Home roasting is becoming more and more trendy as we see influencers like Tanner Colson shooting their shot at roasting. And why not? ROEST might be a product that not everyone will be able to have in their home, but we are excited to see more and more home roasters take an interest in roasting, whether it's learning more about green coffee varieties or the different types of roasting processes.

Meet Denis Sabou, a passionate home roaster and ROEST sample roaster user. You may know him as one of the more vocal contributors to the ROEST Forum and Discord. You may have also seen him taking a post at our booth in Copenhagen last year, where he had quite an audience! Join us as we dive into Denis’s inspiring story, his roasting philosophy, and the milestones shaping his ever-evolving coffee journey in his own words.

From the *The Mystery Coffee Discord* roasting workshop at World of Coffee Copenhagen 2024

*Pictured: Denis Sabou with his home roasting set up*

Coffee roasting journey

My journey into the world of specialty coffee began in 2016, primarily focusing on espresso until 2020, when I switched to brewed coffee. I first tried roasting at home in 2017 as a hobby, and since then, my love for coffee has only grown

Throughout my journey, I've owned several coffee roasting machines, including a 0.4kg gas drum roaster and a 3-fluid bed air roaster. However, my ultimate goal was to own a ROEST roaster, drawn in by its sleek design, user-friendly features, and the cleanliness it offers after roasting sessions. The ability to replicate specific roast profiles piqued my curiosity and inspired me to explore further.

While living in Vienna, I dreamed of visiting Tim Wendelboe and Nordic Approach in Norway. After moving to Bergen, Norway, I finally had the chance to visit them early in 2022 and see the ROEST machine in action. This experience fueled my desire to learn more about the roaster, leading me to order my own machine in April 2022.

What started as a passion project quickly turned into a small business after engaging with the specialty coffee community. I now sell small batches of the coffee I roast on my ROEST machine. This venture has pushed me to elevate my standards and learn more about the intricacies of roasting. With the help of friends who provided invaluable feedback, I refined my roasting style and techniques.

My roasting process

I've gained a wealth of knowledge from forums and founded the ROEST Discord server, where I collaborated with fellow roasters to develop concepts around moisture, drum pressure, total roast time, and weight loss. We even exchanged roasted coffee to understand more about the roasting process and what parameters influence what.

My roasting protocol is strict. After experimenting with around 800 batches, I consistently roast 185g of greens per batch using the same parameters without changing much. Here are some key parameters I follow:

Heating Time: Minimum 15 minutes before starting.
Consistent Charging Temp: Charge at the same drum temperature, resetting the temp with a 4-5 minute between-batch protocol.
Bean Temperature (BT): I focus on BT for determining drop times, ranging from 196°C to 198°C based on bean size.
Weight Loss Monitoring: I track weight loss from day one, typically between 9.7% to 11%.
Cupping: I always cup the coffee immediately after roasting without waiting for the second day, and check the color using a DIY color meter to achieve a target color of 118 to 125. A good friend of mine made a DIY color meter, which you can find here.
Storage: I pack roasted coffee in thick, no-valve bags with zip locks to minimize oxidation, storing them for at least 30 days before brewing. I finish a bag in 3 to 5 days to maximize aromatics perception and to diminish oxidation.

Roasting Profiles

I’ve developed two roasting profiles with the help of the ROEST community:

Washed Coffee Profile: This profile adapts based on the bean type, aiming for a drop time between 6:00 and 6:30 minutes. Adjust airflow with a piece of paper or lighter flame to achieve optimal results. View the profile here.

To adjust airflow while roasting 3:30 minutes into the ROEST, pull out the trier and with a lighter/flame check the airflow, after that 1st step up in fan control after 150C BT you flame should start to bend slightly inwards (alternative you can use a slim piece of paper and it should stick slightly into the trier hole). This means you are roasting with a slightly negative pressure. If you want to learn more about this concept and drum pressure profiling, visit our Discord, there is plenty of material there.

Natural and Other Coffee Profile: This profile is versatile and can be used for various types, including high-grade natural Robusta. Ensure the resulting color does not drop below my target. View the profile here.

Annual roasting challenges

Each year, I set a personal goal related to my roasting journey:

Year One: I launched an online micro-coffee roastery shipping all over the World.
Year Two: I refrained from purchasing Colombian greens to challenge the transparency of processing methods. The situation is improving as we gain better insights into coffee processing.
Year Three (Current): I’m committed to drinking only coffee roasted on my ROEST. This means no purchasing or ordering roasted coffee, and I’m currently eleven months into this challenge.

These goals drive me to improve my roasting skills and analyze my processes critically.

Coffee preferences

I particularly enjoy classic, floral, and fruity high-density beans from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Colombia. Occasionally, I discover gems from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and even India. I generally steer clear of heavily processed coffees, preferring honey and washed varieties instead of naturals.

Recent Experience

At the World of Coffee in Copenhagen 2024, I led a live workshop with around 20 participants from The Mystery Coffee Discord. I received 1kg of blind green coffee and managed to roast it live with impressive consistency across five batches, achieving a color of 126 and max 0.2g or 0.23% weight loss variation—right on target!

The roasting journey is ever-evolving, filled with discoveries and delightful cups of coffee. If you have any questions or wish to connect, feel free to join our ROEST Discord community here or on Instagram @ek43spresso.

Wishing you all the best in your coffee adventures!

From home roasting to building community: Denis Sabou

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