A Brief History of Home Roasted Green Coffee
As far back as the 19th century, home roasting of raw, green coffee was common place and was part of America's daily routine through the early 20th century. Since roasted coffee was too expensive for Europeans to purchase and America's rural population, they roasted their raw, green coffee over their fireplaces, outside on their porches, and on their cast-iron stove-tops. Local roasting shops were simply a luxury that not many could afford. Settlers came to appreciate that raw green coffee beans could be stored for long periods of time, or until they were able to go to the general store.
Take a look below at old roasting devices circa 1900s.
Unfortunately, as interstate trade grew and the mass packaging of goods became readily available, some roasting companies grew their businesses into massive companies resulting in a diminishing supply of raw materials such as green coffee. Less green coffee entered into the homes of Americans, as the focus shifted to labor and time-saving packaged goods, such as roasted, ground coffee.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, there was resurgence in local coffee roasting shops who wished nothing more than to return to “basics.” A professional and tradition that was extinct for 50 years had been reborn by the pioneers of today's coffee industry. Sadly, there are several that still don’t produce a decent cup of coffee, which is why the quest for fresher, better tasting coffee has inspired coffee lovers to home-roast once again!
You also may want to learn more about valve coffe bags and other coffee roasing materials.