The Tuesday (Book) Review: Home Coffee Roasting

Boss, book, pipe.

By Steve Siciliano

While Siciliano’s stocks a wide variety of publications related to homebrewing, winemaking and cheese making, folks interested in purchasing an informative book about home coffee roasting are faced with a good news / bad news scenario. The bad news is that we have been able to find just one book that specifically relates to what author Kenneth Davids calls a lost art. The good news is that Davids' Home Coffee Roasting: Romance & Revival is an excellent resource for those currently roasting as well as anyone looking to get into this enjoyable do-it-yourself hobby.

The paucity of books on the subject of home coffee roasting is obviously due to the fact that roasting green coffee beans at home is a relatively obscure but growing hobby. In addition to providing invaluable information on roasting specifics and techniques, Davids explains why home coffee roasting became a lost art; he dispels the notion that home roasting is messy and difficult, and also presents a solid argument as to why anyone who loves coffee will love their  morning joe even more with home-roasted beans.

Before Davids delves into the specifics of the roasting process and the equipment that one needs to be a successful home roaster, he gives a detailed narrative of the complex and colorful history of coffee. While some readers might find this section boring, I was fascinated by the story of how and where coffee plants were discovered and how the roasting process evolved over the centuries. Perhaps the most practical section of the book for the would-be hobbyist is where Davids presents the pros and cons of the options available to home roasters as well as the pluses and minuses of the various home roasting appliances.

Doubtless more books will appear on the subject of home coffee roasting as the hobby grows in popularity. It is hard to imagine, however, that a more comprehensive account could be presented, or that a finer book on this rewarding hobby could be written.

Home Coffee Roasting, Romance & Revival is now available at Siciliano's ($17.95). For more information on our other coffee roasting products, including a list of the varieties of raw (green) beans in stock, please click here.