Chang Yue Industrial KN-8828B, KN-8828P Coffee Varieties and Roast Styles

For drip coffee, t ry roasting some qual ity Colombian and stopping the roast about ﬁfteen to thirty

seconds after ﬁrst crack ends, but before second even star ts. 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 tast ing, you will ﬁnd that

some coffees taste qu ite good roasted light while others taste better da rk. 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 g rown in tropical regions around t he world. As you might expect, the ﬂavor of

these vary enormously from one country to another. Even coffees grown in various regions w ithin 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 d iscover

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% Sumat ran. 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 tryi ng to decide what roast-level setti ng (KN-8828) to use or how long (KN-8828D or K N-

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 pe rsonal

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 aft er 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, sta rt with a mid-level roast level (“4” on the K N-

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 t he automatic eject without having to intervene. Still, day to day, roast will