Roasting your own coffee at home means preparing the best coffee that suits your taste bud. You get full control on the type of coffee, the level of roasting, and the technique of brewing.
>> Also read: Best Espresso Beans
Experimenting with different combinations and picking the coffee bean that packs the flavor and aroma you like could really bright and help kick-start your day. In this article, we’ve rounded up some of the best green coffee beans for home roasting. We’ve also included some tips on how to make the best out of them.
1) Bohdi Leaf Costa Rica Palmichal Tarrazu Green Unroasted Coffee Beans
The founder, Steve Sims, states proudly “we get our beans from farmers across the globe and roast daily. We are truly a farm to cup experience.”
>> Related: Best Organic Coffee
This pretty much sums up what’s in this coffee package: quality, freshness, and flavor. Bohdi Leaf green coffee beans are easy to get used to. This coffee gives a much-needed boost in the morning, and gentle energizers throughout a busy day.
Tarrazu green beans are grown at high altitudes nearing 6000 ft. This height renders harder beans with higher concentration sugars and flavors. With a light roast, they yield an interesting cup of coffee that holds several layers of aromas and tastes.
- Good quality at an affordable price
- Nutty sweet tones
- Consistent humidity helps in the roasting process
- Contains Red Catuai Varietals for a deeper flavor
- It’s not certified as an organic coffee
- Needs a seasoned coffee roaster for best results
2) RoadsRoast Coffees Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Unroasted Green Beans
RoadsRoast understands that people have varied tastes when it comes to coffee. So they trade in all sorts of roasts, from the dark roasts of espresso to the light City roasts.
>> Related: Best Ground Coffee
They included un-roasted green beans in their repertoire because of its significant demand and popularity. After tasting the first cup of this coffee, you’d realise that RoadsRoast used their extensive experience in picking premium quality beans.
This is an interesting East African coffee with hints of wine and fruits. It’s aromatic and lighthearted with its clear floral fragrance. These beans are best roasted to medium-dark, as this gives the best possible taste and even aftertaste.
This brand serves both commercial and home roasters, so the coffee comes in 3,5,10, and 15-pound packages. You can brew it any way you like – Drip, Espresso, or French Press.
- Popular Ethiopian coffee
- Suitable for consumption throughout the day
- Aromatic with an intense finish
- Wide range of package sizes
- Wet-processed for a deeper taste
- Some people feels it’s more to the mild side
3) Lavanta Coffee Roasters Colombia Direct Trade Coffee
Lavanta is one of the few companies that take social responsibility very seriously. They invest in fair trading, eco-friendly agriculture, and best-practices processing. These are all aspects that add to the value of each coffee cup.
>> Also read: Best Kona Coffee (Beans & Pods)
Each cup of coffee comes packed with a blend of exotic cocoa, sweet fruits and bold nutty flavor. It’s a smooth slightly acidic brew with an optimistic feel that will leave you craving for more.
These washed Excelsa Arabica beans are best roasted towards the dark Espresso level. But if you like to feel more of its undertones flavor, go with a medium roast.
- Distinct nut, cocoa, and fruity flavor
- Suitable for a morning, noon, and night cup
- The manufacturer uses environment-friendly practices
- Moderately priced
- Grown in the temperate Andes plains
- They’re not the best performers for Espresso
4) Coffee Bean Direct Green Unroasted Brazil Santos Whole Bean
These Supremo dry-processed beans behave in an interesting manner. They tend to skip a light roasting profile pretty quickly, and in mere seconds they’ll get into the City tones. They’re also a little varied in size, so getting an even roasting throughout might be a bit tricky.
>> Also read: Best Coffee Beans for Cappuccino
At the same time, they’re accepting of the whole range of roasts from light to Espresso. The highest tones come out around medium City roasting. That’s where you’d feel the slight tang of a citrus tone, plus a warm hint of cinnamon and sweet caramel. Going further starts giving off chocolate and even tobacco undertones.
- Suitable for home roasters
- Lends itself to various kinds of roasting
- Has multiple layers of flavor
- Gives nice cold brews
- The packaging ensures maximum freshness
- Might need some extra flavoring
- It might be a bit hard for the kitchen aid.
- Dry processed may cause the beans to lose some of it’s earthy tones
5) Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company, Robusta Green Unroasted Coffee
Dean’s Beans is seriously into following best practices from farming to trade. They dedicate a sizeable amount of their work to social development projects and are mindful of being friendly to ecosystems and nature.
>> Related: Best Low Acid Coffee (Beans & Powder)
Shade-grown organic coffee isn’t just an environment-friendly product, the slow and natural ripening of these beans renders an exceptionally flavourful and aromatic brew.
- Has a rich taste and delicious aroma
- Blends nicely with a darker roast
- Comes with a high caffeine punch
- The packaging is omnidegradable
- After using the beans, you can compost the bags
- It comes in two package sizes only
>> Bonus
DYVEE Coffee Bean Roaster Gas Coffee Roasting Machine
This list wouldn’t be complete without the perfect roaster for these premium beans. The DYVEE is a great option if you like precision in reaching the right roast.
>> Also read: Best Decaf Coffee (Beans & Pods)
There’s a constant debate between going with a traditional roaster or an electric device. I clearly prefer the former. Using direct flame is significantly different from using an electric heating device. It shows in the texture, taste, and aroma.
The added bonus here is that you can see and hear the roasting process. The glass drum lets you spot the right moment to turn off the flame and let the beans rest. The price might be on the high side, but authentic roast experience may be well worth the price.
- The glass drum allows full visibility of the roasting beans
- The frame and base are made from good quality stainless steel
- It’s designed to handle 400 gms of beans per batch
- The roaster is supplied with a motor and 110-220 volt adapter.
- It gives off some smoke so it’s best used with sufficient air circulation
- Needs a separate gas burner
3 Reasons to Roast Your Own Coffee Beans
Total Control
When you get the coffee beans raw, you can roast them to your liking. It’s not only are you able to roast it to the right level of lightness or darkness, you can also mix and match the roasts. For example, you could blend in a handful of dark Robusta beans with a lighter roast, which gives a subtle kick to your cuppa.
You can also add flavors for an exciting aftertaste. The list goes on, but the key is to get creative. That’s the whole point of roasting at home!
For a Different Taste
Some coffee lovers are absolute loyalists to a single flavor, while others like to experiment and explore the rich variety of coffee beans, profiles, roasts and flavors.
For the die-hards of specific coffee brands and typical brews, consider switching your taste buds once in awhile by trying another coffee. This help reset your taste buds, allowing you to re-experience the taste and aroma when you return back to the original brew.
It’s an Economic Alternative
Compared to getting a cup of good coffee at the local cafe or roastery, home-roasted coffee is certainly a more financially-savvy choice. Green coffee is also gentler on your pockets compared to regular coffee. The successive processing and roasting of the latter add considerably to its cost.
You could get premium quality green coffee beans and roast them to your liking. The added perk is that you get this luxurious cup without breaking the bank.
To Sum Up
Roasting at home is about versatility and uniqueness of taste. Picking the right type of beans goes a long way in creating a memorable brew. That’s why Lavanta Coffee Roasters Colombia Direct Trade Coffee is a good choice. Its latent layers of flavor and powerful aroma say it all.
You could also go with Coffee Bean Direct Green Unroasted Brazil Santos Whole Bean. It’s a dry-processed variety that gives a distinct coffee cup. It’s also well suited for home preparation and lends itself to various levels of roasting.
Keep experimenting with different beans until you find the one. The availability of smaller packages helps and guarantees the freshness of your cup. Enjoy!