Coffee and Caffeine FAQ

1 Freshness. Beans are best between eighteen hours and about a week and a half old. Roasting yourself ensures that you can hit this peak - and you know when they were roasted. Some coffees break this general ideal. Some will reach their peak as much as three to four days after roasting but you have no way to judge this unless you are roasting your own.

2 Choice. Green beans last for several months to a year or more - so you can stock several varieties and choose what you want when you want. You can roast as little as 3 ounces (depending on your roaster) so you are not stuck with half a pound of the same bean to drink in a fortnight. This is particularly useful when you want to try home blending or cupping and want small quantities of several beans.

3 Home roasting does seem to make it easier to understand the flavors and varieties available around the world.

If you don't enjoy roasting and experimenting or live in a house or apartment without sufficient means to vent the smoke and chaff - then home roasting might not be for you.