Perhaps you've heard of it, seen it, or even tried it yourself: roasting green coffee beans at home in a pan. Does it taste good? Well, we're not convinced. But how does one learn how to roast coffee properly? Can you learn coffee roasting through an apprenticeship, or do you need a degree in chemistry? A very refined sense of taste is a fundamental requirement for any coffee roaster! Because in addition to the actual roasting process, the coffee must be constantly tasted, ideally daily, or cupped, to ensure quality.
Roasting coffee - The basics
Before we discuss how to become a coffee roaster, we should briefly explain how coffee is roasted. There are two common methods: industrial roasting according to a profile and roasting using a gentle drum roasting process.
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Industrial roasting processes:
As you might have guessed, industrial roasting processes prioritize efficiency. The coffee beans are heated to up to 600 degrees Celsius for a very short time, just 2-4 minutes. Then they are "quenched" with water to prevent burning. It's all about quantity over quality. Up to 4,000 kg of coffee can be roasted in an hour. This roasting process is based on a profile and doesn't require constant human monitoring. The flavor isn't great, and it's absolutely detrimental to the over 800 aromas found in coffee. Fun fact: Wine has "only" 400 aromas.
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Gentle drum roasting process:
In artisanal roasteries, the extreme heat and potential damage to the green coffee beans is not part of the daily routine. In the primary method used, 5 to 60 kg of beans are heated in roasting drums to 180-220 degrees Celsius for 12-19 minutes, depending on the type of green coffee and the desired result. The roasting process is initiated by the hot air and the contact of the coffee beans with the hot, rotating drum. After approximately 12-15 minutes, the "first crack" occurs – the walls of the coffee bean audibly burst open. Within the next 2-4 minutes, the bean develops its full flavor – the roaster has 3-4 minutes before the coffee beans burn. To prevent this, the freshly roasted coffee is released through an outlet into a cooling sieve, where it is cooled by cold air and a rotating motion. The coffee then rests for 5 to 10 days to fully develop its aroma before being packaged. Otherwise, the coffee in the bag would lose a lot of oil and ruin the taste.
How does one become a coffee roaster?
In Germany, coffee roasting is a traditional craft – but not a formally recognized apprenticeship. Therefore, there's no right or wrong way to approach it. Many of the coffee roasters you ask started out working in a café. These places usually sold specialty coffees, and that was their first introduction to the world of coffee. From there, these aspiring roasters accumulated more and more knowledge about coffee flavor profiles and became increasingly inquisitive. Eventually, they started exchanging ideas with the specialty coffee roasters, which is easy since these are often local roasters who supply the cafés. This led to an internship or a job at the roastery, and the apprentice had found their mentor.
This type of learning is highly regarded among coffee roasters, as it says much more about skill than expensive certificates, which do not necessarily represent a quality criterion for future employers.
As you can see, becoming a coffee roaster, like everything related to coffee, isn't exactly easy. Our coffee roaster Victor has also followed this path and couldn't be happier to be pursuing his passion. It was definitely worth it!
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask Victor. Coffee is our passion and we can't say enough about it.
See you next time!
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team
How to learn coffee roasting - training, studies or how does that actually work?
Perhaps you've heard of it, seen it, or even tried it yourself: roasting green coffee beans at home in a pan. Does it taste good? Well, we're not convinced. But how does one learn how to roast coffee properly? Can you learn coffee roasting through an apprenticeship, or do you need a degree in chemistry? A very refined sense of taste is a fundamental requirement for any coffee roaster! Because in addition to the actual roasting process, the coffee must be constantly tasted, ideally daily, or cupped, to ensure quality.
Roasting coffee - The basics
Before we discuss how to become a coffee roaster, we should briefly explain how coffee is roasted. There are two common methods: industrial roasting according to a profile and roasting using a gentle drum roasting process.
Industrial roasting processes:
As you might have guessed, industrial roasting processes prioritize efficiency. The coffee beans are heated to up to 600 degrees Celsius for a very short time, just 2-4 minutes. Then they are "quenched" with water to prevent burning. It's all about quantity over quality. Up to 4,000 kg of coffee can be roasted in an hour. This roasting process is based on a profile and doesn't require constant human monitoring. The flavor isn't great, and it's absolutely detrimental to the over 800 aromas found in coffee. Fun fact: Wine has "only" 400 aromas.Gentle drum roasting process:
In artisanal roasteries, the extreme heat and potential damage to the green coffee beans is not part of the daily routine. In the primary method used, 5 to 60 kg of beans are heated in roasting drums to 180-220 degrees Celsius for 12-19 minutes, depending on the type of green coffee and the desired result. The roasting process is initiated by the hot air and the contact of the coffee beans with the hot, rotating drum. After approximately 12-15 minutes, the "first crack" occurs – the walls of the coffee bean audibly burst open. Within the next 2-4 minutes, the bean develops its full flavor – the roaster has 3-4 minutes before the coffee beans burn. To prevent this, the freshly roasted coffee is released through an outlet into a cooling sieve, where it is cooled by cold air and a rotating motion. The coffee then rests for 5 to 10 days to fully develop its aroma before being packaged. Otherwise, the coffee in the bag would lose a lot of oil and ruin the taste.How does one become a coffee roaster?
In Germany, coffee roasting is a traditional craft – but not a formally recognized apprenticeship. Therefore, there's no right or wrong way to approach it. Many of the coffee roasters you ask started out working in a café. These places usually sold specialty coffees, and that was their first introduction to the world of coffee. From there, these aspiring roasters accumulated more and more knowledge about coffee flavor profiles and became increasingly inquisitive. Eventually, they started exchanging ideas with the specialty coffee roasters, which is easy since these are often local roasters who supply the cafés. This led to an internship or a job at the roastery, and the apprentice had found their mentor.
This type of learning is highly regarded among coffee roasters, as it says much more about skill than expensive certificates, which do not necessarily represent a quality criterion for future employers.
As you can see, becoming a coffee roaster, like everything related to coffee, isn't exactly easy. Our coffee roaster Victor has also followed this path and couldn't be happier to be pursuing his passion. It was definitely worth it!
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask Victor. Coffee is our passion and we can't say enough about it.
See you next time!
Your SIMON&BEARNS Team