Brad Brown

Over the years, I’ve passively attempted to find better ground coffee, occasionally picking something new from the store shelves surrounding my usual Folgers. Two years ago, when I had more time than sense, I decided it was probably best to roast green coffee beans and grind them myself; when I “get into” something, it’s rarely gradual, and it usually leaves me frustrated when it ends, with an investment in equipment I no longer need. This was the rare exception however. It turns out you can roast coffee beans in old-school hot air popcorn poppers! Instant pretentiousness without the expense of a professional roaster…oh yes!
 
One week and two eBay auctions later, I was the proud owner of two Presto PopLite popcorn makers [regardless of hobby, always have a backup device]. I plug #1 in, pour in the green coffee beans, and wait. Seconds before the accident, I said “Hmmm…sure is a lot of smoke…” After a minute, I was running from smoke detector to smoke detector, ripping out the batteries to prevent the annoying warning. The moral of the story is, if you try this at home, have adequate ventilation. If not, your wallpaper will bear the scent of coffee for months to come.
 
The next logical step was to take the roasting process outside; word of warning: popcorn poppers don’t work when it’s 25 degrees outside. My next batch was made in the basement, leaving a fog-like haze in my weight room for 24 hours.
 
The thing they don’t tell you about roasting coffee in popcorn poppers is that you can only make enough for about a pot and a half each time you roast. I kept telling myself that it was worth the trouble, but after the 5th roast, I gave up and reverted to Folgers. Two years later, the popcorn poppers are still in the basement, monuments to my laziness. Don’t let my laziness stop you from experimenting; I will say that I produced some of the best tasting coffee I have ever encountered, and you have no idea how much geography plays in the final taste of coffee. Get a sampler pack from your favorite supplier, and note the orange overtones of the Ethiopian bean, or the nuttiness of the Lichtenstein blend [ok, I made that one up].
 
The kids often ask me, “Brad, I’d rather not deal with bean grinding. What ground coffee do you recommend?” Hands down, it would be Cafe Du Monde, as produced via a Bunn coffee maker. I have no stock in either company, but highly recommend both their products.
 
Don’t take my word for it, try it. The worst that could happen is that you’ll end up with a hot air popcorn popper, making popcorn instead of coffee. Stranger things have happened.
 
Your thoughts? I’d love to hear them.
 

 

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