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a sharp, pungent smell. The coffee usually acquires a similar sharp taste, with the flavor being predomi-
nantly “roast” and less that of “coffee.” Some people do enjoy this “French” style but if you are purchasing
quality beans this level of roast removes a lot of the taste that you paid for.
Roasting even darker, “Spanish” as the style is sometimes called, is not recommended because it will
destroy most of the original flavor of the coffee, and few people appreciate the burned taste. Still, some
coffee shops have made it their trademark. Give it a try, if only to find out if you like it.
CAUTION: Be very careful when trying to do very dark roasts.
Second crack marks a time when you have to be especially attentive. The darker you roast, the
faster the roasting progresses, and when second crack has started, things can happen very quickly, and
sometimes they are not good things. When roasting dark it is important to be ready with a finger near the
“Eject” button to end the roast manually at a moment’s notice.
WARNING: If you start to see a lot of oil on the beans during the
roast, if the sounds of second crack begin to slow after peak activity, or
if the smoke begins to dramatically increase, immediately end the roast
by hitting the “Eject” button. These are warning signs that the coffee is
reaching a dangerous point. If you allow the roast to go much further it
could burn the beans in the roaster or the beans can even catch fire! As
you get more accomplished at roasting coffee using the Hottop Cof-
fee Roaster you will be able to dark-roast if that is your taste preference.
Roast styles are summarized in the following table:
Roast color Stage Name of style Appearance of Bean
Very light brown End of drying - - - - Dry
Light brown Start of first crack Cinnamon Dry
Light-medium brown First crack Light Dry
Medium-brown End of first crack City Dry
Medium-dark brown Start of second crack Full city Dry/shiny
Dark brown Slow second crack Viennese Spots of oil
Very dark brown Fast second crack French Very shiny/oily
Extremely dark brown Fast second crack Spanish Wet with Oil
Be aware that these roast style names are general in nature. What qualifies as “City” to one person
can be something a little lighter or darker to another.
As a general rule, to obtain a bright cup with more a subtle flavor, try a lower setting to get a lighter
roast. This is very suitable for filter drip, or press pot coffee. To get less acidity and a heavier bodied cof
-
fee, use a higher setting for a darker roast in the range of a City to a Full City roast, which is usually more
enjoyable for siphon brewing or espresso.
Although flavor is related to roast style, the result also depends greatly on the variety of beans you
roast.
Experiment with Roasts
Some people have been led to believe that only dark roasted coffee tastes good, or that beans have
to be oily to make good espresso and this is just not true. Look at the chart above. Do you see “Espresso
roast” listed? No. That is because there is no such thing– espresso is a beverage, not a roast. With your
Hottop Coffee Roaster You can now roast coffee any way you like. Be bold! Be daring! Experiment. There
are tastes in coffee that are amazing, but be aware that many are lost if the coffee is roasted too dark.