FAQ

How do coffees get their exotic names and what do they mean? 

Typically, unblended coffees are named by their county of origin (“India”), followed often by processing technique (“Monsooned”) and then by grade (“Super Grade AA”). Each country often has its own grading system which may include criteria such as bean size and growing altitude. Additionally, many single origin coffees are identified by more specific names such as growing district, regional, estate or farm names. Blended coffees are often named to reflect their constituent coffees (“Mocha Java” – a blend of Mocha and Java).

What coffees should I try first? 

To get your coffee bearings, you might want to start by trying one coffee from each of the world’s great growing regions (Central America, South America, Africa & Arabia, Indonesia) and then hone in on your preference.  

Why home roast? 

Home coffee roasting is on the rise. The reasons for this are numerous. For one, emerging technology has made the process easy, safe and controllable. Roasting machines can be used in the kitchen like any other appliance. Beans can be roasted to the precise degree of roast desired in as little as 10 –15 minutes.  Also, with rise of coffee culture in North America coffee drinkers are developing more sophisticated palates. People want to experience the complexities and regional differences in taste that specialty coffees have to offer. Home roasting guarantees the freshness of the roast, which is essential for these subtleties to be truly appreciated. To top it all off, home coffee roasting is affordable. By purchasing coffee in its raw form and bypassing the processing and fancy packaging, you can enjoy some of the best coffees available at a fraction of the cost of average coffee from a retailer. One pound of green coffee costs about $8 and can make 40 cups of coffee – that’s just 20c a cup.   With these savings, it won’t take you long to justify the cost of purchasing your own coffee roasting machine!  

How long does it take to home roast and is it hard to home roast? 

Depending on the roasting method, type of beans used and the level of roast desired, it can take as little as 8 minutes to roast and cool a batch of coffee (2.25 oz in the Fresh Roast Plus 8). Home roasting is easy and with practice you’ll be roasting up some of the best tasting coffee around – don’t be surprised if your friends keep coming back for another cup!