Home wine makers will be happy to hear that roasting coffee beans is even easier - and the results are often as good as the pros.

There is a wide choice of roasters available.  Everyday kitchen equipment such as popcorn maker or frying pans can be used.  The most important thing is to make sure the equipment is clean.  Left over butter or oils could really affect the taste of the coffee.

Lighter roasts contain slightly more caffeine than dark roasts, and they can also have more of an acidic taste than dark roasts.  Which ever beans you chose be sure to chose the best you can afford.

When roasting coffee beans for the first time it is probably a good idea to do so in a well ventilated room.  The beans need to be heated to between 460F (223C) and 530F (262C), therefore this may cause some smoke and quite a strong smell!

Turn up the heat and get those beans in the roaster!  (You may need to disable your fire alarms for a short while).

Many roasters have an in-built thermometer, but having an extra thermometer may be a good idea when you use the frying pan method.  Candy making thermometers are ideal for this purpose.

How strong you like your roast depends how long you let the beans roast.  The beans start out green, then turn yellow then brown.  The darker brown the bean the darker your roast.

As the bean begins to get hot, pressure will build up on the surface of the bean and after a while you will hear a loud crack as the bean bursts.  This should happen around four to seven minutes after your begin roasting the beans.  This sound is normal so don’t be alarmed.  Just remember to keep stirring the beans so they don’t stick and get burnt.

Caramelization of the sugars inside the beans will take place as the roasting continues.  The degree of caramelization is a personal tastes so remember to keep stirring and checking the beans every 30 seconds.

Roast long enough and sometimes a second loud crack will occur. At this stage the beans will be quite dark and for some palates a little overdone. Beyond the second crack you’re really just burning the beans and boiling away the sugars. The results will be too harsh for most.

Pour the beans into a metal colander and ‘rough them up’.  The roasting process produces a find skin ‘chaff’ that breaks away from the bean as they are roughed up.  You need to remove this skin before you use the beans.

Roasting is a trial process.  You will need to try a few batches with different roasting times before you find your perfect roast to get the perfect flavour from your coffee.  It may be an idea to remove the beans for the heat a little early as the heat within the bean will mean they still continue to cook for a little while after you have removed them from the heat.

When you use a popcorn maker to roast the beans make sure you can stir the beans so they don’t stick and burn.  If you are roasting the beans on the stove top, cast iron skillets are fantastic.  Remember don’t leave the beans for a second and keep stirring.  Roasting coffee beans is very quick.