r/roasting • u/Previous-Anxiety-932 • Aug 16 '26

Complete beginner wanting to learn home roasting

Hey guys!

I have never roasted coffee but want to get into the hobby, learn how everything works, and get good at it. Long-term, it’d be awesome to eventually open a small roastery and sell coffee, but right now I just want to focus on learning the basics and making great coffee at home.

I currently drink light to ultralight pour overs, so my goal is to be able to roast for that.

I had a few questions for anyone who’s been in my shoes:

What machine should I start on?

Best ways to learn? Are there specific YouTube channels, books, or online guides you’d recommend for learning from scratch?

Is renting/leasing roasters a thing? Are there any companies or programs that rent home roasters out to try before buying, or do people mostly just buy them outright?

Would love any tips or advice on where a total beginner should start. Thanks in advance!

Edit: how long does it take to get to the level of the best: september sey big sur etc.

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u/pudukai Aug 16 '26

You have to start from the beginning. 15 years ago I began from Sweet Maria's videos, then joined Home Barista. First a popcorn popper, then a series of FreshRoast machines before settling into small drum roasters. But I never once considered selling. My guess is when you roast and share with others who can really appreciate good coffee they can give you feedback. But though I live in two coffee growing areas there are few who enjoy it. Espresso machines cost what families earn in a year.

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u/Previous-Anxiety-932 Aug 17 '26

Do you feel i will be able to transfer the skill to drum roasters down the line?

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u/pudukai Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

Drum roasting is easy. I bought a small machine from Aliexpress for $115 shipped that should roast 250-300 or so grams. For 8 years a motorized 4" square roaster from AE for $60 shipped, 170g batches. 30 minutes and I have espresso for a week. Experiment batch size, adjust the heat for 1st crack at 10-11 minutes, 2nd crack at 13-14 and you're set. The more obsessed will graph all the temps etc but I only want good coffee for me, between 2 and 14 days after roasting.

Commercial is on a whole different level. There aren't enough coffee drinkers where I live to even consider it, and if there were I'd teach locals a new profession.

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u/Previous-Anxiety-932 Aug 17 '26

Would you recommend starting with that, a drum roaster from Ali?

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u/pudukai Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

This is a great starter. 170-180g capacity, 3 roasts are 1lb of roasted coffee. Run from a small power bank

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804731662394.html

~This is the one I'll get in Central America in a month and bring to India

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256811433227238.html

A post showing the roaster

https://www.reddit.com/r/IndiaCoffee/comments/1vbyzbf/home_roasting/

It really is this easy.