To Roast

• green coffee beans (using just less than ½ cup at a time)

Equipment

• metal flat-bottomed colander
• solid-bottomed popcorn air popper
• bowl of water
• kitchen timer
• wooden spoon
• flashlight (optional)
• glass jar w/ lid

1. Place colander in the freezer
2. Pour a couple inches of water into a small bowl and position under the popcorn popper's hood
3. Measure out just less than a half cup of beans to work with at a time
4. Add a ¼ of the amount of beans to the popper and secure the lid
5. Turn on popper and start your timer
6. After 30 seconds to a minute, add the remaining beans
7. You will notice the coffee will release a great deal of "chaff", a thin, wispy material that will be collected in the bowl of water. Watch the beans to make sure they are constantly moving (a flashlight helps with this), and move the popper around if needed, or move the beans with a wooden spoon. The beans will begin to change from a light green to a light brown
8. After about 4-5 minutes, the beans will go through a "first crack" where you will be able to hear them audibly popping
9. After the popping stops, wait another 30-45 seconds, then turn off the popper. The beans should be a dark brown color
10. Pour the roasted beans into the cold colander & swirl around until cooled
11. Pour the cooled beans into a small mason jar and only loosely screw on the lid — the carbon dioxide will continually release from the beans over the next 18-24 hours
12. After 18-24 hours, you may grind the beans and brew your first cup of home-roasted coffee