About Coffee: The Process: Roasting and Blending

Coffees of various origins are usually blended in different proportions to make a cup with varying acidity and different taste characteristics. Coffee from 100 growing regions in the world produces beans with distinctive characteristics. The essential aim of the blending is to balance the flavors needed to create a superior coffee. Many blends contain about 5-7 different types of beans.

Roasting is the operation that many coffee lovers prefer to perform themselves. In intensifying the aroma and developing the flavors, roasting process is the most important stage. Well roasted coffee is dark brown, but never black. There are many different modern roasting machines, but with same concept— to make a flavorful evenly roasted bean. The two most popular roasting methods are drum and hot air roasting.

Drum Roasting Method
Drum roasting machines roast the coffee beans in a rotating drum heated by gas. When achieved, the beans are poured to cool to keep them from overcooking.

Hot Air Roasting Method
The hot air roasting machine roasts the coffee beans on a hot air current.

Most green coffee is roasted at approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The roasting process increases a bean in size by over half and at the same time reduces their weight considerably.

There are two kinds of roast, light and dark. Light roasts, colored in cinnamon, produce a sharper and more acidic taste than darker roasts. Dark roasts, colored in medium chocolate brown, have a fuller flavor and contain less caffeine and acidity. The darker the roast, the more you will taste the char. The amount of oil on the surface of the bean increases proportionately to the length of roasting time.

Beans are often roasted at home in an ordinary frying pan. Unfortunately, after roasting, coffee does not keep the aroma for a long time. So, don't roast more coffee than you need, or keep it in jars with well fitting lids in the freezer. However, it is believed that freezing is bad for coffee.