(Update and CAUTION: Not all popcorn poppers are safe options for roasting coffee. Using the wrong type of air popper can start a fire. Check out this article about recommended poppers before you try yours out to be sure you are roasting your coffee safely!!!!)




Awhile ago I read on another adoptive family's blog that it is possible to buy green, unroasted coffee beans in Addis and bring them home and roast them yourself in an air-popper used for popping popcorn. I've been wanting to get my hands on some green beans for awhile, and so when my sister headed for Addis last week to pick up her baby boy, I asked her to pick me up some.

She got home last evening with the cutest baby boy ever (I'll blog more about that later). Sure enough, she also brought me coffee beans. I was surprised at how pale they were-- they truly looked green.

It had been awhile since I'd read how to roast them, so I didn't remember just how to do it. I started by measuring half a cup of beans into our air popper-- the same amount as is recommended when popping popcorn. I'd read that the beans smoke when they are being roasted, so we brought the popper outside onto the patio before turning it on.

When we turned it on, some beans almost immediately began flying out of the spout. I think 1/2 a cup was a little too much too roast at once. Judging by what flew out, I think I'd aim to roast more like 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup at a time next time around. However the occasional beans that continued to fly out gave us an easy way to gauge how close the beans were to done.

Within a minute, the beans coming out were taking on a lightly toasted hue, and a lovely aroma was wafting out of the machine. Even the non-coffee-drinkers were exclaiming over the smell and gathering round to take deep whiffs of the fragrant air.

Around the 3 minute mark, they started to smoke a little. After a total time of about 4-5 minutes, the coffee beans remaining in the popper were a deep dark brown. We turned it off, and as I dumped the coffee into a bowl to cool, I wondered if we might have burned them. But they smelled just heavenly. Once they had cooled a little, we stuck them into the coffee grinder and ground them very fine. An even more lovely aroma emerged. As the coffee brewed, everyone, even the youngest kids, stood around sniffing appreciately.

I decided that one cup of coffee wouldn't hurt anyone. I got out the set of tiny 2-inch high coffee cups that I had bought in Ethiopia on our first trip, and served everyone coffee. Much sugar, much stirring, and many sighs of appreciation later, we all pronounced the coffee to be the best ever. The little kids were begging for more, but I cut them off at one cup. After all, I drink my coffee so I can keep up with them. If they're buzzing on caffeine too, they'll have an unfair advantage!

Our first attempt at roasting our own coffee was a great success. I will definitely be buying more beans when we head for Ethiopia later this year!