Coffee roasting is undertaken to transform green coffee into the fresh, aromatic roasts you can buy from your local coffee shop. This is done because without roasting, green coffee would make a pot of coffee that is virtually undrinkable. Coffee made from green coffee beans is extremely acidic and bitter flavored. Definitely NOT something you’d like to share a cup of with the neighbor!
Green coffee beans are very similar to any other dried bean you might purchase at the store. Just like a bag of navy beans can be transformed into a tasty pot of bean soup, green coffee beans allow a much longer shelf life and can still be transformed by coffee roasting into a deliciously drinkable brew.
The process of coffee roasting actually forces water out of the bean, causing dryness and expansion in the bean. The coffee roasting process causes some of the natural sugars to be transformed into CO2 and still others get caramelized. This creates the complex flavor nuances that are the hallmark of ‘good coffee’.
By the end of the coffee roasting process, the coffee bean you wind up with is much darker and about 18% lighter in weight, as well as about 50-100% larger in size than its green coffee bean counterpart. After coffee roasting, it’s customary to allow the coffee to ‘degas’ for a day or two. This helps to protect the flavors and aromas, as well as avoid an acid taste that can occur if you drink the coffee immediately after roasting.
However, don’t wait too long to drink! Just a week from the time the coffee is roasted it will have already started to lose some of its best aromas and flavors. That’s why if you can find a coffee provider close to home that does their own coffee roasting you can be assured of the best freshness possible.

Green coffee beans are fast becoming a popular commodity by both coffee lovers, and nations alike. In many countries, they are behind crude oil as a source of income by only a single point.
So what is the allure of green coffee exactly? The short of it is that individual coffee lovers (hobbyists) like the green option because it allows them to roast their own coffee beans to their standards of choice, at home and usually at a significant price discount from roasted coffee they may purchase elsewhere.
And because of modern technology today, roasting your green coffee beans at home is becoming easier than ever, and more and more popular with the hobbyists who enjoy roasting their own beans and sharing with family and friends. Home roasted coffee can make a great holiday gift idea by the way!
Small businesses who sell their coffee locally can roast their own green coffee beans according to their own personal standards, whether by an automated process or by hand, and that is a great selling point for their products to consumers. This allows them to incorporate the ‘experience’ of great coffee into their marketing efforts, and for many consumers, the ‘experience’ is what gourmet coffee is all about!
Coffee has literally become a global commodity since it was first introduced to the world from the Arab countries. The aromatic smell is a huge motivator to any and all, regardless of whether an individual actually enjoys DRINKING coffee or not! Although to be fair, most do enjoy the flavor of good coffee, much like a beer lover might enjoy the flavors of different brewed beers.
So with green coffee giving hobbyists the option to roast their own special brews, I expect its popularity will only grow even more as the years go by and technology becomes even more sophisticated for at home roasting. The question for you today is… green coffee beans or pre-roasted coffee beans? It’s all a matter of personal preference!