296005 Thu Feb 05 09:38:10 -0800 2004 4 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1629008 The thread below, about exploding coffee beans, got me thinking about home roasting. are any of you doing this? I have read about using a hot air popper, and was hoping some of you could share your experiences. Have you used a hot air popper right out of the box, or had it modified? All that I have learned so far has come from www.sweetmarias.com, and I would appreciate any tips or tricks hounds may have. thanks, Michael Link: http://dcinsideout.blogspot.com/icook Thu Feb 05 09:38:10 -0800 2004 0 mic9ael 1 1629166 I use a Toastmaster popcorn popper for ten bucks from Bed Bath & Beyond, straight out of the box. I do shake it a bit when it first starts up so that the beans keep moving, and then tip it back when the chaff starts flying out so the beans don't go with it. The fan on this model is very powerful- so much so that if you pop popcorn with it, it will push unpopped kernels into the bowl, where residual heat in the kernels popped them. It was certainly the most exciting bowl of popcorn I had ever had. I can't give you too many tips and tricks yet, except that Sweet Maria's has a wonderful deal where you can get eight half-pound bags of different coffees (their choice) for a bit less than you would if you bought them separately. It's a great way to try something you may not have had otherwise. Fri Feb 06 01:25:32 -0800 2004 1629008 0 JK Grence (the Cosmic Jester) 2 1629168 Forgot to mention... when you go out looking for a popcorn popper, make sure you get one with the vents on the sides of the popping chamber. The ones that have a vent on the bottom have a screen over the fan output, and chaff can get caught in the screen and catch fire. Sadly, most hot-air poppers you can find are made by Presto, who makes only the ones with the vent on the bottom. Try Bed Bath & Beyond first, then go thrift store shopping- you want a West Bend Poppery II if at all possible Fri Feb 06 01:30:16 -0800 2004 1629166 0 JK Grence (the Cosmic Jester) 3 1629191 thank you tonz for that info! are you having issues with either smoke, or lingering aroma? Link: http://dcinsideout.blogspot.com/icook Fri Feb 06 09:57:26 -0800 2004 1629168 0 mic9ael 4 1629196 Considering that I do my roasting outside, that would be a no to both questions. I don't mind the aroma too much, but other people in the house do. If you're going to roast inside, make sure you do it under a vent hood, because sometimes the beans produce a LOT of smoke. Fri Feb 06 10:27:26 -0800 2004 1629191 0 JK Grence (the Cosmic Jester)