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For drip coffee, try roasting some quality Colombian and stopping the roast about fifteen to thirty
seconds after first crack ends, but before second even starts. This coffee may look lighter than most of
what you are accustomed to, but the taste will be a real treat!
As time goes along and you become more proficient in your roasting and tasting, you will find that
some coffees taste quite good roasted light while others taste better dark. Don’t be afraid to roast sepa
-
rately then combine two roasts to create a “blend.” Sometimes 75% of one coffee roasted light mixed with
25% of another (or the same coffee) roasted dark can create a delightful taste treat.
Coffee Varieties and Roast Styles
When we classify coffee we divide it into two main species- Arabica and Robusta. With very few
exceptions, Robusta is a lower grade with a generally unpleasant taste. It is used predominantly in the
low-cost commercial coffees found in supermarkets. Arabica coffees generally cost more, but have a much
more pleasant and delicious taste.
Arabica coffees are grown in tropical regions around the world. As you might expect, the flavor of
these vary enormously from one country to another. Even coffees grown in various regions within the
same countries can differ in taste. For example, coffee from Java is distinctly different from Sumatran, but
both are called “Indonesian.” Even coffee from neighboring farms can have different tastes.
It is impossible to say which roast setting is “best” for a particular coffee. Coffees vary enormously;
some are highly acidic by nature, and have a very strong taste, while others are fairly mild and delicate. We
suggest that you try different beans, from different countries, at different roast levels, if only to discover
and experience all that coffee has to offer. Perhaps you will be surprised to find that you enjoy a different
style of roast and coffee than you had previously thought.
For example, try blending 75% Brazilian or Colombian with 25% Sumatran. This basic blend com-
bines the smooth rich taste, typical of the South American coffees, with the deep earthy notes of the
Indonesian coffees.
The only way to find out what tastes best to you is to roast a few batches of the same coffee at different
styles, and see which you prefer. For your convenience we have added a few guidelines to help you decide
what setting to try first.
When trying to decide what roast-level setting (KN-8828) to use or how long (KN-8828D or KN-
8828P) to roast for a new (to you) coffee, there is no way for us to be able to accurately tell you what to use.
Coffee sold in one part of the world can have a very different moisture level from coffee in another part of
the world. Small peaberry beans roast differently from larger beans. Old beans behave differently from
fresher beans. Even the voltage of the electrical supply in your home affects the roast level or time needed
for your preferred roast. And most importantly, how you are going to brew the coffee and your personal
taste is the most important factor in how you should be roasting. So, where do you start?
For drip coffee, and particularly for most home machines, start with a roast that you end just after
first crack. For press pot of vacuum pot coffee, try a roast that falls just before or just after the start of
second crack. For espresso, the most dynamic method of coffee extraction, try just as second crack be-
comes “active” (when the cracks of second become closer together and somewhat suddenly become more
numerous).
Whenever roasting a variety of coffee that is new to you or from a new crop or vendor, and particu-
larly when learning to use the Hottop Coffee Roaster, start with a mid-level roast level (“4” on the KN-
8828, or 19 minutes on the KN-8828D). From there, you can manually eject the beans if the roast is ready
before the machine ejects the beans automatically, or you can add some time at the end of the roast using
the “PLUS” button. Make notes concerning this in your roasting log and use that to adjust the roasting time
or amount of beans the next time you roast this coffee (see Chapter VII for details on roasting logs).
As you learn the coffees you are using and how they roast, you can adjust the roast setting so that you
can get the roast you want using the automatic eject without having to intervene. Still, day to day, roast will