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Coffee, to Roast

To roast coffee properly, a suitable apparatus, which is made for the purpose, should be purchased. There are two or three different kinds, and the price varies, the cheapest being about 8s. Many persons, however, who have a prejudice in favour of roasting their own coffee, and do not possess a "drum," use an iron saucepan with a closely-fitting lid. If this is done, great care will be required, or the coffee will either be burnt, in which case the aroma will be destroyed, or not sufficiently roasted, and then the flavour will not be fully developed. It is a good plan to wash the berries before roasting them; it not only cleanses them, but tests their quality. Those which float on the top of the water are not good. The berries must afterwards be carefully dried, both in a cloth and in the tin. To roast them, put a little piece of perfectly fresh sweet butter about the size of a walnut into the pan with three pounds of berries. Place the lid on, and shake the saucepan about continually, until a slight smoke arises. Then draw the saucepan back, and stir the berries about with a wooden spoon till they are lightly and equally browned to the colour of cinnamon. Spread them on a flat dish, and throw a thick cloth over them. When quite cold put the berries into dry bottles, and cork them closely. It is a good plan to buy a large quantity of raw berries, and roast two or three pounds as required. The coffee berry ought not to be roasted until it is three years old, and it improves with keeping. The fire should be clear and bright, but not fierce, or half a minute will burn it.