Using a cast-iron skillet to roast coffee works well and is both low tech and dead simple.

I usually do it outside on a gas bbq because the smell of coffee roasting can be overpowering and lingering.

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Living up north in Canada, there's not many household appliances that will generate enough heat outdoors to overcome -20 C winter temperatures. When I was roasting coffee in a popper I kept the DustBuster handy. Now I use a Zach & Dani's roaster with a filter basket to catch all the chaff.

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I also roast in Canada, and I use a Caffe Rosto. It's essentially a air-popper with design nods given to dealing with the chaff.

For roasting outdoors in winter, I just stick the whole machine in one of those file-boxes you see in legal dramas (Flip lid, handle cut-outs on either side). The coldest ambient temperature I've successfully roasted at this way was -26 ºC (The inside of the box was a steady 10 ºC)

I leave the lid open and use a thermometer to watch the temperature. (most roasters/poppers in Canada have a thermal fuse that will blow if they get too hot)

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I am glad that you are still using the popper Nic :)
I have punched holes in the top of my tin so that I can tie it on to the popper as there is nothing worse than having fall off.
The beans don't actually have to be roasted until they are dark and shiny, the more roasted they are the more that the natural cidity in the coffee will have been converted to sugar or caramel, and more oil will also be released from the bean, depending on the bean some beans display more varietal characteristics at shorter roasts but it pretty much comes down to personal preference.

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the older style popcorn makers with the rotating wire arms might be a good machine for this. You can find them at thrift shops for $5-7US. Here is a link to a classic example

http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/athome/1950/objects/popper.htm

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Folks, please be warned,I tried doing this once. The fire dept. said the popper overheated,the heating element to be exact.My house suffered nearly 20,000$ worth of damage and my insurance company was partly going to deny coverage because I was using an appliance in a way it wasnt certified to be used.I highly recommend that nobody try this.Supposedly there is a way to roast using a bar-b-que,Im still looking for information about this.

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One of the easier ways to roast coffee beans - the way my grandmother used to do it - is to spread the green beans on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven and shake it from time to time...

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I have been a member of some historical re-enactment groups and have roasted coffee over a campfire for probably 20 years. Initially, I started this to incorporate more historical accuracy into our events, but after the first time I roasted beans the taste factor won out. This is the best "camp coffee" ever. I use a sheet iron skillet with a very long handle. It requires constant movement of the beans either by stirring or by shaking the pan. If there is a bit of a breeze, the chaff is whisked out of the pan with no trouble. Otherwise you need to supply a little lung power to keep the pan free of the papery skins. The rapid cool is easily accomplished by spreading the roasted beans on a muslin cloth.

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I have been a member of some historical re-enactment groups and have roasted coffee over a campfire for probably 20 years. Initially, I started this to incorporate more historical accuracy into our events, but after the first time I roasted beans the taste factor won out. This is the best "camp coffee" ever. I use a sheet iron skillet with a very long handle. It requires constant movement of the beans either by stirring or by shaking the pan. If there is a bit of a breeze, the chaff is whisked out of the pan with no trouble. Otherwise you need to supply a little lung power to keep the pan free of the papery skins. The rapid cool is easily accomplished by spreading the roasted beans on a muslin cloth.

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I've been roasting for a few months now. I use a Westbend Poppery II (look on E-bay) and it works great with no modifications. It spins 1/2 cup of beans with hot air, and you have a perfect roast in 5-6 minutes. Just catch the chaff in a pan the way you would catch popcorn.

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Having lived in panama and Coasta Rica where coffee is grown and green coffee beans are readily available and roasted fresh every morning and before other meals, I have observed that the most common means of roasting is the method mentioned above where the beans are roasted in an oven on a flat metal sheet and shaken often to get even roasting. It is truly a mouth-watering experience to walk the streets in small towns in the early morning and smell the coffee roasting. In most households the fresh coffee is sweetened with a chunk of raw cane sugar and served with fresh baked bread for breakfast. Wonderful!!!! This will make you a coffee lover if if you never liked the stuff before. John

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Roasting your own coffee beans sounds interesting and I would like to try it. Where do I find the green coffee beans to start with?

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Instead of the tin can extension for the hot air popper, find the globe (tall and somewhat hourglass shaped) from an oil lamp. These are made from pyrex type glass and allow you to better see what's going on. With a little luck you can find one that fits right down inside the chamber of your popper.
Fresh roasted coffee rocks!!

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This dosen't have any thing to do with roasting yourr own beans but------Along time ago I saw a recipe for makeing a liquid concentrat from coffee that can be frozen and the liquid can be used like an instant coffee. Does any one know any thing about this?

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I have been roasting my own coffee beans for years now using an air popper with no modifications at all. Works great, and nothing beats the smell and flavor of fresh roasted coffee. I buy my green beans from sweetmarias.com

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I agree with buying from Sweetmarias.com. And the smell from the roasted coffee is wonderful in the house. I don't even have to open a window when I roast. And, contrary to what someone else said, it is recommended you let the coffee rest for 12 hours after roasting. Something to do with the coffee giving off CO2

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Where the heck does one find/buy raw coffee beans??

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I've been roasting coffee beans for a few years, usually outside because sometimes you can get a thick oily smoke if you leave it on even a few seconds too long. I get my green beans from a website called:
www:burmancoffee.com
The company is Burman Coffee Traders and they have all kinds of beans. I bought my coffee roaster from them, also, and it works well. I like to get the Kona blend beans because they are affordable this way.

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I have been roasting beans for about one year and use a Poppery II by Westbend.
I buy the green beans from High Country Coffee.com
The beans are from El Salvador or Papua New Guinea
and taste great. Try the Pacamara!

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I've been roasting for years, and not only is the coffee vastly superior to the junk sold in the grocery store but it's considerably less expensive to buy green beans and roast them yourself.

I have a Hearthware iRoast, which does a fairly decent sized batch, but my favorite roaster is my Hearthware Precision - it's lasted for years and still does a great job. They don't make them any longer, but you can usually pick up a Precision on eBay.

Sweetmarias has the best quality green coffee, but they tend to be a little pricey. It's a good place to start, though, and they have a lot of information on their offerings.

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