My journey into coffee roasting began in the late 1980s during a trip to Costa Rica. While visiting a coffee plantation, I became fascinated with every step of the coffee-making process. Later, while walking through a nearby village, I came across several people roasting coffee over a wood fire using a large cast-iron pan. They continuously stirred and gently shook the pan as the beans roasted, and I still remember the incredible aroma that filled the air.
When I returned home, I couldn't wait to try roasting coffee myself.
I started with nothing more than a wood fire in my backyard, roasting small batches by hand. Before long, someone suggested using a hot-air popcorn popper, which worked surprisingly well and allowed me to learn even more about the roasting process.
As my passion grew, I built my own coffee roaster from a 55-gallon steel drum. It was a simple wood-fired design, but it gave me far better control over the roast and taught me lessons that still influence the way I roast today
Later, I adapted that same drum to a gas grill, which provided even greater consistency. Then, in the mid-1990s, I purchased my first commercial coffee roaster.
Nearly four decades later, I still feel that same excitement every time I hear first crack and watch the beans transform during the roast.
I've been in love with roasting coffee ever since.
