Could there be anything better than a hot, fresh brewed cup of coffee? Did you know that coffee comes in different roasts? Did you know that you can roast your own coffee beans at home? If you think your fresh-ground coffee smells wonderful now, wait until you try a home coffee roaster!

Flavor comes from the roasting process. Some people see roasting coffee beans as an art, very similar to that of making a good wine or a rolling a fine cigar. Coffee lovers often use the same words as wine lovers to describe their beloved beverage. Depending on the roast level chosen, the beans take on different flavor characteristics. A dark bean will have a stronger flavor than a light-colored coffee bean.

There are generally four different categories of roast. Light roast (American), medium roast (breakfast), dark roast (french) and darkest roast, which is known as Italian or Espresso. Each type of roast imparts a different appearance to the coffee beans.

An American roast will give the coffee bean a light-colored and dry appearance. A medium roast will give the bean a rich brown color and an oily appearance. A dark roast will allow the beans to take on a very dark brown color and to appear very oily. The darkest roasted beans or Espresso beans will appear black.

You can roast your coffee beans at home. You can roast your beans in five to fifteen minutes, depending on the level of roast you choose. Green beans are available online from a number of sellers, as are coffee roasters. You can try different types of green beans to see which you like best. Drum roasters are very popular for use in the home. A roaster will properly roast your beans. Some people experiment by roasting beans using frying pans and hot air popcorn poppers. Even if these methods will eventually roast the beans, they cannot produce a bean with a nice finish, and in the long run you are probably better off purchasing a real coffee roaster.