How Does Roast To Order Coffee Work?

Roast to order coffee means your coffee is only roasted when you place an order, ensuring you get the freshest possible coffee. Instead of drinking something that has been sitting on the shelves, your coffee is freshly roasted with the finest coffee beans, packaged, and sent to you.

Coffee roasting is unique and complex. It can take years to perfect the craft. Have you ever wondered about what goes into making your fresh bag of coffee? That delicious cup of coffee you drink every morning is the result of a careful preparation process. Let us demystify this process for you.

Drying The Beans

Coffee beans have a humidity of around 8 to 12%. During this phase, you want to drive as much water out as possible through heating. If you are using a traditional drum roaster, the process will take about 4-8 minutes to complete.

The First Color Change

When the beans turn from green to yellow, this is known as the first color change. Sugar inside the beans starts to break down and chemical reactions happen.

The First Crack

When heat pressure inside the beans escapes, the beans crack open. This happens around 385°F. You will hear a distinct popping sound and notice that the beans have expanded.

Development

The development stage is where the flavors and aroma are created. This is a critical stage in the roasting process. Lots of chemical reactions take place here to affect the aroma and flavor of the beans. The roaster’s skill plays a major role. If the process goes on for too long, the beans become acidic. If it’s too hot, the sugars will over-caramelize. The coffee profile you get depends on the roasting process.

Mistakes can happen during this stage. Underdevelopment occurs if your coffee hasn’t been roasted for long enough or thoroughly. This can give rise to grassy flavors which aren’t something you’re looking for. Similarly, overdevelopment produces undesirable flavors. Your coffee could have a charcoal-like or bitter taste.

The End of Roasting

When you have achieved the roast profile you wanted to create, quickly remove the beans from the roaster and let them cool.

Degassing

Degassing allows carbon dioxide that has been accumulated during the roasting process to release. But you’re not going to let all of it disappear. Keeping the right amount of carbon dioxide prevents your coffee from tasting flat. The degassing period varies according to different roast profiles and brewing methods.

The Types of Roast

You know about the process now. What about the types of roast you can get from roast to order coffee? It’s possible to customize your order or you can select from some of these common roasts:

• Light: Light brown in color, this is suitable if you prefer a mild taste.
• Medium: Medium brown in color, this coffee leaves a bittersweet aftertaste.
• Dark: They have a sweeter flavor and a slight taste of spice.

No matter which flavor you order, it’s recommended to consume your coffee within 14 days for maximum freshness.

As mentioned, it takes time and skill to master the art of coffee roasting. From drying to development, roast to order coffee is manually prepared. There’s no reliance on automated machinery. You’re not just paying for your bag of coffee but the time, effort, and craft involved in bringing you the freshest coffee.