Great cups of coffee start with great coffee beans, and when it comes to great coffee beans, it is all about the roast. The kind of roasting technique used on the beans makes all the difference in the world when it comes to taste, and the roasting of the bean is what makes the coffee stronger or weaker. Become a bean roasting expert to make sure you get a top notch cup of coffee every time you brew.

All About Roasting - What You Need to Know

Every good roast starts with beans that have been carefully selected and appropriately dried. Before you even start looking at espresso machines, (I recently bought a Jura!), you need to learn about the beans. This is achieved by different bean processors in different ways. In some bean processors, a wash is used to both remove the fruit of the bean (the fleshy part) and to separate different kinds of beans from one another. Differences in density of the bean will make some beans float higher than other, which makes the removal and separation process much easier. More expensive bean processors used a more complex method called dry processing.

The difference between the dry processing and wet processing method is clear when you taste a cup of coffee. Wet processed beans create a more acidic cup of coffee, while dry processed beans have a subtle taste. Of course, more acid isn't always a bad thing - a large part of what gives coffee its taste is acid.

Roasting Process Continued - Adding the Heat

When the heat is added during the roasting process, the taste of the beans is really brought to life.

The first stage of roasting merely takes the raw beans and slowly heats them until they begin to turn yellow in color. This must be done slowly so that the beans do not burn or become bitter. Next, the temperature in the roaster is raised to around 390 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, the natural sugars in the bean will begin to caramelize. This caramelizing process is prevents your coffee from being overly sweet - coffee beans have a high natural sugar content, and this process makes the sugar less sweet. If you're nearby, you'll easily smell this process, as it will smell like caramel.

After the beans have been caramelized, the temperature is increased very slightly; just enough so that the beans become a rich brown in color and the skins begin to crack. The rest of the roasting process comes down to personal taste. The longer the beans sit at this last phase, the stronger they will taste. Too short a time in this stage makes acidy beans and too long will make burnt tasting coffee. Trial and error will help you find the right balance.