* wrote, On 5/24/2007 7:58 PM:
Some sailors prefer to carry green coffee beans on board and roast them as
need it.
I wonder what is the best method to roast the beans on a sailboat?



I've roasted most of the coffee I've consumed over the last 15 years.
I've had many of the small home roasting appliances; currently I use
a Gene Cafe which does a half pound at a time. A bit pricey, but
automatic and repeatable. However, lots of people make do with
simpler devices, such as a drum on a BBQ, or the latest craze, a metal
dog bowl and a heat gun.

However, on the boat I've use a WhirlyPop:
http://www.sweetmarias.com/prod.stovetop-popper.shtml

There are a number of advantages to home roasting: you can save a lot
of money, given that green beans are about 60% of roasted, or less. I
generally buy the highest quality I can find, paying $6-8 for stuff
that would go for $15 at Whole Foods. After the Kona harvest I get
about 12 pounds at $12 per, and stash most in the freezer. This is
the stuff that when roasted goes for $25. If you prefer, you can get
high quality green for $5 or even less.

For short vacations on the boat I roast up a lot at home, then weigh
out single "doses" into small baggies. I put 6 in a bag, vacuum seal
it, and put it in the freezer. The WhirlyPop is only used if we're
out longer than a month. It has a major drawback in that it generates
copious amounts of smoke, more than you could do in a marina. I would
only pull it out in a secluded anchorage.

FWIW, I brew on the boat with a manual drip using a paper filter (for
easy cleanup) into a Thermos. I also carry a French Press for variety.