THE ART OF ROASTING | Cosmio.gr

Το καβούρδισμα είναι ο σημαντικότερος σταθμός του καφέ πριν φθάσει στο φλιτζάνι μας και εμείς το ξέρουμε καλά !

It is no coincidence that many people consider roasting an art in its own right

Apart from experience, proper roasting requires eyes, ears and smell – three of the senses – on full alert !

The green coffee beans that used to be marketed by traders had no taste or aroma. The unique aroma and flavor of coffee isn't only due to the quality and origin of the beans, but also to the degree of roasting and cooling. The key to the roasting process is a balance between temperature and roasting time. A slight change in the process can change the coffee's aroma and taste. Green coffee beans are chemically and physically transformed into brown beans ready for consumption. This makes the process of roasting extremely important for the production of fine quality coffee. Coffee roasters have a great share of responsibility for the outcome. Each coffee bean contains about 800 aromatic oils, and special care needs to be taken to release as many of them as possible. Proper roasting of coffee beans creates an exquisite coffee. Bad roasting, on the contrary, can destroy even the finest beans.

It is important to know that different types of coffee need to be roasted in different ways.

There are a lot of details that a good roaster has to keep into mind in deciding how to roast the coffee so as to obtain an excellent result. Some of these are :
- A roasting process that is too short or too slow could spoil the flavor of the coffee.
- The more coffee beans are roasted, the stronger the bitterness and the smoky scent, which can put some consumers off. On the other hand, coffee beans that have not been roasted enough can be more acidic and less aromatic.
- Washed coffee beans behave differently during roasting than natural or dry coffees.
- Natural coffee beans (subject to a dry process) typically require a higher temperature when roasting.
- Larger coffee beans need more time than smaller ones (e.g. Yemen beans).
- Robusta coffee beans require more roasting than Arabica coffee beans.
- Even with a slight unevenness in roasting, the end result in the cup can be exquisite !
Roasting requires knowledge, skills, experience and long-term engagement. For this reason, the best coffee roasters experiment with different ways of roasting until they find the ideal one.

An experienced coffee maker understands when exactly the machine needs to be turned off judging by the sounds made by the seeds.

During roasting, coffee beans make different sounds the warmer they get. Although modern coffee roasting machines have a glass window where one can look at the beans getting roasted, experienced coffee roasters can understand what stage the roasting is at just by listening to the various sounds of the beans being heated.

The roasting process lasts from 12 to 25 minutes and the beans are roasted at temperatures ranging from 180°C (356°F) to 235°C (455°F).

At 100°C (212°F) the beans begin to dehydrate releasing water vapor and an odor similar to that of roasted bread, and turn from green to yellow. The actual roasting of the beans begins at a temperature of 160°C (320°F) up to a maximum of 235°C (455°F). From 180°C (356°F) and above, they begin to release their fragrance, their volume increases, they lose weight and become shinier. At this point, a process called pyrolysis occurs. The beans turn brown and then dark brown, as sugars and proteins start to caramelize. Pyrolysis produces the flavor and aroma of the coffee we drink.

Roughly speaking, there are three types of roasting :

Ι. Light or golden roasting, which produces a lightly scented coffee. This method of roasting is particularly popular in the Scandinavian countries and in Greece

ΙΙ. Medium roasting (e.g. French coffee), which produces a coffee with light brown color and a stronger flavor. This way of roasting is more common in Central Europe and America.

ΙΙΙ. Strong roasting (e.g. for espresso coffee), which produces a coffee with a sharp somewhat sour flavor. Usually, this coffee is drunk without sugar and it is more popular in southern Europe (Italy, Spain, etc.)

After roasting, beans are cooled either by air or water inside special tanks. Although the air cooling process requires more time and is more costly, it is preferable to water cooling, as freshly roasted beans do not absorb water. The air cooling method has been selected by experts for the following reasons: The beans are kept moving throughout the entire process to allow the gradual release of heat and ensure greater quantities of flavor are retained.

Roasted coffee beans cannot be stored for the same time as green coffee beans, as the flavors released during roasting do not last as long. That is why roasted coffee beans are stored in airtight packaging, to prevent the flavors from losing their strength.