Just for a change I like to present one traditional way to roast your own coffe on the stove. This is an old roast drum from France. You can place it on all kind of stoves. So what you need is "green coffee". In Germany the cheapest way to get it is at the Turk or Arab Foodstores. You put it into the drum ( !/4 to 1/2 Kilo , depending on drum size) and place the drum on your stove. I used a "Flamme Bleue" stove this time as it does not have too much heat and "slow roasting" gives better taste actually. Once the drum has reached high temperature you start turning the drum with the handle every now and then. It takes about 30 - 40 minutes with this kind of stove. While roasting you can hear crackling sound from the coffee beans - like popcorn making. If you want to do yourself and your family a favour: do it OUTSIDE ! It gives plenty of odeur and dirt, there are tiny "skins" flying around from the beans, they come out of the drum trough smallest slits, unbelievable. When you are satisfied with the darkness of your coffee take it out the drum, pour on a metal or enameled plate and let cool down. Give the coffe a rest of 3-4 days before use as it will take better effort on the aroma. Peter
Not just an excellent write-up of the roaster and stove, but a really useful guide to roasting coffee in that way. Thank you Peter! John
Very nice. Excellent photos and write up. If you ever want to give the roaster away, I know a place to put it. Ken in NC
Thank you all for interest. Actually it is - at least in Germany - not difficult to find those roasters. There are different systems, but they all work on same principle. Either a pot or a bowl or a drum. There also were roasters that were run by charcoal or gas. But the most flexible system is a roaster you can put on any stove. Peter
Hi Peter, about 2 - 3 years ago (I think ) I bought a never used roasting drum with lower part to put over the old time coal stoves (over here known as "Leuvense stoof"). So far, it is still in "new, slightly rusted" condition . So, I MUST buy some green beans this year and roast me some coffee!!! When all turns out OK, I'll let you know! Best regards, Wim
A most excellent presentation of a great old piece of equipment. Roasting your own beans certainly takes "glamping" to the next level. Can you image being the guy drinking instant coffee while smelling the aroma of roasting coffee beans wafting over from the next campsite?
very interesting Peter, could you please tell us how it would be called in german? I would like to get one. I love vintage stuff. I love fuel stoves. I love coffe.
I am impressed & enlightened by this post & these interesting roasters , i remeber as a young man in the 1970s there used to be a purveyor of coffee in the main shopping high st in the county town of Maidstone in kent where a large coffee roasting drum turned lazily over a gas flame burner in the window of the shop giving off rich aromatic odours , a very pleasant memory Does anyone here remember this coffee emporium Stu
