How to Roast Coffee Beans in an Air Fryer
I purchased an air fryer recently. This decision had absolutely no bearing on anything to do with coffee until I discovered that you can actually roast coffee beans in it! Say what? Yep, among the other incredible things that this increasingly popular trend can do, it can also roast your morning coffee beans. So, let’s take a look at how to roast coffee beans in an air fryer including:
- The steps involved in roasting coffee beans
- How long to roast the coffee beans for
- What temperature to roast at
- Some breakfast inspiration to accompany your coffee
- Let’s not mention the broccoli
How I discovered the Air Fryer
It was unavoidable. My social media feeds were full of it. There were images everywhere. Everyone was showing off their air fryer recipes and swearing it had changed their lives. What more recommendation do you need? I was already sold. I did my research, asked all my friends, considered my own cooking habits and settled on the extremely popular Ninja Foodi Air Fryer. I was like a kid at Christmas when it arrived the next day from Amazon Prime. Good old Amazon – never fails (and yes, should you purchase one from my link, I will get a kick back but that’s not why I recommend it). I set it up, read the booklet and started cooking.
My poor kids and partner looked on slightly concerned about what was going to come out of the machine but it didn’t disappoint. My youngest is a massive fan of roast potatoes and wedges so I did these first – absolute winner. And so the fun commenced. Next was the best dessert I think I have had for a long time. There is a link to a reel below – watch it and thank me later. An absolute sensation – Cadbury creme egg filled croissant triangles. The image below is how mine turned out. Served straight out of the air fryer with ice cream and you will find yourself counting the calories for the next few weeks.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CosP0TMI3E7/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
And on to the coffee part
Anyway, I digress, this is a coffee blog after all. So, imagine my delight when I discovered that you can roast coffee beans. Yep, you actually put the beans in the air fryer and roast them yourself. Here’s how you do it:
How to roast coffee beans in an air fryer.
Open a window, pop on the extractor and make sure your room is well ventilated before you begin. The beans will give off all manner of odours as they roast.
Then you need to pre-heat your air fryer to 190 degrees Celsius. Next, pop the beans in the drawer/s. We suggest, if using the Ninja, that you lay them out across the grill rack, evenly spaced. Use both drawers to give you enough beans. Next, set the time to 8 minutes and give the basket a shake periodically to ensure even roasting. This is an important technique for getting even coverage.
Listen for the crack
The first crack will occur at around 5 minutes – if you are after a lighter roast, you can stop cooking now. Listen for the second crack a couple of minutes later and you will have a darker roast.
Remove and cool
The next step is to remove them from the air fryer and let them cool before you grind and brew them.
NOTE – if you see smoke, you’ve overdone it. It is worth noting that some air fryers may roast quicker than others, some beans may crack before 5 mins. Just be vigilant and make sure that you don’t burn the beans.
Top tip
Start with a light roast so you don’t overdo it. You can go for a darker roast as you get more experience.
The different roasts
When it comes to roasting coffee beans in an air fryer, there are three levels of roast to look out for
- Light roast – beans are a golden brown, blonde colour
- Medium roast – more of a milk to dark chocolate colour
- Dark roast – almost black
As we have already mentioned, you can play round with the different roasting times but start off lower and increase accordingly. Remember to shake the basket to get an even coverage.
The benefits of roasting beans in an air fryer
The air fryer is designed to roast evenly which will result in a better flavour profile. It also allows you to roast in small batches if you want fresh coffee. It’s also another excellent use for your air fryer and allows you to play around making the various coffees that you want to try, giving you much more control over your coffee flavours and allowing you to go bold with your choices. It’s also cheaper when you roast your own so over the course of a few months, you will have self-funded your air fryer.
If you happen to have a popcorn popper, this also works.
And finally – the broccoli
OK, so apparently cooking broccoli in an air fryer is perfectly acceptable. there are recipes for air fried broccoli online. DO NOT DO IT! It’s disgusting – beyond disgusting actually. Try roasting coffee beans instead.
