee_How Much Does a Bag of Freshly Roasted Coffee Beans Cost

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The Art of Coffee Roasting

Roasting is the direct heating of the item being roasted. Unlike cooking, roasting doesn't require oil, water, salt, or sugar. Simply place green coffee beans in a heat-resistant container, heat them over fire, and continuously stir the beans to ensure even heating. Stop heating when the desired level is reached. The entire process is somewhat like roasting meat, but with coffee beans instead.

Through the process of fire combustion, coffee beans release their aromatic qualities, fully expressing the unique character of each bean—acidity, sweetness, and bitterness. From tasteless green beans to the rich, aromatic brew with endless aftertaste in your cup, roasting is the most crucial stage in every coffee bean's long journey, where character is defined and aroma is nurtured.

Whether in a professional roasting machine, on a home stove, or in an oven, coffee beans undergo a 12-16 minute conversation with heat reaching up to 450°F (232°C). During this process, they must experience multiple chemical changes, produce two crisp popping sounds similar to popcorn, and lose 15-25% of their weight in water content.

Dehydration Stage

Before roasting, coffee beans have a raw, grassy smell. Some dry-processed green beans even have a fermented odor! At this stage, green coffee beans typically contain about 10% moisture. When roasting begins, this moisture is the first to escape from the beans, so this initial phase is called "dehydration."

Simultaneously, coffee beans begin to "caramelize." During caramelization, sugars, fats, proteins, and amino acids within the beans interact and combine. This process transforms the initial 200+ compounds into over 800 different substances. The well-known coffee aroma actually comes from melanoidins produced after caramelization.

First Crack

As temperature gradually increases, gas and moisture inside the coffee beans begin to exert pressure on cell walls as they try to escape. When pressure accumulates to 20-25 atmospheres, it breaks through the cell walls, creating a cracking sound. We call this stage the "first crack," occurring at approximately 190-200°C. Since each roast is done in batches, some beans crack earlier while others crack later. Initially, you'll hear sporadic cracking, which gradually becomes denser, then slowly tapers off and ends (it's recommended to record the start and end times). At this point, the coffee beans have changed from their original earthy yellow to a lighter coffee color. Most coffee beans are roasted at least to this degree before being removed, which we call "light roast."

Second Crack

The temperature at the end of the first crack is approximately 205°C. As heating continues, the temperature rises further, and the coffee beans gradually darken. When the temperature reaches 230°C, the beans will make another cracking sound—this is the "second crack." The sound of the second crack is finer and higher in frequency, different from the first crack. Simultaneously, the membrane on the coffee bean surface detaches. Coffee beans entering the second crack become darker in color and begin to develop an oily sheen on their surface.

Dark Roast Stage

After the second crack ends, the beans enter the dark roast stage. At this point, the coffee beans become oily and black, producing large amounts of smoke. If you have a smoke detector at home, it's best to turn it off first, lest the entire building know you're roasting coffee!

At this stage, the temperature typically hasn't exceeded 240°C. If you want to achieve an even darker roast, you'll need to raise the temperature above 240°C. At this point, the coffee bean surface becomes almost black and very oily. This is probably the limit of coffee bean roasting depth. Any further roasting will surely cause the coffee beans to burn, becoming truly "freshly roasted coffee beans."

The Transformation of Coffee Beans

The process of coffee transforming from green beans to roasted beans is quite dramatic. The roasting process is filled with aroma and pleasant popping sounds, much like popcorn. From green beans to light, medium, and dark roasts, moisture is released repeatedly, weight decreases, but volume gradually expands. The coffee beans darken, aromatic oils gradually release, and the texture becomes crispy. Without roasting, coffee wouldn't develop the familiar aroma we know, wouldn't reveal complex flavors on the palate, and certainly wouldn't be as popular as it is today!

Recommended Fresh Roasted Coffee Bean Brands

FrontStreet Coffee's roasted single-origin fresh coffee beans—including Yirgacheffe coffee, Kenya AA coffee, and Panama Geisha coffee—are fully guaranteed in terms of brand and quality, suitable for brewing with various equipment. More importantly, they offer excellent value. A half-pound (227g) package costs only around 80-90 RMB. Calculating at 15g per pour-over cup, one package can make 15 cups of coffee, with each cup costing only about 6 RMB. Compared to the dozens of RMB per cup charged by coffee shops, this represents exceptional value.

FrontStreet Coffee: A roastery in Guangzhou with a small storefront but diverse bean varieties, where you can find both famous and lesser-known beans. They also provide online store services. https://shop104210103.taobao.com

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473