<<<< Man look at all those stars!
I use a Hottop roaster from China. A link is here:
http://sweetmarias.com/prod.hottop.shtmlI have been roasting a couple of years now, and just can't stand coffee that isn't fresh. I order a Coke when we go out to breakfast because I just can't handle restaurant coffee.
I started with a Zach and Dani's...it just didn't cut it. I then bought an Alpenrost:
http://sweetmarias.com/prod.swissmar-alpenrost.shtml but it just didn't cut it.
I buy green beans which will store for a couple of years from:
http://baldmountaincoffee.com/. They have the best price.
Want to visit a list with a bunch of fanatics:
http://coffeegeek.com/.
For brewing I use a Bodum French Press at work, and at home I have a Miele Coffee System in the Master bedroom
http://www.miele.com/usa/cva/cva.html, but Like to use my Rancilio Silvia espresso machine. I have two of the Rancilio grinders one set for wife to use in the regular coffee pot, and one for the espresso machine. I am "hot rodding" the espresso machine when the warranty is over. I am putting a P.I.D. programmable heat controller to control the boiler temperature to make the perfect cuppa joe.
Despite my Cardiogist and Dietician's request to lay off the caffeine, I have enjoyed a triple shot almost every morning for years. I can go to sleep after a triple shot...doesn't give me a buzz anymore. I roast my beans 3 times a week outside...it is really smoky. It only takes 25 minutes, and you then let the coffee sit for about 4-6 hours to really "bloom." The Hottop does 250 gms of coffee per roast. I have a drum roaster for the Weber gas barbeque, but haven't tried it yet. It will do 2 lbs of beans at a time.
http://www.buzzroasters.com/. Sometime in December I am going to get a gastric bypass. Will switch over to roasting decaf beans then.
Am I interested in talking coffee, you bet. I love it more than my Bradley. It is quite an art. The advantage of the Hottop is that it is quiet and you can hear the beans roasting. I dump to cool about half way into the second crack (the beans pop like popcorn, and after the first crack they start to carmelize in the bean. The trick for me is to roast dark, but not burn the beans. I just let them sit. No wrapping in saran or a towel. I do use jars with one-way gas valves, as the roasted coffee emits gases after it is roasted.
The green beans run anywhere from $2 - $20 a pound (Jamaican Blue Mountain). The Jamaican is not worth it. I mix a blend for my espresso machine of 2 parts Josuma Malabar Gold, 2 parts Colombian (or Sumatran), 1 part Costa Rican and 1 part Guatemalan. Makes for a nice cup of espresso or Cappuccino!
For regular coffee, I like the Panama Hartman Estate beans. I usually buy 10-15 lbs at a time to save a little money.
Yes, you can easily become a fanatic like me.
Bill
