quote:

Originally posted by fcbaldwin

Linda and I have been grinding already roasted whole bean coffee for some time but have never tried roasting our own. Where do you get your green coffee beans?

Frank

Frank, as Pogophiles states, Sweet Maria’s is a really good place to get beans, but more importantly…. Information. The prices are a little higher than I care to pay. I use http://www.coffeemaria.com and I am also a member of a green coffee co-op. People from all around the country pool their money to bid on entire bags of coffee direct from the importer. I never pay more than $3lb for even the most expensive varieties including shipping. The co-op also has members who cup each coffee before it is purchased to ensure we get only the best of the best.

Paul,
Green coffee, stored properly, has a useable life span of about 2 years.. It never lasts that long with me. My friends and family love gifts of fresh roasted coffee and the wife and I use about 2lbs a week ourselves.

I recently built my own "Redneck Rotary Roaster" so I can now roast a pound of greens at a time vs. 1/2cup at a time with the popcorn popper.
I will be happy to help any who wants to learn how to roast their own.