A coffee bean that has not been toasted is almost completely insipid. In the toasting process, the volatile oil of the coffee comes out and extends itself all over the coffee bean as it goes opening way to the surface liberating its flavor. The more time the coffee bean is toasted, the more oil it lets off. In this way, the darker toasted beans have a shiner surface than those that are lightly toasted.
As occurs with other vegetable seeds or dry fruit, coffee beans are a combination of fiber, fat, protein, minerals, vitamins, and naturally, caffeine. It is very important that the coffee beans are well toasted so as to liberate the subtle flavors of all these substances without destroying them. The intensely toasted French coffee beans for example are not only less acidy than others that are more lightly toasted, but they also contain less caffeine since it gets somewhat burnt during the prolonged toasting time. This probably explains why the European drink black coffee very happily at night and seem to sleep perfectly well.
The type of toasting process you prefer is up to individual preference; most people seem to prefer a lighter toasted coffee in the morning than after having eaten. As opposed to what happens to wine in which the acidity constitutes a defect, in coffee it is considered an attribute. The acidity depends mostly on where it was grown, but is also related with the amount of time it was toasted and the lightly toasted ones are acidier than the darker toasted ones in Europe.
The lightly toasted ones require the best quality Arabic beans so that its delicate flavor can be easy and completely distinguished. In a medium toasted coffee bean, stronger beans are used to produce a stronger coffee, while in a completely toasted coffee bean; the beans have been bereft of all the acidity and a slightly more bitter taste will predominate. As far as the intense or double toasted European coffee beans, slightly lower quality beans are used, since their lost delicacy is replaced by a stronger flavor that is notably vegetable carbon.
Most of the commercial toasters consist of a big rotating drum that is heated by gas propellers at a temperature of 260 degrees Celsius. Inside this drum the coffee beans are constantly shaken so that they all get evenly toasted and acquire the desired color. Toasting them is a specialized job that requires both knowledge and intuition to make sure the beans obtain a perfect toast.
Although toasting coffee beans is a specialized job, it is possible for a person to taste their own coffee beans at home, as long as your kitchen does not mind (as well as the rest of the house) that will smell intensely like coffee for a couple days. There are a few home coffee toasters on the market, but the beans can also be toasted in a pan or in the oven. The advantages of toasting your own is in first place, the price, since green coffee beans are considerably cheaper than those that have been previously toasted and in second place, green coffee beans can be conserved for a long time.
The first thing you will need to decide is where you are going to put the coffee beans once they are ready, since it is very important to stop the toasting process immediately. A marble surface is the ideal; if not, you can place them over a heat resistant paper or surface and cool them with the cold air of a hair dryer. Make sure to get rid of any loose peels etc, and once the beans have cooled, they can be ground. The ungrounded beans should be put away as soon as possible in a hermetically sealed container.
Before you begin toasting them, have a couple of your favorite coffee beans near you so you can compare the color as you go toasting the green beans and can get an idea on how much they should toast.
Don’t fret if you do not obtain a perfectly uniform toast; however throw away any beans that appear to be burnt, since these will give the coffee a nasty flavor.
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