I couldn't have been more wrong. The coffee that they sell at the grocery store can easily be up to two months old. Even at Starbucks, or many other coffee retailers (unless you're lucky enough to be at a coffee shop that uses a local roaster), you're getting coffee that's weeks old, at best.

Is it a big leap to think that coffee that's 24 hours old can have substantially more flavor and aroma than coffee that was roasted a thousand miles away weeks or even months ago? Since I've started roasting my own, I have friends that call or show up at my house with their empty containers humbly asking for a refill of fresh beans. 

What if I told you that for around ten bucks, and just a little bit of knowledge, you could roast your own? You know, up until the industrialization trends of the early 20th century, everyone roasted their own beans. It's not rocket science. Oh, and its cheaper too.

There are quite a few resources on the internet showing countless ingenious ways that you can roast your own. I'll talk about the way that is perfect for the first time roaster. 

Supplies:

1. Air Popcorn popper.

Here is what the typical air-popper looks like. I found one at a thrift store for a couple of bucks.

Don't go buy a new one. There's no need, unless you just want to. You, or someone you know, might have one of these laying around anyway. Nobody seems to use these to pop popcorn anymore anyway. I actually went to a thrift store to find mine anyway. It set me back about $2. Its important to find one with all of the parts intact, to help achieve the proper temperatures. 

Just about any air popcorn popper will do, but there is one important thing to look for. Inside the chamber, the air vents MUST be on the sides, NOT the bottom. If you use one with the vents at the bottom, another thing you'll need is a fire extinguisher.

2. Green Coffee Beans.

You might be asking, " Where in the world would I get green unroasted coffee beans?" Luckily, the internet is a wonderful thing and there are quite a few websites that sell very good quality green coffee beans. My favorite is called Sweet Maria's. They're company that caters solely to the home coffee roaster. They sell blends that cost as little as $5 a pound. Stick with one of those for now, they may be inexpensive, but they're fantastic.

3. A couple of bowls, or a pie tin, or even a large cup and a metal colander.

Anything but plastic will do too. These will be used to help cool your coffee. A metal spoon is a good idea too.

How You Actually Roast The Coffee.........