Have you every thought about roasting your own Coffee ? Why not ? You can blend and roast your coffee according to your own taste from single high quality estate beans (use blended green beans for the beginning) yourself. You lean about the roasting process, about the different beans, how to make the best roast for a special blend and how to optimize the taste according to your taste (rather than the taste of an external roaster!). I thought it might be a good idea, especially as I was so tired of the available roasted coffee beans, especially here in Cambridge it seems to be even a bit harder to find fresh roasted good beans.

My first roast was great, although it’s hard to hear the 1st and 2nd crack, probably I am simply not used to it. But the good thing about my coffee roaster (Gene Cafe CBR101) is that you can observe the whole process throughout the glas cylinder. BTW: I do like the roaster. Rock solid and perfect simple but functional design. It is worth the money and it will amortise anyway, as green beans are about half the price of roasted ones.

Now, I simply can’t wait to taste the beans!

Some links you might be interested:
The best home roasting resource around: http://www.sweetmarias.com
The best green beans shop in Europe: http://www.hasbean.co.uk

Amendment statement after 5 roasts (30.5.2006):
The best decision I’ve done on my way to espresso nirvana *hehe*. The pressure thing of Silvia was absolutely inevitable, the PID is helpful and the home roaster just supplies you with good fresh roasted coffee. The difference I experienced in taste between fresh roasted beans and some you buy e.g. from an Internet roaster is immense! In terms of taste I think it is much more worth than e.g. an upgrade to a dual boiler machine or other things you might consider. Try and get a roaster, or ask a friend of yours to roast the coffee and taste the difference!